Farther details of what I suppose must be characterised as the saddest episode of the Jubilee, I moan the murder of Mr. Rand and Mr. Ayerst, as they were returning home from Lord Sandhurst's reception at Poona on Jubilee night, have come to us this week, as Surgeon-Captain W. W.
Beveridge and Mrs. Ayerst arrived at Plymouth in the P. & 0. steamer Oriental inst Saturday, From information Dr. Beveridge has given to the paporsthereseems to be little doubt that it was he and not Lieut. Ayerst who wns the intended victim of the outrage. He was the medical officer of the Poona plague committee, and it was he who submitted to the Bombay Government the plan for checking the plague which was adopted with so much success, but which ike most sanitary measures was strongly disapproved of by the native populace. Mr. Rand was chairman of the plague committee, Instead of driving off from the portico of Government House after the reception Dr. and Mrs. Beveridge walked a short distance, and picked up the carriage in the road. In this way they evidently escaped notice. Mrs. Ayerst Both in height and dress bore consider. able resemblance to Mrs. Beveridge and was evidently mistaken for her. Mr. Rana drove away alone in his victoria and was immediately followed by Lieut. and Mrs. Ayerst, a position which Dr. Beveridge always occupied when on plague work. The inference therefore is clear, soeing a lady they imagined to be Mrs. Beveridge they shot, as they thought, at the doctor only to find out their mi take afterwards. Mr. Rand shared the same fate, but that, of course, was meditated. The shock has almost killed poor Mrs. Ayerst. She is still very ill—enough surely to turn any one's brain to be smothered with her husband's blood in her Government House reception dress. There is one little girl and I hear very little money, nothing but a small government pension. Itisto be hoped that either the government or some rich and charitable friends may come forward with help if only in remembrance of the night on which the tragedy occurred, Mrs.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.