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ICO. Mr. Graves was about 52 years of ago, and had boon formerly on tho
'Resident Colonel McaJo’i report, (luted 21it March Bushire to Iclieran SCCtioil of tllO tclo«
1808. graph line. At the time of his murder ho
was on his annual tour of inspection, and had completed tho first portiou, from
Jask, his head-quarters, to the banks of the Rapcli rivor, a distance of some 96
miles. He had crossed over to the left or eastern side of tho river, and was
encamped about .750 yards from tho loft bank. Here ho tapped the line with
a telephone, and had his own camp. His head native assistant, tho artificer
Hassau Khan, was encamped about. 2 miles distant on the further sido of tho
river, and it was from him that tho news of the murder was received oarly tho
following morning sent by telephone. Mr. Gravos was murdered on tho night
of the 2nd December 1897.
157. In tho course of tho same day tho Resident—Colonel Meade—received
telegraphic instructions from Mr. llardinge, who was in chargo of the Legation,
during the ab^once of Sir Mortimer Durand, and was directed to proceed as
soon as ho could to the scene of the murder, and hold an enquiry. Mr. Hardinge
was also of opinion that measures fur the capt ure and execution of the tnurd^rers
should be left to the Persian Government and that the British officers should
confine themselves to establishing the fact that the crime had been committed
by Persian subjcctst and satisfying themselves (hat suitable j)unish?ncnt had
been, meted out.
15S. The Persian Government at once ordered the gunboat Pcrscpolis,
then at Bushire, to proceed to the Mekran coast. She was got ready in a
wonderfully short time, and left on the 6th December, taking 80 soldiers, the
Darya Begi or Persian admiral being in command.
lo9. At that particular time tl^cre was no British gunboat at Bushire ; but
H. M. S. Lapsing was known to be on her way from Bombay, and the
R. I. M. S. Lawrence was also expected from the same place, touching at
Masknt. The Resident also communicated with the Political Agent at Basrah,
and asked him to expedite despatch of tho Pigeon which was then engaged in
patrolling the Shat-al-Arab. There was some delay in her arrival at Bushire,
first, in oonseqnence of her being engaged in investigating a case of piracy in
the river, and subsequently from a heavy north-westerly gale, which prevented
her crossing the bar at the mouth of the Shat-al-Arab, and from communicating
with tlie shore, when she arrived at Bushire.
160. On the lltli December, however, the Pigeon started for the Mekran
coast taking Captain Sykes, and Consul for Kerman and Persian Baluchistan,
who happened to be at Bushire on other duty and volunteered to go, and
Mr. Campbell of the Indo-European Telegraph Department, who had been
appointed to succeed Mr. Graves, and whose services were placed at the Besidcnt’s
disposal by the Telegraph Department.
1G1. Colonel Meade had originally intended going himself in the Pigeon,
but decided to wait, as he had heard on the 10th that the Lawrence was on
her way to Bushire, audit was more convenient to employ her for the purpose,
and as there was important work going on at the time in connection with the
seizure of arms at Bushire itself. He left Bushire on the 14-tli December and
arrived off the mouth of the Bapch on the 18th at daybreak. He found there
the Pigeon, the telegraph cable ship Patrick Stewart, and life Persepolis and
ascertained that the two latter vessels had arrived on tho 10t h December.
162. The Persians, with the assistance given by Mr. Ffincb, and his
subordinates, moved inland on the 14th, and were followed by Captain Sykos,
who took Commander Mowbray ami a party of 30 men of the Pigeon. On the 6th
they joined the Persians at the place where the telegraph line crossos the river,
and the Darya Begi there saw a number of the Kirwan tribe of Baluchis to
which the murderers belonged. They engaged to deliver up four of the
culprits the following day, but, on their failing to do this, the Persian
commander decided to advance into the Kirwan district, which lies on the
west side of the Rapoh river. This advance took place on the 18th December
and when Colonol Meade reachod Galag on that day, he was informed that
Mr. Campbell had been left alone at the original encampment, on the east side
of the rivor, which had been placed in telegraphic communication with Galag in
a very expeditious manner by the telegraph officials, acting under Mr. Ffinch’s
direction.

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