MURDER CHARGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 68, 21 March 1935, Page 18

MURDER CHARGE.

WOMAN ACQUITTED.

BLOW STRUCK IN DEFENCE. UNUSUAL SAMOAN CASE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) f APIA, March 7. An unusual incident in the peaceful little Samoan village of Lepa, in the' Aleipata • district of Eastern Upolu recently, culminated in the hearing of a murder case in the High Court of Western Samoa. An old Samoan woman, who used to wander about aimlessly in the bush, near a village, whose people considered her a lunatic, was walking through the village when a small boy began to tease her. The woman, Tailcsa, started, to throw stones at the boy, who ran away and tried to hide in the next Samoan fale, occupied by a Samoan woman, Amio, and her family. When the frightened boy rushed into the - fale, followed by Tailesa with a large stone in her hand, Amio tried to protcct the boy. She grabbed a stick, which lay close to her, half-covered by some mats, and struck at Tailesa. But the stick was a fishing spear with barbed point, which struck Tailesa near the shoulder blade and stuck in the wound. The husband of Amio then pulled the spear out, and cleaned and bandaged the wound as well as he could. Amio and her family asked Tailesa to stay with them and have her wound looked after, but she refused to stay and, stating that she felt 110 pain, departed. A few days later a Samoan found Tailesa in the bush in a weak and half-delirious condition, unable to speak and with the spear wound swollen, discoloured and apparently septic. Tailesa was taken to the country hospital at Lalomanu, Aleipata District, where the C.M.0., Dr. Monoglian, examined her. But her condition was hopeless after the long delay in treatment, and she died ail hour after her arrival at the hospital. Amio was charged with murder, and the case was tried at- Apia High Court before his Honor Judge Luxford and a jury, comprised of three Europeans and Samoan assessors, The accused woman was defended by Mr. Pleasants. After a short hearing, the jury by unanimous verdict found the accused woman not guilty, and she was immediately discharged.