SAMOAN INQUEST

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 129, 25 February 1930, Page 13

SAMOAN INQUEST

FULL TEXT OF VERDICT RECEIVED LEWIS GUN AND RIFLE FIRE POINTS ELABORATED The full text of the Coroner’s findings at the inquest respecting the fatalities in Apia, Western Samoa, on December 28 was circulated yesterday by the Prime Minister’s Department. The document consists of a lull review of the evidence tendered and incorporates the summary of conclusions already published. Late Constable’s Revolver. One point of interest not previously referred to is the Coroner’s finding from the evidence that the late Constable Abraham was not using his revolver during the final attack made on him. When his body was discovered it was seen that his revolver had been forced off its lanyard and taken away. One Hickey saw a Samoan force off the leather revolver-holster from Abraham’s equipment. “That, coupled with the fact that Abraham had both his hands in front of his face before he fell the last time leads me to the conclusion that his revolver was then in its holster, and was taken by the Samoan, together with the holster, at the time Hickr- saw him force it off from the constable’s equipment,’ said the Coroner. ) A Denial Believed. Concerning the Lewis-gun fire, the "Coroner said, he believed the police denial of the suggestions that they had two ordinary machine-guns mounted on the balcony' of the police station before the arresting party left the station and that both those guns were used iigainst the Samoans. He was further satisfied that the only automatic gun-tire employed was the fire from the Lewisgun in the hands of Sergeant WaterS A Moral Effect.

The Coroner found that no casualties were caused by the firing of the mach-ine-gun. He added : “Sergeant Waterson was in possession of a deadly weapon, the results of wlfich when fired into a crowd of people are devastating. The weapon, however, is one which has a tremepdous moral effect if fired over the heads of people. Being .an experienced Lewis-gunner, he was justified in firing the gun in the way he did for the purpose of causing by its moral effect the turning-back of those who Were advancing towards the police station. In this purpose he succeeded.” Use of Rifles.

The view of the Coroner that the rifle-fire down Ifi Ifi Street was not necessary was qualified in the following terms "It 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 bad 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 on the eastern side of the 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 bo taken which may appear at the time to have been justified, but when inquired into subsequently is -found r . to have been unnecessary. That is the conclusion to which I come in regard to the rifle-fire which caused the deaths of High Chief Tamasese, Tu’ia, and MigaoJ’ NATIVE SHOT AN ACCIDENTAL DEATH. Receipt of advice of the accidental death of a Samoan native was announced with regret by the Prime Minister (Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Ward) yesterday. ' 'l’lie statement issued by the Prime Minister set out that' from the information available from the Administrator (Colonel S. S. Allen) it was understood that the fatality occurred as the result of one of the seamen from IT.M.S. Dunedin falling over a root, this leading to the accidental discharge of his revolver. The Prime Minister intimated that any further details would be made public as received. NAVAL ADMINISTRATION

‘,‘Wliat is the secret of the success of the administration in American Samoa?” was. a question asked of Dr. C. E. Martin. professor of international ..law and head of the department of political science

of the University of Washington, when be had concluded his address on “The United States and the Pacific.” at the Victoria College last night. After making it clear that his remarks did not in any way apply to the present controversy over Western Samoa, and that they applied to American Samoa only. Dr. Martin pointed °ut that the administration of American Samoa was liiival. It had. he said, proved u good method of administration. Certain interests in the United States were now propagandising for a change from a naval to a civil administration. “The secret of success in American Samoa,” he said, “is that the land and the fruits of the kind are reserved for the natives. The present naval administrator is an able man and has the welfare of the natives at heart. The navjil administration has been successful, and 1 am suspicious that those who setk to disrupt it may be thinking in terms of ’copra.”