MURDERED BY COOLIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 242, 11 October 1902, Page 5 (Supplement)

MURDERED BY COOLIES.

In a labour dispute among- the East Indian immigrants in Dutch Guiana (Surinam), Mr Mayor, manager of an estate at Marienburg, was appointed to arbitrate, and as his decision favoured the authorities the coolies hatched a plot to murder him. On July 29 they carried out their design, and Mr Mayor was attacked by -00 coolies and Javanse and foully murdered. The coolies cut off all telephonic communication with the outside, but one ot the overseers managed to carry news of the outbreak on horseback to th.c

authorities When an attempt was made to arrest the ringleaders, the cbolies rose in a body apd, armed with cutlasses, threatened to cut down the first man who came near them. Five times the Attorney-General of Surinam (who represented the Governor) ordered the men to disarm ana withdraw, but without beingobeyed. He then ordered, the soldiers to fire, tne result being that 13 coolies were shot dead and over 40 -wounded. Later eight ouu-rs succumbed to their injuries. The incensed coolies, seeing that the authorities were In earnest, withdrew, and the injured were, taken to the military hospital. Mr Mayor was a nativp of Elgrin, Scotland, and had for several years held responsible positions in British Guiana before being appointed agent for the Dutch Trading Society at Sur_____-.