MURDERS IN NEW CALEDONIA

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIV, Issue 12750, 22 April 1909, Page 5

MURDERS IN NEW CALEDONIA

Trial and Sentences of Assassins

Press Association.— Telegraph. — Copyright. SYDNEY, April 22.

A series of crimes has been brought to light at Noumea by the trial of a number of persons for the murder of three men in the Nickel district. Pouembout and Konc, two of the victims, were shot, while their grass huts were set on fire. A third was shot on the road.

The object of the crime was to get possession of money. One of the leaders, who was the chief assassin of the band, was an Arab named Zermani. He was shot dead by a gendarme.

Arrighi, a Corsican, was sentenced to •death, while Santa Croce (who planned the crimes) and Grimaqui were sentenced to 20 years and 10 years respectively. A woman accomplice named Poison was sentenced to 5 years.