THE INDIAN DAILY NEWS

Calcutta, West Bengal, India

2 November 1905

(page 23)

CALCUTTA SHOOTING AFFRAY

EUROPEAN WOUNDS BADMASHES.

An unusual shooting incident occurred in Calcutta, on Saturday night, under circumstances of some mystery. It is assumed, from the depositions of two wounded Indians, that an unknown European was assaulted and fired upon six assailants in self-defence. But although five of these Indians have been traced, the identity and whereabouts of the European remain unknown.

Between ten and eleven o'clock at night a beat policemen found a wounded man lying on a lonely piece of ground between Goaltolla Street and Mott's Lane, groaning, his clothes being smeared with blood. Information was forthwith deepatched to the Fenwick Bazar Thanna, and Inspector J. Mulcahy hastened to the scene, followed soon after by Superintendent Ellis of the Detective Department. The wounded man turned out to be one Sheik Nanka. He was removed in an ambulance to the Chandney Hospital. Here the Police came across the other wounded man named Soorjaballi, who had gone thither of his own accord for treatment. He was found to be suffering from a serious gunshot wound, the bullet having entered the stomach and lodged in the back; later he was removed to the Mayo Native Hospital, where the bullet was successfully extracted on Sunday. Sheik Nanka was found to be suffering from a still more serious gunshot wound, the bullet having penetrated the stomach and passed out of the back. He was removed to the Medical College Hospital.

The conditions of both men are reported to be precarious, and their dying declarations were recorded on Sunday by a magisterial officer. From the statements made by these two men the Police have traced three other men connected with the affair, while the whereabouts of the fourth man are still unknown. The residents of the locality, where the tragic event was enacted, appear to be wholly ignorant of what had transpired on Saturday night. They say that their attention was not attracted by the sound of any pistol shots, inasmuch as bombs and crackers were being constantly fired on account of the Dewali festival. No clue to the European in question has as yet been obtained; from the description given by the men he is a tall, well-built, man, with moustache and beard of the French style.

From the statements of the two wounded men and from the knowledge of their method of livelihood, the police have pieced together what they at present believe to be the most likely version of the Saturday night tragedy. They think it probable that the unknown European went out on Saturday night to witness the illuminations of the Dewali festival. About ten o'clock, it is assumed, he fell in with the six men, whose reputation is not of the best, and it is supposed they induced him to follow them in the direction of Goaltola Lane and Mott's Lane, south of Dhurrumtolah Street. Here, it is believed, the men surrounded him with a view to robbery. Upon this assault he probably drew a revolver and fired twice, hitting both Seikh Nanka and Saorjaballi upon which the remaining four took to their heels, giving the European an opportunity to escape from the neighbourhood.