Life of Ahmad — Page 543
as DR. CLARK DRAGS HIM INTO COURT 543 They felt that the failure of their previous efforts was due to the fact that, owing to fear of the law, they had not been able to carry out their designs openly. They, therefore, now hit upon the device of putting the machinery of the law in motion against Ahmad as and thus making the law itself the instrument of their vengeance. They took counsel against Ahmad as to compass his ruin. The missionaries were the first to drag him into court, believing perhaps that the courts of a Christian Government would surely show favour to them. Dr. Henry Martyn Clark, 129 a Christian missionary working in Amritsar, brought a charge, under section 107 I. P. C. , against Ahmad as on August 1st, 1897, in the court of Mr. A. E. Martineau, District Magistrate of Amritsar. Dr. Clark stated that Ahmad as had sent a youth, Abdul H am i d 130 , to murder him. Abdul H am i d’s statement was also recorded. The Magistrate immediately issued a warrant for the arrest of 129 The Government Advocate applied to Mr. J. M. Dowie, District Magistrate, Gurdaspur, on February 8th, 1898, to sanction the prosecution of Abdul H am i d under Sections 195 and 211 I. P. C. But the District Magistrate declined to do so. In his order, dated February 26th, 1898, he pointed out that the heading of the case was Proceedings under section 107 I. P. C. against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian instituted by Dr. M. Clark. And after discussing the point said: 'Whatever view we take of the case it is clear that the real complainant who instituted proceedings against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian was Dr. Clark. . . Abdul H am i d did not in any real sense institute criminal proceedings. . . ' 130 He was brought up as a child by one Sultan Mahmood, a Muslim preacher at Jhelum. His mother was married to this Sultan Mahmood and she had been previously the wife of one Luqman, a brother of Sultan Mahmood, on whose decease she contracted the second marriage. Abdul H am i d is said to be the son of Luqman.