MURDERED BY NATIVES

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1930, Page 14 (Supplement)

MURDERED BY NATIVES

A LONELY FRENCHMAN REVERSION TO WITCHCRAFT. AMAZING RELIGIOUS BELIEF. The suddenness with which a primitive people may sweep away the restraints of what civilisation they possess and return to their native state, with all its terrors of witchcraft and sorcery, if they are left unsupervised in their original suroundings, is exemplified in a story of the tragic death of a lonely Frenchman in the Paumotus. The circumstances are related by Mr. w. VV. Meek, who has just returned to Auckland. While Mr. Meek was transacting legal business at Papeete, the trial of four of the ringleaders of the murder was. in progref-s. During the trial, an amazing, story of the reversion of supposedly” civilised natives to their primitive state was described, while it was declared that the beliefs of the Christian Church had been incorporated in their sudden superstitious revival of witchcraft, . The crime occurred on a small island in the Paumotus, where a few years ago SO native men and six women had been sent to plant coconuts under the supervision of one Frenchman, the island being a French possession. There was no other population ou the island, which was visited at infrequent but regular intervals by a trading schooner. STRICKEN WITH PARALYSIS. After he had been for about three years on the island the French bveiseei was stricken with. paralysis from the waist downwards. No aid could be obtained for him until the next visit of the schooner and meanwhile the natives were able to cease work and resume their original village life, reverting to the customs of their ancestors. It was. not l<>»g before the primitive impulse lying at the back of ..witchcraft, voodoo and other heathen practices- urns at u'ork. One day the Frenchman was approached, by a young girl about 19 years of age,- who solemnly declared that she was the Virgin Mary and that if ho took her advice he. could be cured. The girl requested the . Frenchman’s native wife to gather berries from a certain tree in the hills, and she did sb, finding the berries after some trouble. These were administered to the unfortunate man, who was not benefited to any extent, but became violently ill. The news of the girl’s declaration soon spread among the natives, and a reaction followed. A young man aged 20, who had. been - taught at a European school at Papara, near Papeete, when he was young,-and. bore a reputation among his people of being a sorcerer, immediately declared that he was the Almighty. Within a short time he was- followed by two others, a youth who claimed to he the Son of God, and another ' girl, who suddenly declared that she was the' Holy Spirit personified. . REMOVING A DEVIL. - Their fanm spread, and. all four came to see the Frenchman, who. was. growinf w'caker and who 'could do .little to help , himself and nothing in his own defence. One native declared that- it was not a ease of illness, but that the Frenchman was possessed of a devil. The' unfortunate man was then removed from ' his -home, - stripped, • and his paralysed’ body- violently beaten, with’ stones in an effort to drive out the evil spirit. He was pounded most severely umiil he almost died under the tel’rible treatment. •’ ■ \ ’• When the natives were, unsuccessful in dislodging the' spirit, ft yloubt was raised that the devil was.in the Frenchman at all, and it was then believed that it was in his dog,'.which was his. constant companion. This dog was killed and eaten raw," while a-cat which was in the house’ was also destroyed. Filially the leading native ordered the Frenchman to be suspended from a tree by the wrists, which was done. The native then declared that it would be necessary to bite off a finger of each hand. He himself then bit them both off, and the Frenchman was cut down. His tortures were not yet over and he was put to further sufferings, from which ho eventually dibit FOUR NATIVES SENTENCED. ' When the schooner called at the. island on its - next visit, the murder was discovered, and. four natives were arrested and taken to Papeete. Their arrest causd some feeling, among the other natives on the small island, and a little girl wiio was. to give evidence at the trial was cruelly treated in an effort to prevent her speaking. However, she and others related in the Court what had occurred and the four natives were convicted of conspiracy to murder, the leader being sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. The others, 'who had. declared they were the Son of God and the Virgin Mary, were’ sentenced to five and three years’ imprisonment respectively, while the other girl was acquitted. The case caused a great deal of interest in Papeete, and the ringleader of the four was furnished with as capable a defence as possible, one of the leaders of the Bar in Tahiti, M. Leonee Brault, appearing for him, while the other three were represented by Mr. G. Ahne. The trial took place on May 31, and lasted for only one day. According to Mr. Mee':, there lias recently been an epidemic of crime at Tahiti, in one case a man having been killed for the small sum of .100 frqncs. For many years there had been little crime." The wave of lawlessness is thought to be due-to the present trade depression, as natives are obtaining less for copra than at any’ time, in the past 30 years.