SAMOAN RIOT.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19862, 25 February 1930, Page 10

SAMOAN RIOT.

THE CORONER'S ENQUIRY.

FULL TEXT OF FINDINGS.

[THE PRESS Special B«rrte«.]

WELLINGTON, February 24. The full text of the Coroner's ings at the inquest respecting ® deaths in the riot in Apia. es r _ Samoa, on December 28th, was culated to-day by the Prime Minister Department. The document c of-a full review of the ovidenw dered and incorporates the ® of conclusions already publishe • (v One point of interest not P finf i; nE referred to is tlio Coroner s (j on . from the evidence tnat , • re . stable Abraham was not using volver during the final attac K vpre d him. When his body was d it was seen that his revolver h forced off its lanyard and One Hickey saw a Sainonn fronl the leather revolver holster Abraham's equipment. "That, coupled with the fact tfca* Abraham had both his hands i ~ of his face before he fell the last, ti«e, leads mo to the conclusion tha volver was then in its hotter ana was taken by the Samoan together wmj the holster at the time Hie J . . , him force it off from the constable s equipment," said the Coronei. Concerning the Lewis gun 6", Coroner said he believed the> P denial of the suggestions that t, two ordinary machine gun? mount eel on the balcony of the police before the arresting partv station, and that both these g used against the Samoans. nutni'urther satisfied that the on y matio gun fire employed yj' as , , * from the Lewis gun in the hands ot Sergeant Waterson. , „ pn „ualThe Coroner found that no casual ties were caused bv 1 1 c , "a„ripnnt machine gun. . He :-"Sergeant Waterson was in possession of a weapon, the results of which, when fired into h crowd of people, are vastating. The weapon, , hovvev ®J"' one which has a tremendous moral effect if fired over the heads of people. Being an experienced Lewis gunner, ne was justified in firing the gun in the wav he did for the purpose of causing bv its moral effect the turning back of thos»* who were advancing towards the police station. In this purpose he succeeded." . The view of the Coroner that tne rifle-fire down Ifi Ifi street was not necessary was qualified in the following terms: ''lt is very difficult, however, to appreciate the position of the police at that time. They had just been engaged in heavy fighting against a large number of Samoans, who had without justification set upon them to prevent them from carrying out their duty. They had with difficulty extricated themselves from a precarious position. Most of them had received injuries. The position, as viewed from the police station balcony, justified Sergeant Waterson opening fire with his Lewis gun over the heads of the people. Stones were falling on the roof, and windows were breaking tra the eastern side of their building. One Samoan had made his way to the eastern side of the Market Hall, and was seen by Shawe Jones with a revolver pointed towards the police station. In such circumstances as I have detailed. it is Inevitable that some action will be taken which may appear at the time to have been justified, but when enquired into subsequently, is found to have been unnecessary. That is the conclusion to which I come in regard to the rifle lire which caused the deaths of High Chief Tamasese, Tuia, and Migao."

ACCIDENTALLY SHOT. DEATH OF SAMOAN NATIVE. [Tax PBESS SpaeUl ■•rrlct.] WELLINGTON, February 24. The Primo Minister (Sir Joseph Ward} announced to-day with regret, the receipt of an intimation from the Administrator of Western Samoa (Colonel 8. S. Allen) of the accidental death of a Samoan native. "From the information available," said the Primo Minister, "it is underwood that the fatal accident occurred fts the result of one of the seamen from the H.M.S. Dunedin falling over a root, this leading to the accidental discharge of his revolver." The Prime Minister stated that any further details would be made public as received.