NORTH-WEST FRONTIER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21314, 15 October 1932, Page 18

NORTH-WEST FRONTIER

ELLIS TRAGEDY RECALLED ADDRESS BY CAPTAIN FALCON An address on the North-West Frontier of India was given by Captain R. Falcon at a largely-attended meeting of tho Overseas Club, yesterday afternoon. Miss A. Quayle presided. The speaker's address covered a wide range of detail, with graphic and amusing descriptions of the Pat hans. The Patlians were described bv tho speaker as a hardy, tall race of people who spoke a very gutteral language. What might be described almost as a pastime w;ero the feuds, which were continually waged among each other and between neighbouring villages. These feuds had so-got- into tho lives of the people that in trans-frontier territory tlie women as well as the men carried rifles to protect themselves against sudden attacks. Their natures were very treacherous, and they were quite unable successfully to carry 011 a feud without resource to trickery and under-handedness. This treachery was not confined always among the people themselves, but was also used against tho whito officials. As an instanco of this, Captain Falcon told of an attempt to poison him by a trusted I'alhan official, which was frustrated by the intervention of the C.I.D. Several murders and attempted murders were described by Captain Falcon, which illustrated the treacherous mentality of the people. Particularly was this to be seen in the case of tho murder of Mrs. Ellis and the kidnapping of her daughter, Molly Ellis, when tho murder was enacted solely to retrieve the pride of a Patlian who was smarting under the jibes of his womenfolk because of an incident in which he had been worsted. It was believed the Pathan's intention had been solely to kidnap Molly Ellis, but Mrs. Kltis had awakened and blown a police whistle, which infuriated tho Pathans, who then murdered her. Following the rescue of Molly Ellis by Mrs. Starr, the murderer was once again enraged, this time because he had failed to extract a ransom. Thus, in revenge, followed murder of Captain and Mrs. Watts, who wcro shot to death. Captain Falcon concluded his address by paying a tribute to the officials, who were working in India under trying and exacting conditions, frequently in a temperature of 120 or 130 degrees. "What we need in India to-day, and fortunately we have them, are good, clean-living and Christian men, who will uphold the Empire out there by common-sen3e legislation and litigation," he said.