MISSIONARY KILLED.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 31 January 1929, Page 6

MISSIONARY KILLED.

A DESERT CRIME. (“.Sun” Special). (Received This Day, 51 a.m.) BASRA, January 29. A hundred Wahabis, hidden in the desert scrub, ambushed two motors in which M Charles Crane, a former United States Ambassador to China, and three others were travelling to Kowoit from Basra. A fusillade killed the Rev. Henry Bilkett, an American Presbyterian missionary, whojiad been in the Persian Gulf, and at Basra for 15 years. The others were uninjured and escaped.

WARNING UNHEEDED,

(Published in “The Times.”) LONDON, January 29

When interviewed by the Basra correspondent of “The Times” Air Crane said the party saw Iraquis excitedly driving their liocks toward Zubeir, reporting that Akhwan raiders were out.

“Wo halted on an eminence, amt Mr Bilkct scanned the ueseri,” Mr Crane continued. "He saw nothing and expressed the opinion that it was a false alarm, and that it would lie a pity to spoil our plan-.-. So we went on at full speed. "When we were midway between Zuheir ami Koweit the shots were tired at short. range, but nolm'ly was .seen owing to the miergrowth. "Mr Bilkett said, ‘I am shot,’ and later he remarked, ‘I am ■ paralysed. ’ He died outside of Zuheir.’’