THE NATIVE MASSACRES.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 64, 13 September 1904, Page 5

THE NATIVE MASSACRES.

INTERVIEW WITH FATHER LINKINS. CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE. MISSION WORK TO BE RESUMED. [rftESS ASSOCIATION.] (Roceivod Soptombor 13, 9.30 a.m*) BRISBANE, This Day. Fathor Linkins, head of tho Catholic Mission at Ilorbortshohc, who arrived hero in a Gorman steamer, denies tho statoniont that Toniari, tho ringleader > 6f tho murderers who committed the massacro at tho Catholic Mission Stations, threatened vengeance bocauso ho wns flogged by order of tho missionaries for putting away a native wifo 'nd taking another. Ho attributes tho troublo largely to tho fact that tho slavoholding propensities of tho coast natives liavo boon interfered^ with. They aro, ho says, more virilo~thun tho bush natives, whom they captured and compollol to work oh plantations. Tho missionaries, with tho assistance of tho German authorities, secured tho liberation of theso slaves, _ and settled their villages near tho missions. Tho freed slaves woro given laud and allowed to marry and mako homos. The fooling against the whites was not confined to ono district, but waß genoral. Tho natives objected to their lands boing taken away. A special causo of complaint was the practico of flogging natives for various offences. A Government officer did the flogging. Tho work of tho missionaries, Father Linkins thinks, will only suffer a temporary interruption. A cable messago has alroady boon sent to Germany to roplaco.*tho workers massacred, and as soon as the punishment of tho murderers is completed the mission station will again bo occupiod. He states tht>t tho natives at the mission took no part in tho massacre. Somo tried to defend the missionaries, and failing to do so gavo the alarm. Fathor Vandoaa arrived shortly after tho murdors. Tho murderers threatened him with axes. On the following day ho took tho native police to soo tho work of punishment begun. Fathor Linkins declares that tho natives ore undoubtedly cannibals, though they made no attempt to cat tho bodios of tho missionaries.