SIR WILLIAM WYLLIE’S MURDER.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2583, 18 August 1909, Page 2

SIR WILLIAM WYLLIE’S MURDER.

- - ' PARTICULARS OF THE CRIME. Tho following fuller particulars of the crime, which took place in the Imperial Institute, London, are taken rrom an eye-witness's account in the “Daily Mail”: The scene of the crime was the room erected by the generosity of Mr Jehanger, a wealthy Parsee. It is decorated throughout in Indian style. Behind the platform is a background of gorgeous Indian screens and radiant embroideries. The company numbered about 200 persons, chiefly natives of India. Many were students, resident in London or at Oxford and Cambridge, but there wore also present several distinguished Indians who are visiting this country. Many of them wore native dress; others were in evening dress and a turban. A number of Indian ladies were in the gathering, and their brilliant robes added a touch of color and picturesqueness to the scene. A musical programme was carried out, and a young Hindu student rendered an Urdu song in a remarkably sweet tenor voice. At 11 o’clock only one more item of the programme remained to be performed, and many of tho guests were already making their way downstairs towards the cloakrooms. SIX SHOTS FIRED. At this moment a young Hindu student, wearing a dark lounge suit and a pale blue turban, suddenly walked up to Sir William Curzon "Wyllie, who was moving towards the stairs. The Hindu thrust a revolver in the face of the Englishman, and fired with the utmost rapidity four shots, before anyone in the horrified crowd could intervene. He then drew back a yard and fired a fifth shot as his victim fell. A sixth shot was discharged which struck a middle-aged Indian in the side. Whether it was deliberately aimed at him or whether the hit was accidental is impossible to say. A young student and an English gentleman were the first to recover their presence of mind. They rushed forward and seized the arm of the assassin. As he stood there lie seemed a quiet, serious-looking youth of about eighteen or nineteen years of age. He wore gold-rimmed spectacles. Tie struggled desperately, and getting one hand free ho placed' his pistol to his temple and pulled the trigger. All the chambers had been emptied. His captors forced him down to the ground, wrested the pistol down, and held him firmly on the floor. NATIVES IN TEARS. Others of the company rushed up to the aid of the men who were struggling with the assassin. While some called for doctors and summoned the police, others assisted in pinioning tho criminal. It was thought advisable to search his pockets, in case he had. other weapons on him. To the horror of those about him, two other revolvers and a long dagger were extracted from his pockets. When his weapons had been taken from him he became perfectly calm. In fact, he was by far the coolest man in the group. He asked one of his captors to replace his spectacles, which had fallen off in the scuffle. His turban had been unwound and lay across a chair. The doors were closed to shield the scene., from the eyes of the horrified guests. The exquisite Indian screens were hurriedly brought down from the platform and arranged so that all might reach the stairs without seeing what had happened. The grief and indignation of the guests were terrible to witness. As the name of Sir William Curzon Wyllie was whispered round as that of the English victim, many of the natives broke into sobs. “He was one of the best friends India ever had,” said one Hindu. Another exclaimed, “And I was to have seen him to-mor-row.” Others demanded to see the face of the murderer that they might discover who he was. “IT IS MY HUSBAND.” A stately woman in dark evening dress came upstairs from the cloak room at the sound of the shots to see what had happened. “Poor fellow!” she said, as she looked at tho form of the Englishman on the floor. She knelt down, for the wounds had disfigured him. Then I saw horror leap to her eyes. Quite quietly she said. “It is my husband, my husband! Why wasu’t I with him?” It was Lady Wyllie. She had only left- her husband a few minutes before to get her cloak, and he was following laer when the Indian student engaged nm in conversation. Tho scene was too terrible. The lady kneeling by her dead husband; a group >f us holding tho Indian, and the other rictim groaning upon the floor a few pards away. “SORRY FOR INDIA.” “I’m sorry for the poor fellow, he’s nad,” one English gentleman of military appearance said. But a Hindu rear him cried, “No, I’m not sorry for aim. I’m sorry for India, which will lave to share the blame for what he ias; done.” Every native present echoed this feeling. While this -was passing, doctors had irrived, but nothing could be done. A detective and two constables came up. rhe situation spoke for itself. One victim lay motionless on the stone floor in a pool of blood, his distressed w:fe supporting his head and seekin- vainly for some sign of life. The o + her yi? bim was writing in agony, half-con-scious and groaning from time to time. An ambulance had been sent for. ns he was evidently seriously wounded. It was heartrending to see him suffering during what seemed an interminable period of waiting, buc nothing could be done. The suddenness of the tragedy after two hours of delightful music and conversation made the shock all the greater. No one present will ever forget the scene of Oriental splendour which in one instant was transformed into one of the utmost horror. THE MURDERER. The murderer, who gave his name as Dhinagri, a student, of Bayswater, was taken to Walton-street Police Station.

He is a youth of about tweny years — in appearance more like a Parsee than a Hindu.- His smooth, olive-colored, face and thick, oily black hair curling ovei\ a low forehead mark his origin: though his dress is that of the European.. Seated on a chair in the chargeroom, he leaned his head against tho wall and closed his eyes as if asleep. His coat had been taken from him, and the cuffs of his white linen shirt were turned back as if he; had made ready for sonic desperate deed. Ilis dress showed scrupulous care and not a little of the pride of personal appearance that characterises the Indian student. A neat dark tie with double collar was conspicuous over a buff waist-coat. Upon the bench at the other side of the charge room lay his jacket of dark striped material, together with a folded white pocket handkerchief, a penknife, a bunch of keys, sonio written papers, a shawl head dress of light blue silk, seven shillings in silver, and three pence; PRISONER’S SMILES. Now and then the prisoner raised his head from tho wall and glanced at the clock, whose hands were approaching one in the morning. Then he turned to the wall again and closed his eyes for a'moment. “May I have my jacket?” he asked after another glance at the clock. Tho policeman in charge consulted the superintendent and a rug was ordered instead of the jacket. The prisoner, with the aid of a detective, wrapped the striped rug about h ; is shoulders and disjibsed himself again to sleep. A .smile occasionally stole over liis face, but he spoke riot a word and gave no sign of being conscious jof the presence of others. Meanwhile tho superintendent of police and the detectives were carefully examining the papers and cards found upon him. One of these papers was evidently a political confession setting forth the motives of his crime. It covered three foolscap sheets in crabbed handwriting. Several cards were also among the papes, and by the side of them lay the revolver. At one o’clock the examination of his possessions was completed, and tho prisoner was removed to the colls. The police superintendent at Walton street Station made the following communication : “At an Indian function in the Imperial Institute last evening an Indian student named Dhinagri, living in Bayswater, shot and killed Sir W. Hutt Curzon Wyllie and Dr. Lalcaca, a Parsee of Shanghai. Sir W. Hutt Curzon Wyllie was shot in the head and Dr Lalcaca in the abdomen. Nothing is yet known of the origin and antecedents of the prisoner, but there is no doubt that the crime is political.” DOCUMENTS SEIZED. From last Easter Monday, the man Dhinagri has shared with several of his fellow-countrymen furnished rooms at 108, Ledbury-road, Bayswater, one of a row of middle-class houses where a considerable number of apartments are let. At two o’clock in the morning the house was visited by the agents of the Criminal Investigation Department, who carried away all the personal property, books, and papers belonging to .imiagri for examination. Mrs Harris, his landlady, who was still unaware of the act committed by her ledger, described him as follows: “Mr Dhinagri has lived here constantly since Easter Monday. He has only just ceased to attend classes at University College. I believe that they were connected with road-surveying. “Mr Dhinagri is a slight young man, with a small black moustache. I should judge his age to be about twenty-two years. “He has always been perfectly quiet and well conducted. To-day he had breakfast and lunch here as usual and went out at about 7.30. He seemed in his usual spirits all day, and did not make any remark either to me or my husband which would indicate that he had anything on his mind.”