SAMOAN RIOT INQUEST

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1930, Page 10

SAMOAN RIOT INQUEST

< SERGEANT FELL’S EVIDENCE. KNOCKED SEMI-CONSCIOUS. (New Zealand'Herald Correspondent.) ’ . . . - Apia, January 14. Among the witnesses' at the inquest into the deaths of Constable Abraham, Tainasesc, Leota, Aligao and others, which occurred through the riot of December 28/was Sergeant William R. Fell, of the police. He stated that he was detailed to take charge of the arresting party of six men. He had received information the previous night that a Afau procession would be. held, and that “wanted” men would be'included. There was also a supporting party under LanceCorporal Downes. Witness stated that three of his party were armed with batons and revolvers and the other three were unarmed, as they would only be hampered in handling the arrested persons. He himself was not armed. . At 6.15 a.m. witness received a telephone call stating that one of the wanted men was at the head of the Alaii playing in the . band. Later as the band passed him he failed to recognise K. Matau. When the procession was nearing Fabricius’ store Sergeant Waterson recognised him and called, “There he is, with the hat on.” In the meantime the Alau police, of which there w*as a number, all carrying batons, had gathered between them and the band. Witness forced his way through the Alan police and the band toward K. Alatau, who saw him coming and started to run back. He managed to grab Alatau by the shirt collar. Alatau did not resist Sergeant Fell said he tucked his head under Alatau’s arms to protect it from expected blows. He took about two steps across the road in this position with his man when he received two blows on the back of the head which caused him to fall. He was semi-conscious, but remembered putting his - hands over his head for protection, and in Zoing so received a blow on his hands. He remembered no more until Sergeant Waterson said “Come on,” and assisted him to rise. He faintly remembered being in the lane, scrambling over the tin fence and reaching the police station, as he was still dazed. ’ . Witness next went w’itli Sergeant Waterson to the Courthouse corner, and afterwards looked at the body of Constable Abraham. After the fight witness had 15 bruises on his body, and had to go to the hospital for treatment, as lie had two stabs on his back which must have been caused by a sharp walk-ing-stick. He would have succeeded in arresting K. Alatau if he had not been interfered with.

Lance-Corporal Downes, recalled, stated that he had examined the roof of the Market Hall and found that six bullets had gone through it in a six-inch group and had gone diagonally through an Bin. by 4in. beam into a 4in. by 2in. He was an experienced machine-gunner. There were no other bullet marks within 4. feet. It appeared that the bullets came from the police station, which is approximately 60 yards away. The bullet marks on the roof w T ere about 25ft. or 26ft. from the ground outside the hall. Z: ’

Captain C. R. Wilcocks, harbourmaster at Apia, stated that he was standing on his back verandah when the firing start-

ed. He first heard pistol shots and. later machine-gun bursts. With a pair of classes he saw bullets from the. first burst of the machine-gun landing in the water between No. 1 buoy and the beacon —a distance of about 450 yards from the shore. The second burst landed between the stern of the Tregonnel and the wreck of the Adler- -a distance of about 800 yards. Mr. Andrews here drew Captain Wil cocks’ attention to a statement made by Mr. Hall-Skelton, to the effect that the machine-gun bullets had seemed to land at least 450 yards from the shore. Witness said: “No; the bursts were at least 450 yards from the shore.” Mr. Andrews: Have you had previous experience of machine-gun fire on water' 1 ' Witness: Yes; quite a lot.