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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O.

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ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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and property His Majesty's Moorish Mohammedan subjects in Ceylon, members of which said assembly did kill and murder one Kunji Bawa Abdul Asiz, contrary to Section 41 of the Army Act.

Fifth Charge.-The above-named accused are further charged with murder, in that they, at the same time and place, in pursuance of the said treason, were members of an unlawful assembly, with the common object of injuring in person and property His Majesty's Moorish Mohammedan subjects in Ceylon, members of which said assembly did kill and murder one Idroos Lebbe Marikar Mohamadu Ibrahim, contrary to Section 41 of the Army Act.

Sixth Charge. The above-named accused are further charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, in that they, at the same time and place, in pursuance of the said treason, were members of an unlawful assembly, with the common object of injuring in person and property His Majesty's Moorish Moham- medar subjects in Ceylon, members of which said assembly did wound one Slema Lebbe Abdul Rahiman, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, contrary to Section 18 of the Offences against the Person Act, 1861, and Section 41 of the Army Act.

Seventh Charge.-The above-named accused are further charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, in that they, at the same time and place, in pursuance of the said treason, were members of an unlawful assembly, with the common object of injuring in person and property His Majesty's Moorish Moham- medan subjects in Ceylon, members of which said assembly did wound one Sinna Lebbe Marikar Deen Bawa, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, contrary to Section 18 of the Offences against the Person Act, 1861, and Section 41 of the Army Act.

Eighth Charge. The above-named accused are further charged with riotously destroying a building, in that they, at the same time and place, in pursuance of the said treason, were members of an unlawful, riotous, and tumultuous assembly, assembled together to the disturbance of the public peace, members of which said assembly did feloniously, unlawfully, and with force destroy a place of divine worship, to wit, a mosque, contrary to Section 11 of the Malicious Damage Act, 1861, and Section 41 of the Army Act,

Ninth Charge. The above-named accused are further charged with house- breaking, in that they, at the same time and place, in pursuance of the said treason, were members of an unlawful assembly, with the common object of injuring in person and property His Majesty's Moorish Mohammedan subjects in Ceylon, members of which said assembly did break and enter into the shop of one Slema Lebbe Abdul Rahiman, and did commit a felony therein, to wit, larceny, contrary to Section 56 of the Larceny Act, 1861, and Section 41 of the Army Act.

Tenth Charge. The above-named accused are further charged with riotously damaging a building, in that they, at the same time and place, were members of an unlawful, riotous, and tumultuous assembly, assembled together to the disturbance of the public peace, which said assembly did feloniously, unlawfully, and with force damage the house of one Slema Lebbe Abdul Rahiman, contrary to Section 12 of the Malicious Damage Act, 1861, and Section 41 of the Army Act.

Eleventh Charge.-The above-named accused are further charged with throwing explosives into a building with intent to destroy the same, in that they, at the same time and place, were members of an unlawful, riotous, and tumultuous assembly, assembled together to the disturbance of the public peace, members of which said assembly, in pursuance of the said treason, did throw explosives into a place of divine worship, to wit, a mosque, with intent to destroy the same, contrary to Section 10 of the Malicious Damage Act, 1861, and Section 41 of the Army Act.

RIOT AT Godapitiya, Matara District, 4th JUNE, 1915.

Accused.

1. Vitiyala Vidanege Hendrick Appuhamy, of Akuressa.

2. Punan Kristombuge Mendis Weerakoon, of Tibbotuwawa.

3. Imbulgoda Maddumage Geeris, of Godapitiya.

4 Hetti Ratnayaka Liyanage Don Bastian, of Asmagoda.

5.

Karnelis Dias Dahanayaka, alias Upasaka Mahatmaya.

6. Kanahalagamage Babun, alias Hakuruduwe Loku Appu.

7. Wickremesinghe Malawi Patiranege Jayanhamy.

8. Wickremesinghe Malawi Patiranege Siyadoris.

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9. Don Arnolis Geerasinghe.

10.

Kankanan Patiranege Don Samel, alias Balamahatmaya. 11. Sardiel Hewa Ranasinghe, of Akuressa.

12.

Hewa Mestrige Andris, of Akuressa.

13. Don Davith Dias Arampatti, of Poramba, Veda.

14. Wickremesinghe Malawi Patiranege Janis Mahatmaya.

15. Maddumage Siyadoris, of Imbulgoda.

18. Hewa Kuruppuge Don Cornelis, Glouewatte Veda.

17. Wanasinghe Babuwe.

18. Ranhamy Geerasinghe.

19. Punan Kristombuge Samuel Silva.

20.

21.

Don Davith Wickremesinghe, Vidane Arachchi of Ihalawalakada.

Hewa Boruppege Don Andris, Police Officer of Howpe.

Witnesses.

1. S. H. O. James de Silva, of Akuressa.

2. Slema Lebbe Abdul Rahiman, of Godapitiya.

3. Sainambu Natchiya, wife of No. 2.

4.

Mahamadu Junaidu, son of No. 2.

5. Police Constable 1566, Alwis.

6. Police Officer of Honduwa.

7. Sinna Lebbe Marikkar Deen Bawa. of Godapitiya.

Slema Lebbe Muhammado Hassen.

8.

9.

Dr. H. Ludovici.

10. Tantirige Don Teadoris, Police Officer of Panadugama.

TELEGRAM.

From ATTORNEY-General, COLOMBO, to M. T. ARCHIBALD, Special CommissIONER, MATARA.

"2ND AUGUST, 1915.-Your telegram, inclusion of Don Davith Wickreme- singhe and Hewa Boruppege Don Andris is a mistake; instruct Crown Counsel to withdraw charges against these two.'

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PROCEEDINGS of a Court Martial held at Matara on 12th August, 1915, in CONNEXION WITH THE GODAPITIYA MURDERS.

O. L. DE KRETSER, instructed by Mr. Keuneman, appears for the third, fourth, fifth, seventh, eighth, tenth, twelfth, fourteenth, fifteenth, and eighteenth accused.

S. S. Jayewickreme appears for the sixteenth and nineteenth accused. The first, second, sixth, ninth, eleventh, and seventeenth accused are undefended. The accused are produced on remand.

Barber, Crown Counsel, appears for the Crown. He amends the ninth charge to one of housebreaking instead of shopbreaking. All the accused severally plead not guilty to each and every one of the charges. Barber, Crown Counsel, addresses the Court and calls:-

James de Silva, sworn.

I

I was S.H.O., Akuressa, on the 4th of June last. I am no longer an S:H.O. I have been dismissed in connexion with the escape of a prisoner. I remember the 4th of June. On receiving information in the morning I went to Godapitiya. I visited the petroleum store. I found a crowd. They were pulling it down. tried to disperse them. I did not succeed. There were about fifty to a hundred people. The petroleum store is a little more than a mile from the police station. The crowd was armed. They had clubs. I identify the first, second, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and nineteenth accused. They were amongst that crowd. They were taking a leading part, directing the mob. I have known these men before--for about two years. They are men of influence in the village. I know that myself. I tried to stop them. They dispersed once when I warned them; but the moment my back was turned they began again. The same mob was attacking the petroleum atore. I saw Hendrick Appuhamy, the first accused, kick open the door. Later on, at about 12.0 o'clock, I got information, and on that information I sent a note to the police station for constables, and I proceeded to Godapitiya. I was accompanied