Intro
In the summer of 1897, the case of Dr. Clarke and British-India vs. MGA was in full swing. However, by August 20th, 1897, Abdul Hameed recanted his entire story, i.e. that MGA had sent him to murder Dr. Clarke. He claimed that he was scared into stating that MGA sent him to commit a murder. His testimony is in the below via ahmadiyya sources only. We found this testimony in MGA’s book,. “kitab ul Barriya” (1897), in a Lahori-Ahmadi translation, page 185-193.
Note: The following statement has been translated from English writing, on the basis of the statement made by Abdul Hameed before the District Superintendent of Police. Abdul
Hameed was again called to testify as a prosecution witness. His statement was recorded.
Statement of witness Abdul Hameed on solemn affirmation, 20th August 1897 on question from Court:
I had made a statement at Batala before the Police Captain. The officer incharge of a police station took me to the Captain. I do not know the name. At that time I was at Anarkali (Batala). We were three persons in the carriage: myself, the officer incharge of the police station and
the driver. At that time I was in the custody of Waris Din the Christian, Bhagat Prem Das and two police constables. The officer incharge police station had taken me straight to the Captain. First of all I had gone to Nur-ud-Din the Christian at Hall gate, Amritsar. After coming from Qadian the deponent had stayed for two days at Ghulam Mustafa printing press. I had stayed there in connection with service at the printing press. But no work was available there. Then I went to Nur-ud-Din at Amritsar. Nur-ud-Din had given me a letter addressed to the Rev. Grey. I had gone to Nur-ud-Din as a seeker of Christianity. I had certainly not gone to Qutb-ud-Din. My earlier statement that I had gone to him was not true. The deponent is not even acquainted with him. I had submitted to the Rev. Grey to make me a Christian. He sent me back to Nur-ud-Din and said: “Bear your own expenses, then we shall teach you Christianity”. I accepted this condition and went back to Nur-ud-Din. He said to me: “Go to Dr. Clarke. He will give you food, and also teach you Christianity”. I went to Doctor sahib and told him that I had become a Muslim from a Hindu. I had said this to Nur-ud-Din also. Also I said that I had come from Qadian. Doctor sahib said: “All right. I shall find out”. I said: “Find out after I am baptized”. Then Doctor sahib sent me to the Hospital. The Christian Abdur Rahim was there. He inquired from me. I told him also that I had come from Qadian. The second or third day he took me to Doctor sahib’s residence. I had been called by Doctor sahib. Doctor sahib said: “Maulvi Abdur Rahim says that you have come to commit murder”. I said: “No”. Doctor sahib said: “He is a child. How can he do such a thing?” Then I was sent to Beas. Abdur Rahim said this to me two or three times: “I have come to know for what purpose you have come”. I said: “I have come only to become a Christian, and not for any other purpose”. Then I went to Beas. After two days Abdur
Rahim came there. He came at 4 o’clock in the day. He met me at the hospital where I was studying. He said to me: “Tell me how you have come, for we have found out. Tell the truth or we shall hand you over to the Captain of Police”. I said: “I have come to become a Christian.
There is no other purpose”. He said: “You have come to commit murder”, but he did not say to murder whom. Then he went away. On the second or third day Doctor sahib came along with Yusuf Khan and another oldish man. Doctor sahib photographed me and went to Amritsar. At that time other servants were also photographed. Till that time Doctor sahib did not mention anything to me. Two days later came a telegram that Doctor sahib has called me to Amritsar. A snake was killed, Bhagat Prem Das had killed it. He said to me: “Take this dead snake with you. Show it to sahib”. From the station Muhammad Yusuf took me to the residence and I was photographed there. It came out to be defective. Then Doctor sahib sent me to the market along with Muhammad Yusuf and I was photographed there. Then I went to the market to eat. After eating, Muhammad Yusuf took me to the residence. The shop was in the same market where Yusuf was. Yusuf paid for the food. When I went to the residence, from there I was sent
to Beas. Before going to Beas, I had been sent to the hospital and from there I had been sent alone to carry papers to the station. Abdur Rahim was there. He said: “Tell the truth about what you have come for. I have found out. Otherwise you will be arrested”. After this I was photographed and went to the residence. Then Yusuf bought me the ticket and I went to Beas. After two days Doctor sahib, Abdur Rahim, Waris Din, Bhagat Prem Das and another Christian, a young man, came there. In front of all of them Waris Din and Abdur Rahim said
to me: “Now say what you have come for”. I said: “I have come to become a Christian”. They said: “You have been sent by Mirza”. I said: “No, he has not said anything to me”. Abdur Rahim was sitting besides me. He said to me: “Say that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad has sent you to kill Dr. Clarke with a stone”. He showed me my photograph and said: “You will be caught wherever you go, or else say this”. I said as he had asked me to say. Then Doctor sahib and others said:
“Give us this in writing”. I wrote it out. I wrote “cause harm”, but Abdur Rahim said: “Write also the word ‘kill’ ”. He whispered it in my ear. He was sitting besides me. At the time of writing the
confession he was sitting side by side with me. I wrote the confession twice. The first time I wrote only the word “harm”. When I was writing the second time, then according to what he had said I also wrote the word “kill”. Then when I was signing they called the postmaster etc. They asked me. Out of fear, I said: “Yes, I am writing this of my own free will”. When I wrote it out, the Doctor sahib and others said: “Good, our heart’s desire has been fulfilled”. Then Doctor sahib and the others brought me to Amritsar by the 6 o’clock train and took me to the residence. Waris Din, Abdur Rahim, Bhagat Prem Das were accompanying us. The day I wrote the confession, apart from Abdur Rahim, Bhagat Prem Das and Waris Din also were saying to
me: “Say it like this. Get Mirza entangled. No harm will come to you because Doctor sahib has pardoned you”. They took me to Sultan Vind at night. I was kept at the house of Doctor Khair-ud-Din. They kept tutoring me: “You say this, that Mirza has sent you to kill the Doctor with a stone”. Out of fear I said: “This is what I will say”. At night I was very restless and sleepless because I was being asked to tell a lie. In the morning they brought me to the residence in a carriage and kept saying: “No harm will come to you. Make that statement”. I gave the testimony in the presence of the Deputy Commissioner. I had given my name as Ralya Ram myself. There was a man with Nurud-Din, Hindu or Muslim. On his behest I had said: “He converts people to Christianity”. When I went to Doctor sahib first of all, I had not said that I had been sent by Mirza sahib. My address as Khajoori Darwaza was also given by me myself. I had done these things because previously I was with the Scotch Mission Gujrat, and had been turned out because of bad conduct. For this reason I pretended to be a Hindu, so that my earlier history not be known. I had definitely written a letter to Maulvi Nur-ud-Din from Beas saying that I liked the Christian religion. Waris Din, Bhagat Prem Das and Abdur Rahim had said to me: “You say about this letter that Mirza sahib and Maulvi Nur-ud-Din are one and the same. Hence I had written him a letter so that they are kept informed of my news”. Abdur Rahim, Prem Das and
Waris Din had taught me in Anarkali to say that I had left after abusing Mirza sahib. There had surely been an altercation between me and two of the men of Mirza sahib on account of their admonition, but I did not at all abuse Mirza sahib. I have no knowledge at all of the two persons who have been stated to have been seen at Beas. At Sultan Vind, Abdur Rahim and others had said to me: “You say that your intention to commit murder had changed on seeing Doctor sahib”. After my testimony was over I was taken and shut up in the residence at Amritsar. Abdur Rahim, Waris Din and Prem Das used to say: “Some man of Mirza sahib will kill you”. Two sweepers had been shut up in the house along with me. They also kept tutoring me. As for Qutb-ud-Din, I had been asked by Waris Din, Abdur Rahim and Prem Das to mention his name. The lawyer (Lala Ram Bhaj) had asked me in Anarkali: “Did you have an accomplice or not? Until someone else is not involved, you are not a bird to have killed and flown away. The court will not believe”. On this Waris Din and others instructed me about the involvement of Qutb-ud-Din. I did not give to the lawyer the address of Qutb-ud-Din. Prem Das had written on my hand Karmon Deorhi and the address of Qutb-ud-Din, saying “remember this when you give testimony”. He had written it in pencil. It was Waris Din’s pencil, the same pencil which is just now in the lawyer’s hand. With the very same it had been written. (Note: Admitted that the pencil belonged to Waris Din.) There were many other pencils in the school. Waris Din and others used to describe Qutb-ud-Din’s features. But I do not know him at all. They had
mentioned to me Qutb-ud-Din’s features etc. at night. I did not mention the features etc. to the lawyer. On being instructed by Bhagat Prem Das, Waris Din and Abdur Rahim, I had said that I used to press Mirza sahib. I had never been to the house of Mirza sahib. I had seen him only once, that was in the mosque. Only on these people’s instigation I have made all the statement. Only on their instigation, I had stated that I, the deponent, had slept in the Khair-ud-Din mosque,
Amritsar. This was also taught to me at Batala. They have been making me write the first testimony falsely, by intimidation. When the officer incharge police station had gone to call, he was inside. Outside, Waris Din said to me: “Be careful, do not alter your first statement.
The Doctor sahib has promised you pardon”. There were two Sikh policemen. They had also said to me: “Be careful, do not change the testimony.” A teacher Nihal Chand had also said the same. This morning Abdul Ghani the Christian came to me and said: “Shaikh Waris Din and Yusuf say that if you give the earlier testimony they will get you pardon from Doctor sahib and you will remain safe”. I had informed the Captain about this affair. The sahib was taking a
bath. The cook, the sweeper etc., all those in the enclosure, know that they had seen him. I have never seen any room of Mirza sahib, nor am I aware of the bathroom. Only on the tutoring of these people, I had mentioned a room adjacent to the upper portion of the mosque. I had been making all the statements out of fear. Christian Nur-ud-Din had said to me: “You will not be able to get on with me. Go to Doctor sahib”. Hence I had gone to Doctor sahib. Otherwise I had no prior acquaintance with him. Abdur Rahim had told me the substance of the confession and I had written it. He had also told me the words. They had taken from me my earlier writing and torn it up. The statement that I have given now is entirely correct and true. The first statement
was given out of fear and persuasion. The statement that I have made now is of my own accord. I have not done so on anyone’s persuasion or any inducement. (On a question from the prosecution lawyer) I have not yet joined the Muslims, i.e. neither do I consider Muhammad sahib to be true nor the Quran. I am seeking Christianity. I have never gone from Lahore to Qadian with Maulvi Nur-ud-Din, nor to Amritsar. When I had first gone to Qadian I had hired a complete cart from Batala. I had seen Shaikh Rahmatullah twice at Lahore, i.e., had met him. On the first occasion he had given me 8 annas. I had seen Doctor Nabi Bakhsh at Lahore. Came from Lahore to Batala. He travelled by the first class coach and I by the third class. At Batala I had not put up with him but only stayed for the night and had gone to Qadian in the morning. I have known Maulvi Nur-ud-Din since the time of going to Qadian. No one had recommended me to Maulvi Nur-ud-Din. Miran Bakhsh of Gujrat had told me to go to Mirza sahib at Qadian and get education. The deponent went to Gujrat the second time for employment. When I went to Qadian I had two Rupees with me. I do not know whether or not Maulvi Nur-ud-Din has friendly relations with my paternal uncle Burhan-ud-Din. When I came to Qadian the first time, Burhan-ud-Din was not there. The second time he was there before my arrival. He and I did not live together. I had been on friendly terms with Burhan-ud-Din even before, and also at that time.
When this case was in progress at Batala, I do not know whether Burhan-ud-Din was there. Even now I do not know where he is, for I was in custody. I had, on my own, taken up the occupation of basket lifting and not on anybody’s bidding. I had worked in the printing press separately. I had not seen Burhan-ud-Din there at that time. I had only one set of clothes when I went to Qadian. Waris Din and others used to tell me: “Say that there were two or three sets when you had gone”. Ghulam Mustafa did not know me earlier. He had given me food for two days, thinking I was a Muslim. At Batala I had gone to his printing press after making enquiry about it. I had gone to Amritsar by the 9 o’clock morning train. On arrival I immediately got from Hall
Bazar information about Nur-ud-Din that he was a Christian preacher. I had left Batala after taking food. I had gone to Mr. Grey at 2 or 3 o’clock during the day. The same day I had gone to Doctor sahib’s place. Doctor sahib had asked me about my family on my mother’s side, etc., but I had not been able to give a satisfactory reply. The officer incharge of the police station had brought me in a carriage. He had seated me at the back, adjacent to the driver. In the evening Prem Das, Waris Din and others had come to the residence of the Captain to say that “the boy be given over to us”. On the way, the officer incharge of the police station had not talked to me at all. I had asked: “Why has the Captain called me?” He said: “I do not know”. The officer incharge of the police station took me straight to the residence. The officer enquired from me according to the order of the Captain. He was another officer. The officer took me under a tree which lies in the compound of the residence and enquired from me. The tree was about twenty five yards away. He said to me: “You are telling a lie, you do not speak the truth”. I replied: “I speak the truth. The statement I dictated is true”. Then he said to the Captain: “This boy does not speak the truth”. The Captain ordered: “Bring him before me”. Muhammad Bakhsh was not among the interrogators. Only one man asked, he is the other officer incharge of the police station. I do not know the name. The officer who brought me in the carriage was not interrogating. Muhammad Bakhsh did not ask me anything. Muhammad Bakhsh, the other officer and another constable or clerk were there. The clerk was a Hindu. That clerk was talking about the judgment in a case, so thus I came to know that he was a clerk. Muhammad Bakhsh did not say to me: “You have committed a sin in deposing against Mirza sahib”. No man of Mirza sahib met me. There was talk under the tree for just four or five minutes. There was a bed
at a distance of about three or four steps. I was lying on it again. An hour or two later, the servant got up and the deponent was presented before the Captain. No one came to me, nor had anyone talked to the officer in charge of the police station. When the Captain enquired from
me the first time, I related the same story as I had deposed earlier. He said: “You are telling a lie. Now you will not be sent to Anarkali. We shall take you to Gurdaspur”. I said again: “I have spoken the truth”. He said: “No, you are telling a lie. When your doubts had been removed then why did you go to the Christians?”. I said: “I went to Gujrat for employment”. He said: “It appears to be false that Mirza sahib sent you. Speak the truth”. Then out of fear of God I told the whole story truly, as has been deposed. The Inspector and Muhammad Bakhsh the officer incharge police station and another clerk were present at that time when the Captain recorded my statement. The Captain was asking questions and I was dictating my statement continuously. The same day I was brought to Gurdaspur, when the confession was written. Doctor sahib was sitting at a distance of four or five steps. Abdur Rahim used to say: “Doctor sahib will save you”.
I was also threatened: “We have your photograph. You will be caught wherever you go”. The word “kill” was whispered in my ear by Abdur Rahim, asking me to write it. The night Lala Ram Bhaj had questioned me, the day after that I had appeared as a witness again, and before
appearing in the court Abdur Rahim and others had tutored me about Qutb-ud-Din etc. The first time when the lawyer came at 12 o’clock he said to me: “You are not a bird that you had flown to Amritsar. There must have been someone else with you”. Then Abdur Rahim and others told me about inclusion of Qutb-ud-Din. Note: The prosecution lawyer admitted: “We had asked the witness in the evening also about the inclusion of the other man”. In the evening the lawyer asked again, and I had given the name of Qutb-ud-Din as taught by Abdur Rahim and others. The lawyer had told me that the court would not accept that I, all alone, killed and went away or would have gone away, the involvement of some other man was essential. Then after 12 o’clock, I stated the name of Qutb-ud-Din as taught. There is a room adjacent to the mosque which I had mentioned. It faces the hill. I do not know on which side its door is. I do not know
at all the appearance and features of Qutb-ud-Din, nor had anybody told me, nor have I come to know or been acquainted with his looks etc. till now. (On a question from the court) Before appearance in the court, at 12 o’clock in the day, the lawyer Ram Bhaj came to me and
said: “You are not a bird that you would have killed and flown away”. After this, Waris Din and others told me the name of Qutb-ud-Din. In the evening when the lawyer mentioned to me again then I gave him the name of Qutb-ud-Din. Before appearing in the court the second time, Prem Das had written the address of Qutb-ud-Din on the palm of my hand. (On a question from the lawyer of the defendant) When the testimony was taken the second time at Batala, after that I
remained with Doctor sahib. Two policemen, two sweepers and three Christians were guarding me, i.e. the deponent was under their watch. No man of Mirza sahib met me, nor have I made this statement before the police officer on anyone’s persuasion or inducement. Only the Captain had said: “We want to find the truth”, and I deposed truthfully out of fear of God. The officers incharge of police stations had not intimidated or induced me. Mirza sahib had never said to me: “Go and kill Doctor sahib”. No one can go into the room adjacent to the mosque. That is the female section of the owner’s house. I do not even know anything about its door. Shaikh Waris Din, Bhagat Prem Das, another Christian old man and Abdur Rahim had been tutoring me during the night before the day when my second testimony was taken. They kept me confined to the house, locking it from outside. At Anarkali they used to tutor me: “You should say that Mirza sahib had sent you to kill”. When the lawyer asked me in the evening, Doctor sahib was sitting at that time a little distance away. The lawyer said: “Whatever question is put by the lawyer for the defendant, give a perverse reply”. I say this truly and with conviction that the lawyer Ram Bhaj had said to me as stated above. An Arya policeman had accompanied me to Qadian. I had stayed with the Aryas. The Aryas supplied the witnesses. Nihal Chand the teacher is a Christian.
Abdul Hameed with own pen. Read out. Is correct. Accepted.
Signature of the Judge.
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