THEIR OWN MEDICINE

Press, Volume L, Issue 15158, 23 December 1914, Page 7

THEIR OWN MEDICINE

GERMAN .PRISONERS FLOGGED

ATTACK ON MISSIONARY AVENGED.

STDNEY, December 13. The steamship Morinda,which from Rabaul via. ports to-day, brought a number of Gorman prisoners, include ing thoso wfco were responsible for the , flogging of tho Rev. Mr Cox, a British tniEsiennry, at New Ireland recently. According to nows brought by thft Mori nda '26 members of tho Australian Expeditionary Forco wero despatched to New Ireland to arrest tho Germans responsible for tho outrage. The men wero rejwrtcd to have escaped to tho mountains armed with rifles. Their- arreft was effected, however, and fhey wero brought to Ilabaul and flogged oa November 30th. The garrison was drawn up in tho form of a how* ... fcnuare, in the ccntro of "which 'jras placed a largo travelling trunk, across which tho prisoners were stretched while tho punishment was meted oiit. German residents wero instructed to attend, and although many requested to bo allowed to stay away, about 50 Germans wero present. The crew of tho Morinda were also present, and witnessed the incident. After a square had been formed, and tho guard had taken up their position near the trunk in tho centre, fix German prisraiors wero inarched in. The administrator, Colonel Holmes, addressed tho crowd,, pointing out that the nrisoners had unlawfully fioggod a British missionary, and they wero going to bo served -with somo of their own medicine Colonel Holmes is also said to have impressed upon the Germans that they, wero to recognise the British flag, and white they did so they would receive tho proper treatment. Tho prisoners "were then publicly flogged with tho same weapon with which they had flogged the licv. Mr Cox in October last. Three ot them received 20 strokes each, t%vo others received 25 strokes each, and another 10 strokes. . FMr Cox, the missionary who was-ill-treated by the Germans, in reporting - the ■occurrence Lost month, said that ho had been on a visit to another mission-' ary in Xew Ireland. One night .-a knock camo to tho door, and upon opening it he w.ie seized by 3. number of Germans, who accused Mm. of ha*- ,- ing given information io tho British authorities. HLs captors, who were masked, carried him porno distance away, and beat him with a whip and sticks until ho lost consciousness: Hβ ■ was found no morning by his friend