“For over a year two officer prisoners here have spent much time in study of spiritualism and telepathy, and have shown increasing signs of mental derangement which recently have become very noticeable. I therefore summoned our military doctors Major Osman and Captain Suhbi Fahri who after examination diagnosed melancholia in the case of Hill and fixed delusion in the case of Jones and advised their despatch to Constantinople for observation and treatment. Doctors warn me these two officers may commit suicide or violence. I respectfully request I may be allowed to send them as soon as possible. Transport will be available in a few days when prisoners from Changri arrive. If permitted I shall send them with necessary escort under charge of my Interpreter who can watch and look after them en route and give any further information required by the specialists. Until his return may I have the services of the Changri Interpreter? My report together with the report of the doctors, follows by post. Submitted for favour of urgent orders.”

“In reference to my wire of 14th April I beg to report as follows: As will be seen from the enclosed medical reports written by Major Osman and Captain Suhbi Fahri, the Military Medical Officers of Yozgad, there are two officers in this camp who are suffering from grave mental disease. The doctors recommend their despatch to Constantinople for observation and treatment, and I beg to urge that this be done as early as possible, as the doctors warn me they may commit suicide or violence, and I am anxious to avoid any such trouble in this camp.

“In addition to the information contained in the medical reports I beg to submit the following facts for guidance and consideration. The two officers are Lieut. Hill and Lieut. Jones. The former came here with the prisoners from Katia. The latter from Kut-el-Amara. I have made enquiries about both. I find Lieut. Hill has always been a remarkably silent and solitary man. He has the reputation of never speaking unless spoken to, and then only answers in monosyllables. During his stay here he has been growing more and more morose and gloomy. Lieut. Jones is regarded by his fellow-prisoners as eccentric and peculiar. I myself have noticed an increasing slovenliness in his dress since he came here. I learn that he has done a number of little things which caused his comrades to regard him as peculiar. For instance, sixteen months ago he spent a week sliding down the stairs in his house and calling himself the ‘Toboggan King.’ On another occasion when receiving a parcel from England in this office he expressed disgust at the ‘rubbish’ which was sent him, and drawing out a pocket-knife he slashed into ribbons a valuable waterproof sheet which had been included in his parcel. This was about a year ago.^[45] Such appears to be the reputation of these two officers in the camp.

“About eighteen months ago a number of officers began to take up spiritualism. Among these Jones was prominent. He asserted he was in communication with the dead and for some time he even published the news he thus obtained. I do not know when Hill began, but he also was a keen spiritualist. They have both spent a great deal of their time in this pursuit. Whether or not this has anything to do with their present condition I cannot say. Many other officers did the same and I saw no reason to interfere as I considered it a legitimate amusement.

“These two officers also appear to have studied what they call ‘telepathy,’ and about two or three months ago they gave an exhibition of thought-reading, part of which my Interpreter saw and which considerably surprised their fellow-officers. Later Hill and Jones asserted they were in communication (telepathic) with people in Europe and elsewhere as well as with the dead. Early in March, as I reported to you in my letter of the 18th March, Jones and Hill were found guilty on a charge of attempting to communicate with some person in Yozgad whose name they refused to give, and as I reported, I confined them in a separate house and forbade any intercourse with the rest of the camp. I allowed them to have their food sent in from Major Baylay’s house, which is near.

“While in confinement these two officers appear to have got the idea that their comrades in the camp disliked them, and this idea developed into delusion and terror that they were going to be murdered. Their condition became so grave that I called in the two medical officers, who had no hesitation, after examining them, in recommending their despatch to Constantinople.

“Meantime, until their departure, by the advice of Major Osman and Captain Suhbi Fahri, I have posted a special guard over the patients to prevent them from doing themselves or others any harm.

“With regard to the journey, as reported in my telegram I beg leave to send them under charge of my Interpreter with a sufficient escort, as the sufferers are accustomed to him and he will be able to understand their wants, and especially because knowing all they have done he may be of assistance to the specialists in their enquiry. Until his return I would like the services of the Changri Interpreter, but if necessary, for a short time, I could communicate any orders that may be necessary direct as several British officers here know a little Turkish.”

“Number 887. 15th April. Urgent. Very important. Answer to your cipher wire No. 77. Under your proposed arrangement send to the Hospital of Haidar Pasha the two English Officers who have to be under observation. Communicate with the Commandant Changri.—Kemal.”