FLOGGING NATIVES

Otago Witness, Issue 2784, 24 July 1907, Page 28

FLOGGING NATIVES

A JUDGMENT REVERSED.

ZANZIBAR, July 19.

The Higher Court at Mqmbassa reversed the sentences passed on Captain Grogan and Grey for flogging- natives- at "Nairobi, East Africa. The court did not order a new trial, as imprisonment had already been undergone.

Our London correspondent wrote as follows on May 3: —

Such a tremendous fuss has been made about the flogging of three natives at Nairobi by Captain Grogan and two other Englishmen, for insults to English ladies, that interest will probably be felt in the full story as told by Captain Grogan himself, who, by the way, is the husband of a New Zealand lady who was formerly Mias Gertrude Watt, of Hawke's Bay. Her sister married Mr Baden-Powell andher step-sister Mr Walter, who is connected with The Times. At fiie trial of Captain Grogan for the illegal Bogging of the natives, he said that he gave one of the natives 25 lashes. When he had finished the whip was pulled out of his hand, and the crowd closed in around him. He stated that his reason for flogging the natives publicly was that his natives were getting out of control owing to the total inadequacy of the punishments inflicted. He looked upon the matter connected with the safety of the womenfolk as so important that he did not consider be was justified, as a family man, in leaving it to the vagaries of the law and the application thereof, and he wished the natives to understand that any action of that nature involved a far greater risk than a mild suggestion not to do it again. It was not with an object of defying the magistrate that the flogging was done outside the court. The fact of its being outside the court was an incident, and had nothing personal. The magistrate, in delivering judgment, said that the facts of the case could hardly be said to be in dispute. From first to last no one present at the flogging had taken the trouble to satibfy himself as to whether the natives deserved flojajiiys- There had. been no.

trial of any sort or any pretence of a trial, Grogan had himself stated that no pies, or defence would have diverted him from his purpose. This was a very unpleasant feature of the case, which of its class was about as bad as it could be. He could? find not the slightest foundation in face for the statements made by Captain Grogan that the offences alleged against the natives were of such paramount importance that, having the safety of his womenfolk at heart, he dared not trust the matter to be dealt with by law. On his own showing, the safety of hie womenfolk had never • been" involved. At most the natives had only been, guilty of impertinence.