Page 80 - Gulf Precis (VII)_Neat

64.

proceedings in prosecuting an utterly uu justifiable search had caused a
serious fracas on board tlie Company’s steamer. The soldiers, some of whom
wero actually on guard at the Governor’s House, resenting this lawful and
most temperately conducted action, rushed to their arms and most savagely
assaulted the gentlemen, causing serious injuries. For this gross outrage no
other redress was givon than a show of it made by the arrest of some of those
concerned in the fracas on the steamer, a matter of comparatively quite
insignificant moment: the actual perpetrators of the subsequent brutal violence
wero allowed to escape.
187. In Juno 189G a midnight attack, of a most brutal and murderous
character, was committed upon Mr.
Ibid, 1630-07.
Tan field, an employe of Messrs. Lynch
Brothers at Shuster, hv a Persian in his service, the final escape of the victim
with life, though fearfully mutilated, being almost miraculous. Such au
incident might no doubt have occurred, even under the condition of a reason­
ably good Government, and would in such case have demanded no exceptional
treatment. A public and fanatical character was, however, given to the out­
rage by the savagely inhuman popular demonstration of the following day,
when a mob assailed the party convoyiug the wounded man to the steamer,
with yells and the pelting of stones. Beyond talcing the would-be murderer
into custody, no sort of reparation was made by the local authority. Indeed
it was only a month later, that under the stress of the notice attraoted by this
last savage outrage, the tardy payment of compensation, alTordcd the only
reparation for equally murderous but entirely public assault, by the State
soldiery at Alivvaz, on a party of English gentlemen, eight months before.
In this case the miscreants most actively guilty, though actually soldiers of a
Persian regiment, entirely escaped punishment. It can hardly he doubted,
that the impunity previously permitted, contributed to the present outrage,
at least in its public aud popular aspect.
1S3. After considerable delay the assailant was carried to Teheran, and
there imprisoned, and the removal of the Nizam-es-Sultanch, and the Saad-
ul-Mulk, his brother and Deputy from Arabist an, was ordered : the. formor was
shortly afterwards invested with high office at the capital. Nor was the tale
of the rancorous and unchecked animosity of Shuster against the foreigner yet
complete. In January of 1890 a strong mob after pillaging a caravan of
Messrs. Lynch Brothers, in transit between the town and river, a few miles
distant, attacked and completely sacked the ofiico of Messrs, llotz in the town.
No redress for these outrages was given.
Ala-ed-Dowleh, who was appointed Governor-General in place of the
Nizam-cs-Sultanch, after a very deliberate progress, arrived in Shuster in
February 1897, that is to say, eight mouths after the violence of which his
appointment was the ostensible consequence. With the help of Bakhtiari levies
and some troops ho had brought with him, he entered upon the coercion of the
refractory town. The Shusteris, however, true to their traditions, vigorously
resented the attempt to cull the guilty to account, and despite the considerable
armed support the Governor had, there was open defiance and revolt. Brisk
firing was carried on for some days, the Government having the advantage
with the help of a few caunon and a.fort, aud some of the truculent towns­
people were killed. Some sort of terras were then patched up, but, needless
to say, these did not include the punishment even of tho rioters guilty of tho
robbery of Messrs. Lynch’s goods and tho sack of Messrs. Hotz’s office. Since
then, the fanatics of Shuster notoriously plumed themselves upon tlioir
successful repulse of the feebly attempted coercion by their Government, and
were encouraged furthermore to set up a claim to negotiate, on their own
part, the terms of settlement with tho British firms.
189. It was an open secret that even such very moderate vigour as was
exhibited by the Ala-ed-Dowleh did not commend itself to the Persian Govern­
ment, and to this is probably in a measure duo tho indecisive result of his
proceedings. At any rate, abandoning active measures, lie resigned his office,
ami apparently, without awaiting tho acceptance of his resignation by Govern­
ment, left tho country. His retirement was the signal for that also of his
Deputy, tho Sliahah-os-Sultanoh with his Bakhtiari following, from Shuster,
which was thus left without any representative of the Government authority,