ABSTRACT
The first news of the firing in the Jallianwala Bagh reached Lahore at 11.15 p.m. in a garbled message received by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Mr Farquhar, who telephoned it to Mr Thompson, the Chief Secretary, which stated that a prohibited meeting had been dispersed and there were rumours of heavy casualties. More complete information arrived at 3 a.m. on the 14th, when Mr Way then, Principal of the Sikh Khalsa College in Amritsar, and Mr Jacob of the Indian Civil Service brought a letter from the Deputy Commissioner written at 1 a.m. Sir Michael O’Dwyer and Mr Kitchin, the Commissioner, were roused and they read the letter together. Mr Miles Irving said that a proclamation had been read in the city prohibiting public meetings. He went on:
‘A meeting had been advertised for 4.30 that day, and the General said he would attend it with 100 men. I did not think that the meeting would be held, or if held would disperse, so I asked the General to excuse me, as I wanted to go to the Fort.
‘I learn that the Military found a large meeting of some five thousand men, and opened fire without warning, killing about two hundred. Firing went on for about ten minutes.
‘I went through the city at night with the General, and all was absolutely still.
‘I much regret that I was not present, but when out previously with the Military the greatest forebearance had been used in making the people disperse. I had absolutely no idea of the action taken.’
