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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882/10

|ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

dilloulty in Identifying

court, as they

EVIDENCE TAKEN at a Field General Court Martial held at Hanwella (Gansab- HAWA COURT HOUSE) ON 15TH JULY, 1915.

Prisoners -

1.

Don Jacolis Rupasinghe Goonewardena, vidane Arachchi of

Kaluaggala Peruma.

2. Don James Goonesekera, Notary-Public,

3. Victor Timoty de Silva.

4. Gangodawila Appuhamillage Romanis Perera.

Prosecution opens.

Marikkar Lebbe Mohamadu Lebbe, sworn.

Lebbe of the mosque in Hanwella. I was in the mosque at 2 o'clock on the 2nd June. A very large crowd, armed with clubs, sticks, etc., came, led by the four accused. The first accused came in a motor-car. Before he came the crowd had been attacking with clubs and sticks for the purpose of demolishing the mosque. The second, third, and fourth accused were there before the first accused arrived. The car was stopped, and the first accused called the second accused and gave him a parcel wrapped in paper, and said, Put it soon," and went away. The second accused distributed it to persons in the crowd. Then they bored holes and put them in. and I heard explosions and I ran away. There were about five or six explosions.

I ran into the jungle. When the crowd first came I went by the back door into the jungle. From there I saw the first accused coming and giving the parcel. Loss in mosque about Rs. 3,000. The day before this Moors' boutiques were looted in Hanwella.

Cross-examined: I am in Hanwella from my childhood.

Age 65. All the boutiques were looted. The first accused is not in good terms with Mr. Amara- sekera On Mr. Amarasekera's land there were some boutiques.

I was about twenty fathoms away in the jungle when the first accused arrived.

I have not got Witans bad a good sight. I saw the first accused in the car, but cannot say if there were any others in the car. (The accused were arranged in different positions, and witness accased in asked to identify them again, and he identified them at a distance of more than were against twenty fathoms.) Two days after I complained to the Inspector. I saw Amara- the light. sekera before that.

latd. A.C

I gave him the names. I did not sign any petition.

I saw Amarasekera in the morning and the Inspector in the afternoon. names of the vidane and the notary (the first and second accused). I saw Inspector I gave him the in Amarasekera's house. Amarasekera got the Inspector there. I complained in the presence of Amarasekera. I mentioned the name of the schoolmaster (fourth accused) also to them.

Re-examined: The first accused was by the side of the driver in the car. Kadusa Lebbe Mohamedu Haniffa, sworn.

I have been in Hanwella for two years before, and now again for one year. On the 2nd June the mosque was demolished. Crowd gathered in the morning at about half-past 11. They were armed. I was in the shed near the mosque. Crowd came, led by the second, third, and fourth accused. The third accused, postmaster's son, was in trousers. He first attacked the mosque with a rice-pounder. Others also joined. Then the first accused arrived by motor-car. The schoolmaster and the notary went near the car, and the Arachchi (first accused) gave a parcel to the notary, instructing them to set fire and destroy the whole thing, and went away. There were with the first accused three persons. Dynamite exploded. I did not see who put dynamite. I saw the boring. The first accused afterwards passed the mosque I remained in the shed till dark. On the previous day I did not see the first accused.

Cross-examined: I do not know if there is any ill-feeling between the first accused and Amarasekera. I went to the shed at 2 o'clock, and in a short while the crowd came. I did not see any Police Inspector in uniform in the car. I did not see anyone dressed in European costume in the car. The car returned in a few minutes with one occupant less and passed the mosque. That occupant had got down when dynamite was handed over. I did not tell Amarasekera anything after- wards till the 18th. The first accused did not get down from the car when it came the first time.

Kader, sworn

Live at Hanwella. On the 1st June boutiques were looted. On the following day the mosque was demolished. Then I was in blacksmith's place, very near, from

where I saw the crowd and the three people leading. The first accused came in a car and handed a parcel to the notary, one of the leaders, and went away. These three accused distributed the contents of the parcel to the crowd and said: "Go on, put it."

The crowd put it. They bored the wall and lit matches and set fire. There were four or five explosions. I ran away.

Cross-examined: The car returned before the explosion, and I do not know where it went. I do not know who broke the mosque first. The vidane Arachchi

(first accused) came after the mosque was first struck. Amana Marikar Abdulla, sworn.

Age 45.

Was hiding in the jungle near the mosque.

Crowd came. saw an elephant. I heard an explosion. Before the explosion crowd came. cannot see the mosque from where I was hiding. Mahawitage Cornelis Perera, sworn.

I I

Fiscal's officer, Hanwella. On the 2nd I saw crowd coming from Avisa wella direction. Some went to the mosque. I saw an elephant. I have seen it several times. Juan was with the elephant. He went the way of the mosque. One or two were on the elephant, having a flag. I know the first accused. He has about ten carts, four or five elephants.

I watched it for some

time.

Cross-examined: I saw the mosque being destroyed.

I did not see the notary there. I ought to have seen him if he was there. I saw Silva (third accused) running about. After I heard the explosion I went to the place. When I went to the mosque I saw the notary in his office. I know the fourth accused. I have no recollection of having seen him in the mosque. I do not know

if the third accused had a case in the Gansabhawa on the 2nd.

Re-examined: I was about eight fathoms from the mosque on the road. When

I heard the explosion I could not see what was happening. From the office of the notary to the mosque, by a footpath, it is about twenty or thirty fathoms. Archibald Danby, sworn.

Englishman. Foreman in charge of the Labugama works. First accused is the contractor, and he brings cement. Between 28th and 5th no cement was delivered. I was urgently in need of cement on the 1st June. I went to see about the cement. Before the 1st June I had already written to him for cement. Nothing had come. I went to his office on the 1st, evening. Still no cement.

I did not get cement till the 5th. I did not see him during this time.

Cross-examined: The accused does not himself accompany the transport of cement. He is a busy man.

Re-examined: Only two days' holiday I allowed for my labourers for the Wesak. George Abraham Dias Bandaranayake, sworn.

Mudaliyar. On the 2nd June I came to Hanwella. When I came the mosque was not broken. There were a few people about. I saw the third accused in the junction with about twenty or thirty people. I think he was trying to drill them. He was drunk, but steady. When we returned from Nawagamuwa about half-past three there was a large crowd, about 400, lined on the two sides of the road near the junction. Mr. Silva (third accused) was in command. Still the mosque was not broken. The crowd was armed. I asked the crowd to disperse. They did not.

Cross-examined: I came to Hanwella at 1.0 o'clock. The Magistrate, Avisa- wella doctor, I, and others came to the resthouse. From there we went to Nama- gamuwa. The first accused also came in another car with Interpreter Mudaliyar, Police Inspector, and others. We all went to Namagamuwa, which is about five miles from Hanwella. About ten minutes after we returned, both cars with the same people in them. We had to stop the car owing to the crowd. We did not stop at the mosque, but went to Padukka. At Padukka I spoke to the first accused. I stayed back. The other officers returned in the two cars. Left Padukka at 4.0

o'clock. I came twice to the junction, first at 1.0 o'clock and the next time at 3.0, I think. Then I saw a very large crowd. I do not recollect having seen the second accused among them, nor the fourth. I do not know if the third accused had a case at the Gansabhawa on the 2nd.

Re-examined: There were no people in the Gansabhawa when I came there. I am sure the car followed our car to Padukka, because at the same time we arrived at Padukka,