MURDERER ON TRIAL

Otago Witness, Issue 2928, 27 April 1910, Page 24

MURDERER ON TRIAL

CAIRO, April 22. During the trial of the murderer of Boutros Pasha (Premier) extraordinary precautions are being taken. The court is entirely isolated, but thousands of people who are in sympathy with the prisoner congregate in the vicinity of the courthouse. As the Egyptian Premier and Foreign Minister, Boutros Pasha Ghali, was leaving' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on, February 20, an Egyptian approached and fired six revolver shots at him. Th© Premier fell to the ground gravely wounded, and died in the hospital the next day. The assassin is a chemist named Ibrahim Wardani, aged 25. He was immediately arrested. In reply to questions he stated that he had for some time past intended to assassinate the Premier, whom ho considered a. "traitor to the fatherland." He complained that the Premier had signed the Anglo-Egyptian Soudan Convention, that ho had presided at the court cf inquiry into the Denshawai affair, that ho had revised the press laws (against sedition), and that he supported the- project for the prolongation of the Suez Canal concession. -The man said that fo& was a member of the Nationalist party. He studied at Cairo, and then went to Europe in 1906. For two yea» ha worked at Lausanne, and theme© went in 1908 to school® in England, where he obtained a diploma* He returned to EgyDt in January of last year.

Boutros Pasha Ghali was a Copt of marked ability, who filled for a long time the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Ho did much to promote the welfare of Egypt. In 1908 he succeeded Mustafa Pasha Fohmi as Prime Minister, retaining at tho same time the office of Foreign Minister.