NATIVE MURDERS

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 52, 2 March 1934, Page 4

NATIVE MURDERS

INTREPID PATROL OFFICER

The arrival at Port Moresby of Patrol Officer J. Hides on February 3 with native prisoners accused of the murder of rival villagers, is the filial tliaptci of a story uliich might have been takea irom a boy's advcntuie book, states the ''Sydney Morning Herald." Mr. Hides had ionic from Loloipa Valley, which runs parallel to the Kumimaipa Valley, with fifteen prisonoi s, a witness, an interpieter, and eight police. He had made a journey Of 250 miles overland on foot. ,Mi\ Hides left Port Moresby on December 1 to find the perpetrators of the * murdeis at Abaila village, when five men were murdered, and of a massacre in Loloipa village,- when 11 men were killed. In the latter case, the attackers surrounded • the village, and sent, two of their number to spear a pig-. When the villagers, attracted by the squeals, came in pursuit, they were led into an ambush. Although it has always been believed that the natives of these villages were not cannibals, a number of the bodies were e'atenj women and childien joining in the feast. Loloipa Valley is large, with, lofty pine trees, and green grass, and it is the first time that murderers have been arlested there. Mr. Hides wont in with his eight native policemen, and by Hew Tear's Day he had his prisoners rounded.up, and in handcuffs. -He had ;lost;ono policeman. The village in which he had to make his arrests is surrouonded by a bigh stockade. He entoicd the village- in the early hours of the morning. V/hon ho asked for tho chief he was told,, in effect^ to "come and get him if you can." Spears rained from all directions. The fight for a time was brisk, but eventually tho chief decided to yield.. Amongst the. prisoners are two- chiefs, one sub-chief, and two sonsaof chiofs. The chief, whose name is Gopl, with, his child-like benignant smile, di^ sot look like a murderer, but it ia related i that in the raid for which .fte wis arrested he placed his hack^ against a^rock,' and, in, the modern. language, irtvited his enemies to "come on," Ho^qw four men with an'axe^ * Jf ■* As the Administration's pifiiey is "peaceful .penetration," it & more than likely that, after.a,few months, tho chiefs will be returned to their villages, with, now ideas, full of the wonders of civilisation, and of the Mndly treatment of "the white man. Already they regard Patrol Officer Hides as a friend. ' • ' ■' Mf. Hides,', speaking- of-the natives? saidi "Knowing" them, one can only have Mnd thoughts of them. Ono night I heard about 150 of"th.cm singing in a village, four or five miles, away. As I listened to them I forgot all about murders and cannibalism.- I just thought of all .tho, beauty and strength of the life of tho savage. I,' I,' .