AN ELUSIVE PAPUAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22833, 18 March 1936, Page 10

AN ELUSIVE PAPUAN

FIFTEEN YEARS’ HUNT FOR CRIMINAL ONLY A LECTURE AS PUNISHMENT (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, March 12. Papuan native and white police recently completed one of the most strange and dogged man hunts in native history by arresting a Papuan native criminal after a chase that never relaxed, day or night, for 15 years. The story of this relentless pursuit and its humane sequel was told by the Lieutenant-Governor of Papua (Sir Hubert Murray). “The native was not a real criminal, but was guilty of a crime of violence, which is one that we have to suppress rigidly,” be said. “ So our police went out to get him. He was elusive and kept out of reach of our patrols for 15 years; but the police never let up for a day. Sometimes they would lose sight of him for a day or two. but they would pick up his trail again, and continue the hunt. "“lie got sick of it after a few years, and attempted to bargain with our man. He would send messages into their camp asking the leader of the police patrol to meet him unarmed at night at various places, such as a mountain top. Our boys would fall in with the suggestion, and, observing the offered truce, their leader would go unarmed to the rendezvous to meet the quarry. He would turn up unarmed, too, and would suggest that ho would give himself up if they would promise not to punish him heavily. Of course, we could not strike a bargain like that, so the hunted boy and the police leader would part and fake up (be hunt again a few hours Inter.

“ It took liim a long time to realise that he could never escape us, and after 15 years of that sort of hunted life he gave himself up unconditionally. We kept him in gaol for a few weeks waiting trial, then, when he was brought before me, lie admitted he had done wrong and was sorry for it. Seeing that he had had a wretched life for 15 years,

and had been very heavily punished in that way, I read him a lecture and let him go.”

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