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PUBLIC

RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

LICO. 882

3

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

|ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

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Next day I met See Kooloop Bahteing at the landing-place; asked him what was that paper

that they were reading yesterday, he said it was a letter from Sultan Abdulla, telling him (Maha Raja Lelah) to make a strong fort and ditch for fear of Mr. Birch, and to place watchmen for fear of Mr. Birch's friends entering the fort, and that they could fight against Mr. Birch and kill him.

I asked him for the news, because my husband had been away gambling for two days, and had not returned.

When my husband returned I scolded him for remaining away, he only laughed at me, 1 asked him what was the paper they had been reading, he said, we are going to have a row. I said, what sort of a row? He answered, the Maha Raja Lelah is going to kill Mr. Birch. I said to him, who is going to do the work? he said, the Maha Raja Lelah and Pandah Oondoot.

Next day when Mr. Birch came I was in Maha Raja Lelah's paddy field.

On my way to the paddy field I saw Pandah Oondoot, Maha Raja Lelah, Toh Lelah Patrah, Maha Raja Seramah, See Kooloop Bahteing, See Kooloop Allee, See Nha Amat, Kundah Panjang, Nha Jabbar, See Kooloop Mah Assein, and Toh Sagor, getting ready their arms, guns, spears, &c., &c., also See Oodah Pulow, See Mah Min (a Rambow mac), and my husband.

While I was in the paddy field, I heard people shouting, I ran home, collected my children, and commenced to cry out. I could not eat anything that day; about one o'clock p.m. my husband returned.

When my husband came home I gave him rice to eat; he could not eat, but said he was drunk with blood; and he laid down. I said, why are you drunk with blood? he replied, Mr. Birch has been murdered, the first man who struck Mr. Birch was Pandah Oondoot, and then myself, we two killed him (Mr. Birch), he said I shall die for this.

I said, what made you do this? he said, I got orders from Maha Raja Lelab, and if I had not done it, he would have killed me, and if I do kill him I will be paid twenty- five (825) dollars. I did not see the money paid to my husband, not even a pice.

The day Mr. Birch was murdered, as my husband did not return, I went down to the river side, I saw the Datoh Sagor in a boat on the Passir Sala's side, alongside of Mr. Birch's boat, taking clothes, boxes, krisses, rice, and oil, there were many people going about afterwards. I saw the Datoh Sagor go across the river to his own landing- place. I did not see the Maha Raja Lelah; I saw Pandah Oondoot, Enha Japar, my husband, See Kooloop Allee, Lahab, See Makam, See Tuah, See Kundah Panjah, See Kooloop Bahteing, and See Gondah; they were busy taking the things out of the boat and bringing them on shore to Maha Raja Lelah's house.

After all the things were taken out of the boat somebody called my husband to go to Maha Raja Lelah's house, and I returned to my house.

In about a quarter of an hour my husband returned to the house, he said the Maha Raja Lelah had asked him what had become of Mr. Birch's watch and his gold chain, and that he replied he had not taken them, but that Hadjee Abdulla had taken them.

I then offered him rice to eat, he said he could not eat, being drunk with blood, and went to sleep.

Next morning Kooloop Babteing came, said Maha Raja Lelah wanted him, he went away and returned in the middle of the day and said the Maha Raja Lelah wanted him to go and work at the ditch; but he did not feel inclined to go, He also said he had asked the Maha Raja Lelah for the twenty-five dollars ($25) he had promised him for killing Mr. Birch, but the Maha Raja Lelah said he had no money; then he had asked the Maha Raja Lelah where was all the money in Mr. Birch's box, and that he replied that he had spent one hundred dollars (8100) in rice, also bought one hundred gantangs salt.

He also said that the Maha Raja Lelah said that he must pay him five dollars (85) if he would not go to work, and my husband told me to go and get for him the five dollars ($5). I then went and borrowed from my brother Lebah, and gave to my husband, and he went and paid the Maha Raja Lelah.

Two days after Mr. Birch was murdered, a slave boy of Maha Raja Lelab, Saman, brought a message to my husband to go down to Bandar Tuah to wait there to fight the white people. My husband went away taking his kriss only with him, the same day he returned and said that the Europeans had landed on shore and that many of them

had been killed.

The next day the Maha Raja Lelah killed a buffalo and feasted all the people, especially the people from Lamboh and Pulo Tiga.

Some days after this the white people came again, began firing, and we all ran away. I ran away with my husband and children to Bindang Bahkumbar, and from there to

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Bindara, and from there we ran away to Kintah, from there to Lumboh, where my husband was arrested.

Taken before us this 25th May 1876.

(Signed) C. B. PLUNKET,

(Signed)

F. W. B. PAUL,

Commissioners.

No. 6.

The X mark of SEEKYE.

Bandar Bahru, May 28, 1876.

SERGEANT MAHP SYED states:--I am stationed at Kota Seteah.

On the 27th of August 1875, a man named Indoot came to the station and made a report to me.

He said that Sultan Abdulla had had a Mein Berkantoo in his house, and that Raja Keechee Muda had performed the ceremony of raising the devil; he also gave me the names of three or four chiefs who were present, viz. the Toh Bandar, Rajah Driss, and some others whom I forgot; that Raja Che Muda made the figure of a man, and cut the head off, and turned it into a butterfly, and that the spirit replied, that Mr. Birch would be dead in a month. I made an entry at the time in my pocket book, which I now produce.

I did not enter it in my report book, because I thought white people would not give credit to ghost stories.

On the 9th September 1875, five slave women ran away from Batta Rabbeit to Kota Seteah for protection. I put them up in the police station, some of them had the marks of having been beaten. The same day, a man named Che Ahmat, a friend of Hadjee Hawah, along with one Hadjee Abbass came and ordered me to give up the women; I refused to do so without instructions from Mr. Birch, and detained them until the 18th September 1875, when I sent them up to Bandar Babru in the steamer "Quedah,” along with Inspector Warn, and they were sent back on the 19th September 1875 to Pankore.

On the 2nd October 1875, one Lebby Syed came and made a report that on the 30th September 1875, as the Pluto was going down the river and passing Brambung Punjang, one Raja Ngah, living in Pugulo Gading's district, one of Laxamana's men, along with five friends named Raja Ooteh, Raja Moosah, together with three others, had gone with a quantity of arms to assist Maharajah Lelah and the Laxamana to fight with Mr. Birch. He also stated, that on the 1st October 1875 at 5 p.m., a Malay named Mat Yassein, coming from the Laxamana in the interior, had brought a letter which he was to take to Pahang to collect Mendeleng people to come and fight with Mr. Birch.

On the 29th October 1875, Indoot came again to the station, and reported that Sultan Abdulla, Toh Bandar, Datoh Laxamana, Datoh Maharaja Makotu, Raja Driss, Raja Moosa, Datoh, Maha Raja Lelah, Toh Sagor, and Raja Keeche Muda, had agreed to kill Mr. Birch. I wrote down the report in my pocket book, and took him to see Mr. Birch, along with Lebby Syed and Dyany Ismail on board the Pluto S.S.

Mr. Birch said he knew all about it beforehand, and for us not to be frightened;

he also sent me to call Raja Ngah; Raja Ngah came in a great fright. Mr. Birch said

to him, this time I forgive you, don't imagine that you can fight with me.

SIR,

On the 2nd November 1875, I heard Mr. Birch had been killed.

Taken before us this 28th May 1876.

Enclosure 2.

COLONIAL SECRETARY, Straits Settlements, to Mr. JUSTICE PHILLIPPO.

Colonial Secretary's Office, Singapore, March 25, 1876.

I AM directed by the Governor to inform you that his Excellency has appointed you in conjunction with Messrs. Paul and Plunket to be Commissioners for the purpose of conducting an inquiry into the evidence which may be obtainable as to the par- ticipation of ex-Sultan Ismail, the Maharajah Lela, the Datu Sagor, and the Datu Nara, either as actors, abettors, or instigators in the outrage attending the murder of Mr. Birch.

As your services cannot be spared from duties on the bench for any protracted time, it is His Excellency's wish that Mr. Plunket and Mr. Paul should undertake the pre-

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