Lecture Ludhiana — Page 30
30 he, being a just and fair magistrate, told them that he could not be a party to such an outrage. In short, when the case was entrusted to Capt. Le Mar- chand for a renewed investigation, he summoned Abdul Hamid and told him to state the truth. Abdul Hamid repeated the same old story he had related before the Deputy Commissioner. Actually, at the very start he was warned that the slightest deviation from his original statement would render him liable to prosecution, that is why he repeated the same statement he had made earlier on. The Police Superintendent told him that he had al- ready related the same story but the Deputy Commissioner was not satisfied that he was telling the truth. When Captain Le Marchand again told him to tell the truth, he started crying and fell at the feet of the Captain imploring him for protection. The Captain reas- sured him and told him to go ahead. At this he came out with the truth. He confessed that he had been coerced into making his earlier statement and deposed that Mirza Sahib had never sent him to murder anyone. The Captain was overjoyed at this statement and sent a telegram to the Deputy Commissioner that he had solved the case. The case once again came up for hearing at Gurdaspur. Capt. Le Marchand was sworn in and re- corded his affidavit. I could notice that the Deputy Commissioner was visibly pleased that the truth had come out. But he was also furious at the Christians who had given false evidence against me. Addressing me, he said