HIGH-HANDED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22391, 12 October 1934, Page 18

HIGH-HANDED

SAMPANNER’S LOOT REMOVAL OF ORE. The recently Sydney cablegram concerning looting of a dwelling (in the owner’s absence) at Haggerstein Island by men from a Japanese eampan, on September 5, adds one more episode to several similar. Haggerstein Island is stated to be 125 miles from Thursday Island. On August 30 a sampan (presumably the same) was at Possession Island. Thursday Island reports state that, two days before, a black lugger was cruising among the islands near Possession Island. ,Men landed from them and set fire <o the grass. Their purpose is believed to have been to signal the sampan, •which on August 30 arrived from the direction of the Gulf of Carpentaria and anchored at Possession Island, These movements were watched by James Robert Clarke, who served in the British navy during the war as a chief petty officer, and who for five months has been' prospecting on Possession Island. Thirty Japanese from the sampan landed on the beach. Clarke, who was working near the beach, was greeted by the Japanese leader in .English. Clarke asked what they wanted, and received the reply, “That’s my business.” The leader then had a look round, and after he had given an order in Japanese, the men commenced to remove ore from Clarke’s workings. The leader said that they wanted it for ballast, Clarke objected, and pointed out better stones for ballast, but received the curt reply, “I like this better.” The men moved about three tons. Before departing in the direction of Cape York the Japanese leader remarked that he thought he would take Clarke with him, as if left behind he might talk too much. According to the Thursday Island report, Clarke states that the master of the sampan was of the Japanese naval officer type,.while the crew had all the alacrity of trained naval men.