'Administration Reports 1925-1930' [‎36v] (77/418)

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s:rapT)led with them. During the fight that ensued Mohammed stabbed die
sweeper Jamadar.- The two culprits were arrested and tried by the Kaiguzai
in his court. H. B. M.'s Vice-Consul was present at the trial. Mohammed wa^
found guilty and the Karguzar sentenced him to- suffer four year s imprison
ment and a fine of one hundred Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. to be paid to the next-of-kin ot the
deceased, or in default further imprisonment for one year making a total ot
five vears. Firuz was discharged having already suffered imprisonment for a
few months.
Another tragic event was the murder of an Anglo-Indian named L. Charles:
an employee of the Anglo-Persian Oil Coy., Ltd., at Abadan. This C ei s was
strangled by three Arabs and his body thrown into the Bahmanshir river where
it was discovered three days later. It appears that Charles went on invitation
to the hous ( e of one of the Arabs and after partaking of food tried to take liber
ties with one of the three Arabs wives who was- not present. At the moment
her husband entered the room and was so infuriated that he with the help of the
other two strangled Charles with a rope and. threw his. body inUv the Tivor..
The Persian Police at Abadan did good work in investigating this case. Ihe
Arabs are in custody and the case is still pending in the Karguzar s Court.
Two unfortunate accidents, occurred at Abadan, which resulted in the
death of two Persian labourers. In the first case Mr. Jones a European Refinery
employee was driving his motor car when the labourer rushed across the load
in front of it and was run over and killed. In the second Mr. Donaldson also a
European Refinery employee was riding a motor cycle when a young Persian
lad ran across the road and was knocked down and died of injuries received.
Both cases, were settled by the Anglo-Persian Oil Company paying com
pensation on compassionate grounds to the deceaseds' rrext-of-kin.
Post and T el eg raph .'—-T11 e Persian Post Office carried on its work during
the tear.-
The 'Iraq Telegraph Office attached to the Vice-Consulate carried on its-
work to the end of the year when in accordance with Departmental Orders it
closed down. The British firms were anxious for an office to be opened on the
Miaq side of the Shatt-al-Arab River opposite Mohammerah and a proposal
W^as put up by them 7 to the 'Iraq authorities but it was- not sanctioned as it was
thought that the handling of messages from Persia would give offence to the
Persian Government.
The efficiency of the Postal Service has been well maintained under the
direction of Mirza Isa Khan Parsa. The new building was completed and
occupied at the beginning of the year.
Conmunicaiions.—Jn November the Postal Department under the signature
of the Provincial Director of Customs notified the ptiblic that the Mohammerah-
Khurrumabad-Teheran route was declared open and advised merchants and
travellers from Mohammerah to use this route in preference to the two alter
native routes, favoured, i.e., Ahwalz and Basrah.
A comparison of cost and time occupied was given as follows :
Route ; MohammeralK—Tehran.
Time.
Cost per
Kharwar.-
Days.
Tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. .
f Ahwaz-Isfahan
64
64
j
F/'a ^ Basrah-Baglidad-Kermansliali
45
70—75'
r
^Dkful-Khurramabad «.
34
52
Customs, —Mons. J. Cordonnier was Provincial Director during the year.-
The Department worked satisfactorily during the year.
The repairs to the Customs Quay sanctioned by the Ministry of Finance,,
Teheran, in 1923, have at last been completed.
New Customs Posts have been opened at Failiyah (above the Sheikh's,
palace), Sabaq on the desert which is about a mile from the town on the Moham-
merah-Basrah car route, Bahmanshir,. Shush and Howeizah.