Massacre of Catholic Missionaries

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 38, 22 September 1904, Page 20

Massacre of Catholic Missionaries

Fuller details of the mas-s'acre in New Britain show that one of the mission boys warned Fattheir Rather of the plot. Similar rumors were common, but passed unheeded. Tomari shot Father Rasher while the latter waja 'lying in his- bed sick. A second shot killed him as one of the Sisters was conducting the wounded man from his room. Tomari then shot the Sister dead. The shots were the signal fdr the miurdeire: s to cut down, the victims, with whom they were conversing. The evidence stiowp that the whole was carefully prearranged. Some of the bodies were horribly inlutilatcd. Subsequently an attack was made on tihe Vunamarita station, and there were two more attacks while Father Rasher's burial was proceeding. The whites in thte settlement, assisted by the Bonka boys engaged on the plantation, beat oft the attackers, killing some of them. Tcrtnari sent a message that he would kill ajnyone cdming to remove the bodies. He intended, he said, to kill the whites, also tihe Governor aud Bi<s|hop Cofuppe. After the massacre the natives feasted upon theumtants of the stores, which they looted. Tyoinan, in a speecih, declared that he wofujd drne all the whites out of the country. The latest reports state that tJhe punitive expedition shot 15 and captured 20 of the murderers. Toman has not been caught. At the time of the massacre the Vice. Governor was absent in New Guinea suppressing a plot, fo it is alleged, simultaneously to massacre all the whites in German New Guinea. One- of the plotters just before the time fixed for the attach on the whites kept the natives at bay till the arrival of the Vice-Governor with a strong body of police, when they were driven off. The ringleaders were arrested. It is rumored that 300 natives were killed, tjhough officially it is stated tfhat there were o,nly six. The natives also attacked the Catholic mission station at Berlinhaven and speared some of the Brothors i,n tiie arm. The Fathar in charge of tiie station, using his rifle, beat them off.