4 6 



defend his property, were found on his premises, as well as sacks 

 of rice (the goods of his Coast Moor tenants which he had re- 

 moved at their request for safe custody from the riotous mobs). 

 The arms and rice were held to be conclusive evidence against 

 him. The accused man explained the circumstances, and begged 

 for a proper enquiry and time to produce his Moorish tenants, 

 who had escaped and were in concealment since the riots. Time 

 was refused, though, it is urged, nothing would have been lost 

 by the delay. Mr. Luddington had the man placed against the 

 wall, who begged to the last for a trial, and shot by a party of 

 Town Guardsmen. He was shot in the presence of the inmates 

 of his household and a number of people who had assembled. 

 He was a full-blooded, vigorous man, in the prime of life, and 

 he twice rose from the ground bleeding profusely. The third 

 volley dashed out his brains. Soon after, his sister produced the 

 receipts granted by the Coast Moormen, which he had taken the 

 precaution to secure when they entrusted their property to him. 

 The executed man was a wealthy citizen. 



The Government transferred Mr. Luddington from 

 Negombo, on the night of June 8th, to another station as Police 

 Magistrate and Commissioner of Requests (Civil Judge) of the 

 town of Panadure. 



Extract from 

 " Government Gazette " from Ceylon News-pa^er. 



His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to make the 

 following appointments, with effect from June Qth, 1915 : 



(1) Mr. N. j. Luddington to the office of Commissioner of 

 Requests and Police Magistrate, Panadure. 



(2) Mr. W. A. Weerakoon to the office of Commissioner of 

 Requests and Police Magistrate, Negombo, and Assistant 

 Superintendent of the Prison at Negombo. 



"Gazette," June nth, 1915. 



44. Hence it will be noted that it is scarcely possible to 

 secure information as to what is transpiring in the country. The 

 policy of secrecy of the Local Government with regard to its 

 action in Ceylon is indicated in the following notification, pub- 

 lished in the local papers, marked " Exclusive to Ceylon." The 

 restriction prevents the information from being printed in the 

 overland editions of the Ceylon newspapers which circulate in 

 England, and all letters are heavily censored by a strict military 

 and civil censorship. 



