111
Mohamadu.
204
I am Mohammedan and manager of the brick-kiln owned by the sixth accused. On the 30th May, about 6.30 p.m., I came to his house to give an account, and spent the night with him on account of the big disturbance.
Seventh accused, Dissanaike, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Inspector, Gampola.
A moorish trader, Davidu, sent for me at 2.0 p.m. to arrange a meeting at Roman Catholic Church. We went to Mr. Jonklaas's house about it. On the 30th May, about 4.30 p.m., I went to the meeting in the Roman Catholic School, and about 5.45 or 6.0 p.m. I went to my house in Kadugannawa Street, and did not go out all night. During the riots I was talking to my neighbours. The priest said he had got a list of times of Mohammedan services. The Sinhalese left the matter in the hands of the Ratemahatmaya, to be settled in three days. Some people were scolding me for trying to settle amicably.
AV van Langenberg, Proctor, Gampola.
The seventh
On the 30th May I was at Mr. Jonklaas's house in the afternoon. accused came there. I understood he was going about seeing people to bring about a settlement between the Sinhalese and Moors.
Kandyah.
[The company of which he was president fell through about two years ago.] I am a Jaffna Tamil living in Kadugannawa Road, Gampola, next door to the seventh accused. On the 30th May I spoke to him from my verandah between 7.0 and 7.30 p.m. Between 9 and 9.30 p.m. I heard him speaking to someone.
Mylvagnam, Assistant Postmaster, Gampola.
On
I am a Jaffna Tamil, and live opposite the house of the seventh accused. the 30th May I was at home from 6.30 p.m. till morning. After the riots com- menced I spoke to him. It was after 7.0 p.m.
Fifteenth accused, Illangkoon.
I was not arrested by the Magistrate on the night of the Gampola riots, nor handed over by him to a police officer. I did not take part in the riots on the 30th May. I was in the town at 6.30, and left at 7.15.
Reverend Father Gunatilleke (called by the Court).
On the 30th May, at noon, a Moorman of Gampola came and told me the Sinha- lose Buddhists were going to attack the Moors. The previous night, about 8.0 o'clock, there was a rumour that there was going to be a riot. I had vespers service in church, after which fireworks were to have been let off, but, owing to the rumour, we stopped the fireworks. On the 30th May I went to the house of the first accused, who is a leading Buddhist, about 1.0 p.m. As he was not in I went to the house of the second accused. I asked him whether there was any truth about this rumour. He said there was none to his knowledge. I asked him to come over to the church with the other Buddhists, when I would call the Moors and try and come to an amicable settlement. He said there was no reason to hurry the matter. When I got back to the church, about 2.0 p.m., I saw the first accused waiting for me. I spoke to him and asked him to get the leading Buddhists to come there. He said he would be very glad if a settlement could be come to. I sent for the Moors and asked them to allow the procession to pass their mosque when there was no service. Marikar consented. Leading Buddhists and other people came later on, the first, second, third, fourth, and sixth accused about 3.0 p.m. As we were talking about a settle-
ment others objected. I asked them to keep back the crowd, and next morning they could come to a settlement.
The Court adjourned, to resume on Saturday morning.
C. B. HARVEY, Major,
Royal Engineers, President, Field General Court Martial.
205
Gampola Case.
The Court consider the evidence of Moorish witnesses unreliable without corroboration, but ample reliable evidence was available to establish the case for the Crown beyond any doubt, with the two exceptions of the fourth and sixth accused, against whom the evidence was neither sufficiently strong nor else sufficiently reliable to convict.
C. B. HARVEY, Major,
Royal Engineers,
Prisoners:-
Charges:
President, Field General Court Martial.
KANDY, NO. 3.-FIELD GENeral Court Martial.
9th-16th August, 1915.
Hettihewage Charles de Silva and fourteen others.
1. Treason.
2. Riotously destroying a building.
3. Shopbreaking.
4. Shopbreaking.
5. Shopbreaking.
6. Shopbreaking.
7. Housebreaking.
8. Housebreaking.
Sentences:-
1. Death.
2. Fourteen years' penal servitude.
3.
Penal servitude for life.
4.
5. Fourteen years' penal servitude.
6.
7. Penal servitude for life.
8. Death.
9. Seven years' penal servitude.
10. Penal servitude for life.
11. Three years' penal servitude.
12. Three years' penal servitude.
13. One year's imprisonment, with hard labour.
14. Three years' penal servitude.
15. Three years' penal servitude.
President: Major C. B. Harvey, Royal Engineers.
46582
No. 54.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 8th October, 1915.)
[Published, except portions here printed, as No. 18 in [Cd. 8167], January, 1916.]
(Confidential (A).).
"
The Queen's House, Colombo, Ceylon, 17th September, 1915.
*
*
5. In this connexion, and with a view to exploring the underlying conditions of the outbreak, it may be of interest to compare the geographical distribution of the recent riots with that of serious crime for the period immediately preceding them. The returns enclosed herewith takes as a basis for comparison (a) the murder statistics for the sixteen months to 30th April, 1915, and (b) the assessed damages of the May-June riots. From this it will be seen that there is a certain parallelism between these two forms of crime.
I have, &c.,
*
ROBERT CHALMERS,
Governor, &c.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
KEFEI
Reference :-
CO. 882/10
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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