TRIAL OF SIX PAPUAN NATIVES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LIII, Issue 8685, 12 September 1924, Page 5

TRIAL OF SIX PAPUAN NATIVES

FOR THE MURDER OF

O’DOWD

By To I. Press Association, Copyrigb* Au&i. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Ho<- Si pr 19. 9-5 a.in. Sydnev, Si pi 19 Th< Sydnev Sun’.' special repre- -■(■ nt;itivt■ at Papua reports- on the trial . t six natives I’m' the inur<lt - r s* me mile asm of the labour fc(ruiiOT, O'Dewd. Pour of t h* 1 prisoner- wore employed by and accompanying O'Dnwil at 1 lie tinnof the murder. According to the evidence of mie of tho accused. O'Dowd was returning to- the village in recapture two nf bis brothers. wiio had escaped- Their father told then: to kill O’Dowd and prevent him from taking Ids sons away. They ambushed ami spear ci 1 O’Dowd to- death. The natives then descried the village and took refuge in the bush.

A punitive expedition composed of unlive police ami oilier natives was sent to the scene ami indulged in wholesale dioojmg. Three wives "1 wit moss’s father and three other women were killed. One of the headmen’s wives had a little child at her breast. Tr was killed as well as all the other children in the village excepting three belonging )<!■ witness, who. with himself and his wife and four male natives, were; taken prisoners. Two male prisoners had since- died. Tin* scene of the shouting w-as in the Poj sdamhofen area.

The judge commenting on the evidence said if this ferocious punishment vvas meted out to these people it had an important bearing on the relations of natives to the administration. The Sun’s representative- states in view cf this serious statement, a searching inquiry will be made into l the conduct of the punitive expedition.