Page 205 - Records of Bahrain (3) (i)_Neat

British influence and foreign interests, 1904-1906 195

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of Dr. Thoms of tho Amcrioan Mission, who attended to tho injured. I thir^
it may bo accepted at all evontH ns placing tho incidont in tho light in which l.
was presented tho following morning to overy “ man in the Btrcct ” not actually
concerned in it, and except in one or two minor matters of detail, I havo littlo
doubt (bat it represents tho corrcot version of what took placo.
5. It was obviously usolcss to expoot any of tho injured mombers of the
small Porsinn community to testify openly to tho namos of porsons whom they
hnd rccognizori in tho mob, for fear of subsequent consoquencos to thoraselvcs, but
Captain Prideaux, making inquiries from them and others confidentially, ascer­
tained tho names and identity of somo 25 porsons who had boon rocognizv^
among the mob. Among theso woro sovcral retainers of Shoikh Ali, somo
whom had been concerned in tho assault upon tho German trader a Bhort timQ
beforo.
Thcro can bo no doubt that the origin of tho dislurliannmvns,a puro
ucoidont and in no way connected with roligion ; whon once started tho attack
SvaS^oSTlondcd to tho unpopular Abdul Nabi and his family and omployds,
and cvcntunlly the religious cry was taken up, and overy " Mogul” Who was
unfortunate enough to appear on tho scene was immediately sot upon and
bcutou.
0. After the occurrence those Persians who had shops in tho P^zar closed them,
and fearing from tho Sheikh’s attitudo that ho did not intond to liston to Captain
Pridcaux but would try and get thoir caso hurried boforo tho looal Sunni
Shariat, they 6ont over a telegram to llis Majesty the Shah asking fur support.
The Mushir-ud-Dowlch replied that tho British authorities had undortakon to
see juslioo dono. Meanwhile, Captain Trovor, my Pir>t Assistant, was ablo to
secure tho despatch of Ilis Majesty's Ship “ Itedbroast ” to Manama pending
my arrival thcro.
/ 7. On reaching Bahroin on 30th Novomber, I found that, tho Torsian shops
wero still closod and that the only development since tho Political Agent’s lettor
No. 272 of 19th Novombor (knclosuro No. 2) was tho doparturo of Skoikh Ali
and his onlouragc,—including many of tho rowdies “ wanted,” for a hunting
excursion on tho mainland behind Mahrein.
As I mentioned in my roporton tho assault upon tho Gorman subject, Shoikh
lisa’s attitudo led mo to auticipato somo difficulty in settling tho socoud ooso, and
I feared that if both woro handled together, tho first caso might bo burked in
I conjunction with it. I thcrofovo decided to abstain from intervention in tho mattor
I of the Sunni-Shia affray until I had dono what 1 could in tho Gorman caso.
Tho latter occupied mo till tho ovouing of tho 4th Dcoombor.
December 4th.—On that aftornoon when I told Skoikh Bsa that I was now
ready to tako up tho inquiry in the second caso and rnako the investigation
whirliJiA hail invited mo to do, lie produced from his pockot a testimony paper
(Istislihad) executed by on<Tof the twoohief Sunni Mullahs in whioh a number
/ of persons purported to havo testified that thoy had soen Porsiaus beating
l A mbs.
In handing me this document tho CUiof said that this was tho testimony a
complaint of his Arab subjects and hcbcggi^JllttLl-r^f,lilfl sMjv^COuon j
1 replied that the " Jstishhad” was of lfttlo usoto mo by itsolfaud tuatlsiipul
want to see all tho persons mentioned in it and examine thorn. Ho aoquioscoa,
and it having been decided that I should start tho inquiry at 8a.m. noxt
morning, he promised to keep his younger 60n Abdulla in Manama with instruc­
tions to send to mo any of his subjects whom I might wish to examino, and to
jputc his elder son
or his acting Vazicr to ropresont him at tho proceedings.
8. Deoember 5th.—Tho Persian witnesses who hnd boon dirooted to. jirosont
thomsolvos were ready at the appointed time 8 a.m., but I was koptQYaiting 2j
hours for tho Sheikh’s representative, livontually 8Uoikli Eamod, tuO-'Km, ancj
the acting Vazicr 8 her eld eh put in an nppearnnoo, and tho form or intimatod
that Sheroidoh hod been deputed to attend on tho Chiof’s bohalf. Por blioroidoh
see correspondence onding with this Ofllco No. 48 of 4th Maroh 1001.
11 o went on to say, however, that it would not be praoticablo for Arab
, witnessoa to presont. themselves for examination by mo, for in tho first placo
J ’they would not appear in tho prcsonco of tho Sliios and in tho socond they woro