Samoan Chief Faces Bayonets and Lewis Guns

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 547, 27 December 1928, Page 1

Samoan Chief Faces Bayonets and Lewis Guns

Arrest of Tamasese EARLY MORNING STRUGGLE “Shoot me! Shoot me!” Cornered at the back of his home by a posse of 35 police, armed with rifles, bayonets, and machine-guns, a young native chief faced his pursuers with arms upraised. A constable with baton and handcuffs approached him, and he prepared to defend himself. The handcuffs were too small for his brawny wrists, but other constables joined in the melee, and soon the chief was thrown and manacled. Thus opened the little Samoan drama that reached its latest phase last evening, when High Chief Lealofi Tamasese, spokesman of the Mau, stepped down the gangway of the Tofua at Auckland, and entered a waiting police van. The story of his arrest on November 27 by a strong body of Samoan military police was told in the High Court of Samoa when he appeared before Chief Judge Woodward, and was charged with contempt of court in failing to answer a summons for nonpayment of taxes, also twith resisting the police, and with using words and actions calculated to intimidate them in the execution of their duty. On the first charge he was sentenced to six weeks’ Imprisonment. For resisting arrest, a sentence of six months’ imprisonment was imposed, and the charge of intimidation was dismissed. FRACAS AT VAIMOSO Describing the arrest, Constable R. Hollis said that three vanioads of police went to Vaimoso, arriving about 5 a.m. Tamasese was not at his fale, and witness pushed aside an old man who attempted to stop him from entering the house. Then they saw Tamasese running toward the bush, and gave chase. Lieutenant Moore, one of the leaders of the party, tripped on a barbed wire fence, and Tamasese changed his course. He was theD brought to bay. Tamasese called on the people to keep the peace, and said he would go quietly. Three or four of the police were hurt, and there was blood on Mrs. Tamasese’s ear. Witness denied that he had said: “Where’s the ?” when he entered the house, nor had he used a baton on Mrs. Tamasese. He knew nothing about the big bruise on her arm. Two shots were fired, but they were blanks. There were 35 police in the party, and two Lewis guns were carried. The men had blank cartridges in their rifles, and ball cartridges in their pockets. The Lewis guns were plainly visible, and bayonets were fixed. Tamasese did not say: “Don’t handcuff me —it will make my people angry.” Tamasese tore the sleeve of witness’s shirt, for which he apologised later. Another witness said that stones were thrown. Tamasese called: “Keep the peace.” "MIGHT BE TROUBLE” In evidence, Tamasese said he thought he had better go away when he saw the armed police coming, as there might be trouble for his people. He only tried to push Hollis away, and told him three times to wait, in case there was bloodshed in the event of ’an arrest. The only time his hands were up was when he was handcuffed, and was telling the people to keep the peace. Addressing Tamasese, Judge Woodward said: “Everything in extenuation . . . has been said by your counsel. No words of his can explain away that you resisted the police. A. great point has been made in favour of the fact that you made your people keep the peace after your arrest. I do not know that you would have done that had the police party been smaller than It was. You are a man of great intelligence and a very active brain. A point has also been made of the fact that you wanted to know why you were being arrested. Ten days before this you received a letter from the Administrator waiVng yon that the attempt to arrest sou would be renewed. . . You are a high chief, and have set an example of resistance to the police ”

Report of arrival of Tamasese in Auckland and fellow passengers’ views of his arrest appears on page 7.