ALLEGED . CRUELTY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20289, 23 December 1927, Page 10

ALLEGED . CRUELTY.

WESTERN AUSTRALIAN NATIVES. VETERAN MISSIONARY’S CHARGES. SOLES BURNT OFF NATIVE’S FEET. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December 15. The grand old man of the small and heroic band of white missionaries who are lighting the cause of the Australian aborigines and living among them is the Rev. E. R. Grihblo, who has devoted the whole of his long and vigorous life to the uplifting of the natives. He is in charge of the Forrest River Mission station on the north-west coast of Western Australia, and the natives for hundreds of miles around know, love, and revere him. In his encouragement of and work for the aborigines he has not been afraid to tread harshly "upon people’s corns, and consequently he is hated by many of the settlers and some of the police in those regions. A few months ago, Mr Gribble made charges against a police force which was hunting down a native murderer that they had murdered at least thirty natives who had been accustomed to visiting his mission. Before a Royal Commission, Mr Gribble produced sensational but convincing evidence in support of his allegations, and the Commissioner reported that be was sure some members of the police force had been guilty of murder. He named two constables, who were brought to trial, but acquitted. Mr Gribble has since frequently charged that verdict as flouting British justice. According to Mr Gribble, who is now visiting Sydney, he has new of shocking cruelty to Western Australian natives to make, and he will shortly give evidence of these before a Royal Commission which is inquiring into the Federal Constitution. Inhuman ill-treatment of a black youth on a charge of theft, he says, was responsible for crippling the unfortunate native for life. A story of terrible suffering was related to Mr Gribble by the native whose feet were in a terrible state owing to his experiences. According to Mr Gribbs, the “ boy ” had been on a station in the northwest since he was an infant. He had grown up with the son of the owner Eventually the time came when the settlers uo longer remained at this particular station, which was left in charge of a stockman. While this man was absent the native returned to the station, and finding no food left for him, he took a sheet of galvanised iron off the roof of the storehouse, and helped himself. He was given in charge to a constable who was on his way to Wyndham with two bush blacks chained together. The station boy -was also put on the chain, attached to the necks of the prisoners. In his barrowing story, which he told later, the boy alleged that he was forced to start off without boots, to which he had always been accustomed. The sun blazed down pitilessly on the rocky ground. While the hardened bush blacks marched on nonchalently, the unfortunate station black suffered agonies from the torturing heat. He said that he was lashed and forced to keep on. Finally, exhausted, he fell to his knees. W hether he was dragged or tried to crawl, the fact remained that 'there wore scars on his knees that he will keep for life. According to his story, when he eventually collapsed he was dragged into the shade of a tree by the chain round bis neck. Through the burning they received on the scorching ground, the soles of his ' feet came away. He was months in hospital, but despite the treatment he received, his feet were left frightfully crippled.