PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
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ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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willing to surrender himself, were he not apprehensive that he would be executed immediately he fell into our hands.
5. At the time I received this information, the Maharajah of Johore was endeavouring to induce Tunku Antar (the head of the disaffected chiefs near Malacca) to come in, as stated to your Lordship in my Despatch, No. 216, of the 7th ultimo, and I determined, if the Maharajah of Johore had no objection, to avail myself of the same intervention, to induce Lela and those with him to surrender. I therefore requested the Maharajah of Johore to send messengers to Lela and inform him that if he surrendered himself to us, he would be given a fair trial, and that it would, therefore, be the best plan for him to give himself up.
6. The Maharajah did not hesitate to give me every assistance in the matter, and a party of Johore messengers, headed by a trustworthy man, Orang Kaya Abdulrahman by name, was despatched for this object. I gave a pass to this party, stating that they were engaged on a special mission, and calling upon British Officers in Perak to afford them every facility in furtherance of such mission. The party entered Perak by way of Quedah, and, beyond a report, which reached Qualla Kangsa on the 16th ultimo, and was forwarded to me at Penang (where I arrived on the 9th ultimo), that Lela had gone up the l'erak River to meet them. I heard nothing of the party until I received a telegram from Mr. Davidson, dated Qualla Kangsa, June 25th, as follows:
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Johore messenger arrived here to-day. States Lela willing to go to Johore, but wants him to return to Johore first and get Maharajah's steamer to convey him to Johore, money for expenses, and Maharajah's order as to disposal of Lela's wife and children. Have arranged with messenger to return, and state I will provide a steamer and money and that Lela can take his wife and children, or leave them as he pleases, but that he must decide now. Lela is at Kota Lama."
7. Immediately upon receipt of this intelligence, I telegraphed to Singapore to ask the Maharajah of Johore to send his steamer to Penang, and the Maharajah at once pro- mised to comply with my request. I subsequently received a letter from Mr. Davidson, dated the 26th June, to the same effect as his telegram of the 25th, but in which he added that Orang Kaya Abdulrahman had returned to Qualla Kangsa; that Lela wished his brother, Nga Jabbor, to proceed to Johore, and that he desired to await his return before himself going to Johore. I accordingly instructed Mr. Davidson to cause Lela to be informed that the Maharajah of Johore had engaged to send his steamer for him, and I authorised Mr. Davidson to consent to Nga Jabbor going to Johore, if absolutely necessary, but I ordered him to commit himself to nothing, and to inform me at once by telegram of any movement.
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8. On the 1st instant I received the following telegram from Mr. Davidson :-
Nga Jabbor will proceed to Penang, on his way to Johore, by the next steamer leaving Laroot," and, pending the arrival of the Maharajah's steamer,
"Pantei," the at Penang, I made arrangements for the reception of Nga Jabbor on board the colonial steamer " Pluto."
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9. The Pantei" arrived at Penang on the 3rd instant, having on board one of the Maharajah's brothers, Mr. Hole (the Maharajah's Private Secretary, and about 20 other officers. Mr. Hole brought with him a letter to the Maharajab Lela from Ex-Sultan Ismail, who, impressed doubtless with the fairness with which he had been treated by the British Government pending the report of the Commission of Inquiry, advised him to come in.
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Mr. Hole proposed to send this letter to Lela by the Maharajah of Johore's brother and Nga Jabbor, and, considering it probabie that this might tend to induce Lela and his party to go to Johore in the Pantei," without Nga Jabbor first going there, I assented to this arrangement. The " Pantei" started for Laroot on the 6th instant. Previous to his departure, I impressed strongly upon Mr. Hole, as I had previously upon every one concerned in the endeavour to obtain possession of the person of Lela,- that the only guarantee that he was empowered to give to him, was, that if he surren- dered himself to us, he should have a fair trial.
10. On the evening of the 8th instant, a message arrived at Qualla Kangsa that the Maharajah Lela had arrived at Kota Lama.
Mr. Hole immediately proceeded up the Perak River, and, in company with the Maharajah's brother and Orang Kaya Abdulrahman, had an interview with Lela, who was accompanied by Pandak Indut, Nga Jabbor, Toh Sri Lela, and others.
Ex-Sultan Ismail's letter was given to Lela, and, after some conversation, Mr. Hole returned to Qualla Kangsa, leaving him to consult with those with him. The result of the consultation was, that after going back to his family and making some arrangements,
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Lela decided to proceed to Johore on board the " Pantei." He accordingly embarked, without further incident, on board that vessel in the Laroot River, on the 13th instant, accompanied by Pandak Indut, Nga Jabbor, and others, and leaving his family behind with some of the Johore party.
11. Mr. Davidson and Mr. Hole both appear to have conducted the negotiations with great tact, judgment, and discretion. These negotiations required to be carried on as secretly as possible, as several adverse influences were at work tending to prevent success. I have reason to believe that Sultan Abdullah, the Mantri, and others, were anxious that the Maharajah Lela should not surrender himself, and that Abdullah,-who had come up the Perak River near to Kota Lama,-used his best endeavours to prevent it. Indeed, I understand that one of the reasons which induced Lela to surrender was that he was afraid of being killed in the jungle by agents of those whose interest it was to remove all chance of his making any revelations respecting the circumstances attending the murder of Mr. Birch. For some tine, moreover, Toh Sri Lela, the Kota Lama chief, appears to have opposed to surrender.
12. The Maharajah Lela and party arrived at Johore on the 20th instant, on which day I had returned to Singapore.
Thinking it probable that they might make statements to the Mabarajah of Johore implicating certain chiefs of Perak, which they would not be likely to make to us, were we immediately to arrest them, and it having been reported that Lela had important documentary evidence which he would hand over to the Mabarajah of Johore, I deter- mined to postpone for a few days my request to the Maharajah to hand them over to the Straits Government.
13. On the 21st instant, Lela handed to the Maharajah a document, purporting to be a written order (copy of translation enclosed) from Sultan Abdullah, ordering the murder of Mr. Birch. This order is addressed to Sepŭtum, one of the murderers, who, as reported to your Lordship in my Despatch, No. 209, of 27 May,* has been executed. Although I have now good reason to believe that Abdullah did order, or, at all events, instigate the murder of Mr. Birch, I think it will be found that the order to Sepătum, a slave of Lela, has been written on a blank paper previously chopped and signed by the Sultan, and made use of by Lela to exculpate himself. The probability is that Lela himself had an order from Abdullah to have the murder committed.
The Maharajah Lela, Pandak Indut, and Nga Jabbor, have each made a statement denying all complicity in the deed.
14. Two or three days after the arrival of the prisoners I had an interview with the Maharajah of Johore, when I requested him to cause Lela, Nga Jabbor, and Pandak Indut, as well as two other Malays, named Panjang Buh and Kulup Alli, against whom there is evidence, to be informed that they must surrender themselves to the British Government, that I guaranteed them a fair and impartial trial, and that if found innocent of the crime with which they are charged, they will be set at liberty. They, in con- sequence, have surrendered themselves to-day, and they are now lodged in the civil prison in Singapore.
I enclose a copy of a letter which I received from the Maharajah of Johore at the time the prisoners surrendered, and of my reply thereto.
15. Some delay must unavoidably ensue before the trial of Lela and those with him can take place. The offence having been committed in Perak, the trial of these prisoners must be carried on there, under the authority of the ruler of the State.
I am awaiting the Report of the Commission of Inquiry respecting the complicity of the chiefs in the murder of Mr. Birch, but whether the evidence against Abdullah be sufficient or not to obtain a conviction against him, supposing he were tried, I am clearly of opinion that, after what has transpired, it will be out of the question to retain him as Sultan. Until, therefore, a new Sultan is appointed in his stead, the trial of Lela and others must be postponed. Meanwhile the prisoners are being treated with every consideration consistent with safety.
16. The Mabarajah of Johore has worked most cordially with me in obtaining the surrender of Lela and his party, and my best thanks are due to him for the valuable services which he and his officers have rendered.
(Signed)
The Right Hon, the Earl of Carnarvon, &c. Colonial Office.
&c.
&c.
I have, &c.
WM. F. DRUMMOND JERVOIS.
Enclosure 5.
Enclosure
6.
29-7-76.
Enclosure
7.
99-7-76.
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