A NOTORIOUS MURDERER.

All these conditions contribute to the recent unfortunate frontier developments. There is sheltering in the villages of the Sangu “Khel,” or clan, near the Afghan entrance to the Khyber Pass, a collection of rascals whom we want brought to justice. They include the murderers of two British officers who were taking exercise outside the safe limits at Landi Ketal fort at the top of the Khyber Pass in April last and got shot. These are Afghans and were arrested by the Amir’s officers, but they escaped.

There is a gang from the tribal country near our station of Kohat. Their leader is the notorious Ajab. Among the gang is his ferocious brother, Shahzada. Ajab is an extremely daring and clever Afridi, who for years has been a prosperous arms trader among the tribes and has enjoyed a high reputation among them as a leader. The theft of forty military rifles from Kohat was traced to him, and the usual reward was offered for his arrest and their recovery. Ajab declared that he had not taken them, but that, being falsely accused, he would provide a genuine occasion of complaint. So one wet and black night his gang broke through the roof of the police armoury at Kohat and stole forty-six rifles. Constabulary and troops within a few days surrounded his village and found in his house all the stolen police rifles and also the clothes of Colonel and Mrs. Foulkes, who had been murdered long previously. One of his gang was found among the women, clad in women’s clothes. Ajab was away small game shooting, and on his return was ridiculed for his inability to preserve the loot or protect his women. He swore to “get even,” and kidnapped Miss Ellis from Kohat, intending to make his own indemnity her ransom price. His gang in taking her murdered her mother, Miss Ellis was rescued, and Ajab laboured under increased guilt and more ridicule. He then tried to kidnap Mrs. Watts at the lonely frontier post of Parachinar, but only added the murders of her and her husband to his tale of offences.