INDIAN TRAGEDY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1844, 19 June 1920, Page 9

INDIAN TRAGEDY.

REMARKABLE FIJIAN CRIME, THE EASTERN MIND. EXTRAORDINARY CONFESSION. SUVA. (Fiji), May 10. It is impossible for the Western mind to understand iho Eastern , mind, which is warped by centuries of superstition, ignorance, and conservatism. The Indian speaks of sex matters openly and without shame. A woman leave, l : a man. and joins another as a. matter of course. A man shares, his wife with another in return for ! six or 12 months, service in Ids Held. The most sacred matters are openly spoken cf as current gossip. Recently an aged Indian, named Bishatß diuyal, was found guilty of. deliberately chopping to death a. young woman called iLaldah His signed statement is so remarkable that it is given at length; “For about t,wV> years 1' have been good friends with LaJdui, and 'then she became i riends with Shandarsan. About ono week ago 1 said to Laldai ‘You have your husband, and I am your friend. Why are you Irienclly with Shandarsan.’ She said, ‘lt’s: my own affair.’ 1 told Lalclaa that my wife wanted Laldai to he friendly with me hecause l ain an old man. Laldai still went with Shandarsan, and my wife remonstrated .with her.

'CUT HER THROAT."

'■Shiiiidarsan came to my house during the influenza, epidemic, and I gavo him tood, and his children, too. When he was 1 well again ho.worked for the O.'S.R. Co, Alter tiiat he lived <!<>:« to me in another notice, which 1 gave him. Then, when he began interfering with Laldai. i turned him out, and in; went: to lives, with Riutl in ins house, and was in the. habit, of visiting Laldai at that house. . I have seen him many times going to Laldai, and 1 was voi'v angry at the sight,.

"One day i asked Laldai to go to my house. Laldai refused lo como; I told my wife this, and said. ?Sco, 'Laldai docs not como to mi\' My wife wont for two er three days to Laldai to ask her to come to ine, but she refused. My 'wife then said, 'You stay- in the house, and I'll go iii the field to work. Laldai refuses to como to you. If ynu c|;i v hpm alone you vvill bo able to go to her house' one-day and (,ul her throat.'•

"Then for three or four days I stayed alone in my house, and each evening-, at about 4 or 5 o'clock-, when my wife came back from the field, she said, ' lias Laldai come?' and each timo I had to answer 'No.' Then she said, 'Go to lier house when the is alone, and kill her.'

"GET OUT, SON OP A PlG!''

" On Tuesday last I went, to Laldai and asked her, ' Why have you not been to mo for so lon's?'' She answered, 'Get out, .son of. a pig (soor). I don't want you.' Then 1 said, 'I have given you a lot of money, and my wife has given you things, too.' Then Laldai said, 'lf you gave mo two handfula of sovereigns 1 would not • have you. If you kill mo I don't care. 1 won't go with you.' " 1 said, * Jioth my wife and'myself have been very kind to you always, and never cross with you. Why are you angry with me now?' Then 1 went back to my house; 'f'his was about 9 to 9.31) on Tuesday, morning. About 10 a.m. the ploughmen who were working near Laldai S house took their horses back to the stables; 1 was sitting outside my house, and I saw Shandarsan go to Laldai's- house. When he went I went to Laldai's house. She abused me.

WITH HER OWN KNIFI

" 1 then told her, ' Mv wife said kill you, and I think she right.' Then 1 cut herewith the knife. I don't know how many times. The knife belonged to Laldai. I killed her in the kitchen. Nobody else was there besides her two children. Then I went to my wifo and said, ' Mara ma (wife) ,whaf you told me to.do I have done; hero is the knife' 1 told my wife Paehuri and my son in-laW Kancsh I was going to give myself up. My wife told Ganesh to take the knife and hide it. 1 was very angry. I went to Jarim Khan's house, and as 1 was leaving for the nolico .station I was arrested. ' So endpd Bishaudiayal's story.