North - Appt. Asst. Collector EAP; in charge of Ngong Stockade, Kikuyu 1898. Shot by Capt. F.S. Dugmore at Athi River Camp, 12/9/1898, age 31

Old Africa - 20-3-14 - Christine Nicholls & Steve North - The Mad, Bad & Dangerous Captain Francis Dugmore - The Sudanese troops complained to John Ainsworth, District Commissioner at Machakos, of what Ainsworth described as their ‘extraordinary treatment’ by Dugmore. When the Sudanese mutiny started in Uganda, Dugmore, much to everyone’s relief, decided to go and help because his son William was a lieutenant in the Uganda military. His position at Ngong was taken by a young man called William Cooke. Dugmore returned from Uganda in August 1898 and seems to have convinced himself that Cooke had stolen his job. By now there was no doubt that he was ill and after an examination by the local medical officer, Ainsworth ordered him to be brought to Machakos, escorted by Cooke and Edward Russell. On the journey Dugmore was apparently in good spirits and seemed glad to be going, but during a halt at Athi River camp he got into an argument with Cooke about the positioning of his tent, grabbed Cooke’s loaded rifle and shot and killed him. While awaiting trial for murder in Mombasa he managed to hang himself with a bootlace on 10 November 1898, leaving effects amounting to £60. TheZanzibar Gazette reported his death as being caused by apoplexy, and suicide was not mentioned. It was simply stated that his mind appeared to have been affected during his time in Uganda.

Mombasa Cathedral plaque: sacred to the memory of / William Edward Cooke / late of Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada / Captain Royal Canadian Artillery / Assistant District Officer East African Protectorate / accidentally killed at Athi River Camp / 12 September 1893 aged 31 / this tablet is erected by his friends

Ainsworth Papers, Bodleian Library, Chapter 8, p. 25 [Francis] Dugmore never received any definite appointment in the country as he was too old to re-enter any service as a permanency. He was, however, employed in a temporary capacity from time to time. For a period he was attached to the East African Rifles. Later he was placed in temporary charge of the tockade at Ngong. This post he left early in 1898 to join up with the force in Uganda employed in quelling the Sudanese mutineers. About the end of August he reached Kikuyu on his return from Uganda. On his arrival it was noticed that there was something the matter with him. At various times in the past he had been strange mentally but he seemed to be more so after the Uganda trip. When Dugmore left Ngong to proceed to Uganda he was succeeded by Captain Cooke, an Assistant District Officer. This was all in order and the arrangement had been made to permit of  Dugmore's resigning the post and following his own inclination. But on his return from Uganda he appeared to imagine that Cooke had usurped his job and seemed to make it a grievance. The District Officer of Kikuyu communicated with me on the subject. I told him to send Dugmore to Machakos and suggested that he send Assistant District Commissioner Crawshay with him if he considered such a course desirable. Crawshay appears to have asked for another white man to accompany him. This the District Commissioner agreed to and sent for Cooke, who was at Ngong, some eight miles distant. I understood that when the party left Fort Smith everything was more or less normal, and Dugmore seemed somewhat pleased at going to Machakos. On arrival at the Athi River camp, Dugmore suddenly rushed from his tent, seized a .577 rifle belonging to Cooke, who had unfortunately left it loaded, and shot him dead. Having done this he became quite calm and went up to Crawshay saying he had shot Cooke. Dugmore arrived at Machakos under arrest, and appeared before me on a charge of murder, and was committed on this charge. It was necessary to send the accused to Mombasa for trial before the High Court, and he duly arrived at the coast. While awaiting his trial he committed suicide by strangulation by means of a boot lace.