MASSACRE IN PAPUA

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 September 1924, Page 5

MASSACRE IN PAPUA

SENSATIONAL REVELATIONS.

PUNITIVE FORCE’S FEROCITY.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

SYDNEY, September 12.

The “Sun’s” special representative at Papua reports the. trial of six natives for tlie murder some time ago of a labour recruiter; named O’Dowd. Four of the prisoners 'were employed by, and were accompanying O'Dowd at the time of the murder.

According to the evidence of one of the accused, O’Dowd was returning to the village to recapture two of the witness’s brothers, who had escaped. I’heir father told them to kill O’Dowd and prevent him taking his sons away. They anibushed artd speared O’Dowd to death. The natives then deserted the village and took refuge in the bush. A punitive expedition composed of native police and other natives was sent to the scene, arid. they indulged in wholesalejshooting. Three wives, witness’s father, and three other women were killed. One of the headman’s wives had a little child at the breast. It was killed as well as all the other children in the village, excepting three belonging to witness, who with himself, his wife, and four male natives were taken prisoners. Two of the male prisoners had since died. .The scene of the shooting was in the Potsdamhafen area.

The Judge, commenting on the evidence, said that if this ferocious punishment was meted out to these people it had an important bearing on the relations between the natives and the Administration.

The “Sun’s” representative states that in view of the serious statements, a searching inquiry will be made into the conduct of the punitive expedition.