THE PAPUAN MURDER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18813, 13 September 1924, Page 11

THE PAPUAN MURDER.

ALLEGATIONS BY ACCUSED.

INDISCRIMINATE SHOOTING.

PUNITIVE PARTY'S ATROCITY.

By Teles raph—Press Association— Copyright. A. and N.Z. SYDNEY. Sept. J2.

Tho Sun's special representative at Papua reports the trial of six natives for the murder somo time ago of the Labour recruiter, Four of the prisoners were employed by, and were accompanying, O'Dowd at the timo of the murder.

According to the evidence of one of tho accused, O'Dowd was returning to a village to recapture two of witness' brothers, who had escaped. Their father told them to kill O'Dowd to prevent him taking his 6ons away. They ambushed and speared O'Dowd to death. Tho 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, and indulged in wholesale shooting in the Potsdamhafen area. Three wives, the witness' father, and three other women wore killed. One of the head men's wives had a little child at her breast. It was killed, as well as all the other children in the- village except three belonging to witness, who, with himself, his wife and four male natives were taken prisoners. Two male prisoners had since died. , The Judge, commenting on the evidence, said that if this ferocious punishment was meted ont to these people it had an important bearing on the relations of the natives to the Administration.

The Sun's representative states that in view of the serious statement a searching inquiry will be made into the conduct of the punitive expedition.