Divan Ali

Divan Ali was stabbed during a fight on the SS Pera on the evening of 30 July 1904.

A 45-year-old ship's fireman was tried for his murder but acquitted.

Divan Ali had been a member of the crew of the SS Pera and there had been an argument between the crew from his ship and the SS Arcadia which resulted in a fight during which he was stabbed.

The two ships, the SS Pera and the SS Arcadia, belonged to the same company, P&O, and were lying on the south side of the Albert Dock, although about a mile apart. It was heard that the men on the SS Arcadia had been East Africans and those on the SS Pera were Indians and that the Indians worked for lower rates, and an argument had arisen between the two groups which resulted in the crew from the SS Arcadia  going aboard the SS Pera and starting a fight, during which Divan Ali died.

However, at the trial it was heard that the evidence for the prosecution was inconclusive and contradictory.

Divan Ali  and the 45-year-old ship's fireman were both described as men of colour.

The man tried had been a ship's fireman from the SS Arcadia. He was born in Africa and was described as an Anglicised Indian.

He was said to have stabbed Divan Ali aboard the SS Pera on the Saturday evening, 2 August 1904.

A doctor said that he had been called out at 6.30pm on the evening of 2 August 1904 to find Divan Ali lying on a mattress dead. He said that there was a wound to the side of his neck about three quarters of an inch long above the collar bone, inflicted with a sharp instrument, and an incised cut on the outer side of the right thigh.

He said that the wound to his throat had penetrated to the apex of his lung.

He noted that there was a large quantity of blood about the deck where Divan Ali was said to have been stabbed.

He gave his cause of death as syncope from haemorrhage, and noted that the wound was not likely to have been self-inflicted.

Two Punjabi men with the SS Pera and another man, employed as firemen, said that they saw the 45-year-old ship's fireman go up to Divan Ali as he was sitting on the gangway and stab him in the neck with a long bladed knife.

The second officer on the SS Pera said that he heard a quarrel in the fireman's quarters and that he quelled it. He noted that he had just previously seen the 45-year-old ship's fireman walk across the deck and fall down.

Another fireman with the SS Pera said that he had been friends with the 45-year-old ship's fireman and had been in his quarters at the time and said that he saw no blow struck.

He said that the quarrel must have taken place outside the quarters, noting that he saw no knife and that no one was struck in his presence. He said that he had been ill in bed when the 45-year-old ship's fireman had come in to ask him how he was, noting that there was no row before he came in.

The 45-year-old ship's fireman said that he first came to England when he was 14 years of age and that he understood Arabic as well as Punjabi and English.

He said that he went to the SS Pera with a friend at about 6pm and visited a friend who was ill in the forecastle after which he then heard a row and went outside to ascertain the cause.

He said that when he went out that he saw a Hindustani who told him to leave and so he did so, and that he then heard that the other men had had a fight. He said that he then went out and saw the men fighting, and said that a man got an iron bar and struck him on the arm with it. He said that he then ran away and fell down on the deck and that the second officer then spoke to him and the quartermaster told him to go away, which he did.

He said that he had no knife and that he didn't know Divan Ali, and didn't see him at all.

When the quarter master gave evidence, he said that he told the men to go, but that he didn't address the 45-year-old ship's fireman in particular.

He noted that no knife had been found.

At the inquest into Divan Ali's death, the Coroner remarked that there had evidently been a quarrel between the natives employed on the two ships, as it seemed incredible that one man should stab another without provocation.

At the conclusion of the inquest at West Ham Police Court on 5 August 1904, the jury however, found that the 45-year-old ship's fireman had murdered Divan Ali, with two of the 14 jurymen disagreeing with the verdict.

The 45-year-old ship's fireman was tried at the Central Criminal Court on Friday 23 September 1904, but acquitted.

In evidence, a police constable with the Royal Albert Dock Police said that he went onto the ship shortly before the fight took place and when the fight started that he went to see and saw Divan Ali fall to the deck, although at the time didn't know he was injured.

He said that at about 6.30pm on 30 July 1904 that he went on board the SS Pera at the Royal Albert Dock to enquire as to the workings of the vessel.

He said that as he went to board the ship that he saw four men going up the gangway in front of him, one of whom was the 45-year-old ship's fireman, noting that he saw his face when he turned to go up the gangway. He said that they were all seedee boys and noted that most of them had sticks.

He said that when they got on board that they turned to their left towards the aft part of the vessel and that he turned right and went towards the natives quarters. He said that he heard no noise from the aft part of the vessel just then, but that about 3 or 4 minutes later, whilst standing under the hurricane deck talking to an officer, he heard a lot of shouting coming from the aft and that on hearing that he drew his truncheon and went aft and saw Divan Ali stagger from behind a crane just near the hatchway. He noted that he had not seen Divan Ali before that. He said that he advanced about 7 yards and then fell on the deck. However, he said that he took no notice of him. He later noted that Divan Ali had been about 12 to 15 yards from the gangway when he fell.

He said that there were groups of 2-3 natives standing about near the natives quarters who all then turned out on the deck and a big fight started between them, noting that that was after he had seen Divan Ali fall over.

He noted that he only saw the 45-year-old ship's fireman when he went on board and that he next saw him at the police station where he found that he was injured.

He said that during the fight that he saw two or three iron bars being used, but noted that Divan Ali had had nothing in his hand when he fell, so far as he could see.

A man that had worked with the P&O Company for 14 years said that he had known the 45-year-old ship's fireman for 9 or 10 years. He said that about 6.30pm on 30 July 1904 that he had been standing beside the native gallery on the SS Pera when he saw Divan Ali sitting on the corner of No 6 hatch, quite alone. He said that he then saw the 45-year-old ship's fireman coming down the gangway of the ship and go towards where Divan Ali was sitting and strike him with a knife in the neck without saying anything. He said that he saw the knife in the 45-year-old ship's fireman's hand at the time he struck Divan Ali and that the blade of the knife was about the length of his hand, noting that it was a fixed knife.

He said that Divan Ali then went off a short distance and fell. He said that there had been no fighting between the 45-year-old ship's fireman and Divan Ali before then and that Divan Ali had had nothing in his hand. He noted that there was no one else near Divan Ali when he was stabbed.

He said that the second officer then came by with a policeman and the quarter master.

He said that the fighting started after Divan Ali was stabbed. He said that the seedee boys went towards the natives quarters and that they then fought in the forecastle. He noted that about 30 of the crew from the SS Arcadia had come on board for the fight, but didn't know the cause.

However, he said that the 45-year-old ship's fireman then immediately left the ship after striking Divan Ali.

He said that the 45-year-old ship's fireman struck Divan Ali from behind.

Another man that said he had known the 45-year-old ship's fireman  for four years said that at 6.30pm on 30 July 1904 that he had been sitting aft on the main deck of the SS Pere  about the middle of the hatch when he saw some seedee boys come on board, noting that the 45-year-old ship's fireman was amongst the first of them to come aboard.  He said that he went straight for Divan Ali who was sitting on the same hatch that he was and struck him with a knife on the left side of his shoulder, without saying anything. He said that Divan Ali then rose and went a few steps and then fell.

He said that Divan Ali had done nothing and said nothing before he was attacked and said that there was no fighting going on at that time. He said that after the 45-year-old ship's fireman struck Divan Ali that he went straight to the gangway and went ashore, taking the knife with him, and going quite alone. He said that he later went to the SS Arcadia and pointed the 45-year-old ship's fireman out to the police. 

He said that he didn't know how the 45-year-old ship's fireman received his injuries.

A fireman with the shore staff of the P&O Company at Royal Albert Dock said that about 6.30pm on 30 July 1904 that he had been sitting on the main deck in the after part of the SS Pera and he saw Divan Ali there and then saw a large number of seedees come on board, about 30 or 40 of them, most of them with sticks in their hands. He said that the 45-year-old ship's fireman was one of them and that he saw him go directly to Divan Ali and strike him with a knife known as a Marseilles knife on the left shoulder.

He said that Divan Ali had said nothing to him. He said that Divan Ali then got up and made an effort to run a few steps and then fell down. He said that after that that there was fighting near the fireman's quarters.

A detective sergeant with the Royal Albert Dock Police said that about 7pm on 30 July 1904 that he went on board the SS Pera at the Royal Albert Dock and saw the body of Divan Ali lying in the seamen’s quarters of the aft part of the ship.

He said that he then went with the police inspector and three seamen to the SS Arcadia, which was about a mile off, after having been given a description, and that when he went aboard the SS Arcadia that he saw the 45-year-old ship's fireman in his quarters. He said that he said to him in English, 'Have you been away from this ship today?', to which he said he replied, 'Yes, I have been aboard another ship, plenty bobber (meaning a row) and I came away'.  He said that he noticed no injuries to him at that time, noting that he had no trousers on then.

He said that he then took the 45-year-old ship's fireman to the gangway and that the three men that he had brought with him said in broken English, 'That's the man'.

He said that the 45-year-old ship's fireman then threw himself on the deck and had to be forcibly removed from the ship.

He said that he then took him to the police office and there noticed that he had blood on his neck and a wound on his right elbow which was poulticed, but said that he said nothing about his injuries.

He said that he then charged him with striking another man with a knife and said that he replied, 'Me no churi got', meaning that he had not got a knife. He was then taken to the North Woolwich police station.

The police inspector said that when he charged the 45-year-old ship's fireman with murder that he made no reply.

However, after hearing three or four witnesses at the trial the evidence for the prosecution was described as having been inconclusive and contradictory and the jury stopped the case and returned a verdict of not guilty and the 45-year-old ship's fireman was discharged.