Untitled

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3945, 30 May 1913, Page 4

It will have given much satisfaction to those who have “The Long Arm been following the of the Law.” proceeding in con-

nection with the Putumayo scandals to learn that according to a cable message appearing ill yesterday’s issue Armando Normand, who figured so prominently in Sir Roger Casement’s report on the atrocities, has been handed over by the Bolivian police to the Peruvian authorities. Normand, it may be mentioned, is a Bolivian of foreign parentage, and was educated chiefly at Home. Against him an enormous amount, of evidence of participation in I the rubber horrors can,' it is claimed, be brought. Of Normand, indeed. Sir Roger Casement went so far as to say that he appeared to bo “a man of whom nothing good could be said.” His apprehension it is, of course, wellknown is the sequel to representations made to the Peruvian Government some months ago by the. Home authorities. When it came to his knowledge that lie was likely to bo arrested Normand fled to Bolivia, from which country, as already stated, he has at last been returned to Peru. Now, it would appear that the catalogue of crimes for which this man who is officially described as “ono of the chief of the criminals,” is held to he responsible would fill a book. It was for example alleged by witnesses at the enquiry conducted by Sir Roger Casement, that Normand had on ono occasion murdered five Indians in cold blood. His next crime,, its ifiis.Corntended, was to incinerate an Indian capital!, his wife and their two children, Then again, it was adduced in evidence that on another occasion lie had used an Indian woman who was trying to escape with her life, as a moving target. Instances of where Normand had ordered Indians to bo locked up so that they starved to death, were declared to bo common, as also were murderous excursions after bands of Indians who had failed to return with the stipulated quantity of rubber. Altogether it would seem Normand is likely to be charged with having been connected directly, or indirectly, with some hundreds of murders. Sir Roger Casement, in his official report, it may also be mentioned, states that in the neighborhood of Matanzo (over which section Normand had charge) the ground appeared “to bo sown on all sides with skulls and other human bones . . . •!’ Without

a doubt Normand is given about the highest place of dishonor in tile Putumayo black list. On every hand therefore it will bo regarded as satisfactory that ho is not to escape trial for his alleged monstrous wrongdoings. The only strange par*t about, the whole alfair vis that he was ever.

allowed to get. away from Peru into Bolivia. As a matter of fact it would seem he was actually still “on duty” at the time of -Sir Roger Casement’s visit to the Putumayo. Norm and was of course only on© of some hundreds of officials formerly connected, with the Amazon Rubber Company, who are “wanted” for alleged atrocities. Apparently the Peruvian Government is now exerting itself properly in its endeavor .to carry out its promise to the Home Government to apprehend as many of the suggested offenders as possible.