PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference:
C.O. 882
4 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
44
procured a new chop to be made in Singapore ostensibly for us, but without our know- ledge or authority. This chop is, we believe, still in the possession of Hajee Mahomed Syed for whose arrest a warrant was issued by Mr. Davidson. He, however, managed to escape into the jungle.
5. We never in the month of October 1875, or at any other time, convened a meeting of the chiefs and other people at Durian Sabatang, or at any other place, at which it was resolved to murder Mr. Birch, nor did we ever at any time supply arms and provisions to the Maharajah Lela, Datu Sagor, or Dyang Manaweh for the purpose of enabling them to kill Mr. Birch.
6. Mr. Birch was murdered without our knowledge and without our authority.
7. Shortly after Mr. Birch became resident at Perak, he had reason to be much annoyed with the Maharajah Lela, and from that time we ceased to have any friendly communication with the Maharajah Lela, and we deny that we at any time sent Along Nor Wan Hussein to inform him that though we could not assist him openly we would assist him with arms and provisions.
8. We never sent any rice to Maharajah Lela, nor did we know that the Maharajah was preparing to attack the residency.
9. We never removed a large number or any number of arms or ammunition from Bata Rabbit to Durian Sabatang, for the purpose of assisting the Maharajah Lela in resisting the British officers, and in attacking the British Residency. We received at Bata Rabbit the news of M. Birch's murder on the night of the day it occurred, from Captain Welner, at Bandar Bahru. Next day about 3 p.m. we left Bata Rabbit for Bandar Bahru, with about 30 followers. We stayed that night at Durian Sabatang, where we left our family. We arrived at Bandar Bahru the following night, and after staying there about a day returned to Durian Sabatang. Some days after we sent to Bata Rabbit for five muskets belonging to us, (given to us by Mr. Birch,) which we make use of to arm our watchman.
10. In or about the month of March 1876, we were residing at Pulo Tiga, we received information that the Datu Sagor was hiding in the neighbourhood, and we at once ordered the Shahbandar to take steps for his arrest. He was apprehended and detained by us on board the Shahbandar's boat, and in his custody. On the following day we sent him up to Banda Bahru in charge of the Shahbandar.
We deny that we ever advised the Datu Sagor to hide in the jungle, or received and protected him.
His Excellency will, we doubt not, fully recognise the difficulty we have in doing little more than giving, in the answers we submit to him, our emphatic denial of the truth of the charges preferred against us, inasmuch as, his Excellency not having furnished us with the evidence taken before the commission of inquiry in Perak, we are in entire ignorance as well of the names of our accusers as of the evidence on which the charges against us are founded. We would further remark that the whole of our conduct and acts since the treaty of Pangkore and since the appointment of Mr. Birch as Resident, with our full concurrence and indeed at our request, is most conclusive proof against our having been in any way concerned in the murder of Mr. Birch, an event which, taking into consideration the occurrences in Perak in 1874 and 1875, it would have been the height of folly, we may say of madness, on our part to endeavour to bring about,
The Honourable J. Douglas, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements.
Enclosure 8.
(Signed)
MEMORANDUM regarding CHARGES against SULTAN ABDULLAH.
Charge 1.
ABDULLAH.
The evidence shows that the meeting specified in the charge was held in consequence (a) of letters of invitation sent by Sultan Abdullah to the Chiefs of Perak. That (6) Abdullah left Qualla Kinta on the 19th of July, and the same evening arrived at Durian Sabatang; (c) that next day (20th) there was a feast in Haji yat Massim's house; (d) that a full meeting of chiefs or their representatives was held on 21st, and that (e) Mr. Birch went down the river the same evening to Kota Stia in the "Quedah;" that (ƒ) a written oath of secresy was exchanged between the chiefs and Abdullah on the morning of the 22nd; that (g) the same day Haji Hoosein arrived at
45
Durain Sabatang, having been sent by Mr. Tan Kim Ching to bring down the Sultan, and that Abdullah arrived at Kota Stia about noon on 23rd.
(a) Mat Rouse gives direct evidence of having written the letters of invitation, and three of these letters in his handwriting were lately found among the effects of the late Rajah Bandahara. Mr. Birch, in an entry in his diary of the 16th July, also states that the Mantri, Tumongong, and Bandahars told him that they had written to Abdullah that they could not come down the river, implying thereby that they had received invitations from the Sultan to do so. The same day he states that Rajah Yusuf showed him a letter which he had received from the Shabandar, to come down and consult, as the British wanted to govern the country and upset customs.
(b) The date of Abdullah leaving Qualla Kinta is fixed by the statement of Rajah Yayah that the following day he called on Mr. Birch at Bandar Bahru, and offered him four blank chops. Mr. Birch's diary shows that this took place on the 20th July. The date can also be fixed by accounting for what is stated to have happened during the four days previous to the Sultan meeting Mr. Kim Ching at Kota Stia. Mr. Birch's diary fixes this for the 23rd July. (c) Mat Rouse, Punghulu, Mat Alli, and Haji Driss speak of the feast on the 20th; Mat Rouse and Haji Driss state that they waited on the chiefs on this occasion.
(d) Mat Rouse, Haji Driss, Punghulu, Mat Alli speak of this meeting being held, and the two former wrote out the oath of secresy which was exchanged between Abdullah and the chiefs. Punghulu Mat Alli speaks of taking one of these papers back to the Mantri, whom he represented at the meeting.
(e) Mr. Birch, in his diary, speaks of touching at Durian Sabatang, on the evening of the 21st, on his way down to Kota Stia. Mr. Birch at this time was under the impression that the Sultan was at Qualla Kinta, and as Abdullah's boats and those of his party were lying in the Bidor river at the back of Durian Sabatang, they could not be seen by Mr. Birch from the Perak river. Abdullah, in reply to this charge, states that he left Qualla Kinta on or about the 18th July.
see (d).
Ha Hoosein speaks of this circumstance, and states that he told the Sultan that
if he did not come down to Kota Stia Mr. Kim Ching would leave Perak; apon which the Sultan started down the river.
Abdullah admits that he left Qualla Kinta on or about the 18th, which agrees with the evidence. He states next that he stopped for two or three hours only at Durian Sabatang in the outer anchorage, and that he arrived at Kota Stia on or about
the 20th.
The evidence is quite clear that he did not arrive till noon of the 23rd, which would leave him on his own showing five days to account for between his leaving Qualla Kinta, until his arrival at Kota Stia.
The Sultan does not mention that he stopped at any other place on his way to Kota Stia. The alibi therefore is worth nothing. His own letters show that whether he held the meeting or not, he invited the chiefs to Perak to attend such meeting.
Charge 2.
This charge spoken of by four witnesses, viz.: Nacodah Ketek, who purchased the arms; Lebby Tahir, who lives with Nacodah Ketek, and who remembers Nacodah Ketek being sent by Abdullah to Penang to purchase arme and ammunition, and his returning to Perak with such arms and ammunition; Mat and Mahhim, who also remember his return with the arms. All four witnesses speak of these arms and ammunition being divided between the Laxamana and Shahbandar and taken up the
Abdullah simply denies this charge.
river.
Charge 3.
Evidence shows that on the 16th August Abdullah, accompanied by the Hilir chiefs, went up to Bandar Bahru to ask for $5,000, when Mr. Birch took the opportunity of reproving the Sultan for writing insolent letters, in his absence, to Mr. Keyt, respecting certain runaway women and the marriage of Mr. Birch's servant boy Cassim.
On the 17th August, Mr. Birch once more impressed upon the Sultau that the taxes should be levied properly, and he would not give the Sultan the money he asked for. Mr. Birch also forced Abdullah to surrender a boatman against whom there was a warrant, and who had taken refuge in the Sultan's boat. This Abdullah considered an inault, and (a) sent up messengers to bring down to Battak Rabbit from Passir
F 3