MAHARAJAH’S GALLANTRY

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 11 August 1928, Page 11

MAHARAJAH’S GALLANTRY

T OV A LTV to the British Raj is tfip outstanding characteristic of the Maharajah of Bnrdvvan, Bengal, whose outspoken speech the other night in London recently electrified Indians resident in Britain. The Maharajah has loon British ftotn the beginning («avs a correspondent of the Weekly Disnatch). When quite a young man the anarchists in India seized on Lord Curzon’s ill-starred ordinance partitioning the province of Bengal as a pretext to inaugurate a campaign of brigandage and' secret murder. The Maharajah was brave enough ooenly to denounce the movement. and it had not long been in progress when he offered his life to save that of Sir Andrew Fraser, then the Lieutenant-Governor. Sic Andrew had been hilled to speak at. Overton Flail, the headquarters in * Calcutta of the Indian branch of the Y.M.C.A. The building was crowded with students and educationists) belonging fo the sco’*e of colleges in the "ioinitv when Sir Andrew arrived with his staff md entourage, of which the vonng Maharajah was one. The Lieu-tenant-Governor came into the hall smiling ami chatting with T ndv Fraser. and th« o-ocession moved along th narrow aisle toward the platform, when a youth stennod o»t from his sent and con frontin nr Si’- Andrew, I drew a pistol from out- of his volumin- ! nos clothing. Sir Andrew stooped 1 suddenly, and was about to speak to

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the armed fanatic when the latter pulled the trigger, aiming straight at I the victim. Ttie sudden drama .left all present- breathless, and the fraction of a second in which they waited for the filaHi of the revolver and the fall of the [ Lieutenant-Governor .seemed a year. 'Then they realised that by a merciful act of providence the weapon had misfired. The would-be assassin pointed the revolver a second time, hut- before the trigger could ho pulled a man internose:! himself nerwoen the weapon and Sir Andrew and grnpoled with the student. That man was the Maharajah of Burdwan. A notice officer took the youth a wav to the noli'e .station. The present correspondent accompanied them and was oresent when the weapon was tested. When it was fired a second time there was no doubt of its businesslike char-, acTt did not misfire. The Maharajah, who is a giant in height and build, is now n ruling chief, hut he is an evtremely wealthy man • and. if In's ambition materialises he would T-a the ri ’bcst of the members of the House of Commons. He came to his title and fortune vnexnectedly. 1 il'e 'the more famous Oaekwac of Rnrodn. Ther» was no heir, and the opeetion of adoption canm up. Anot.l’n-. lji-nnr. l , of the familv ni‘o.d..r.ed a rival candidate arid after a- bitter controversv the Go vo-vn merit of pengal chose, the present Maharajah.