Story Of Ambush.

Exton’s Murderers Arrested in New Guinea.

DETAILS of the adventures which befell the party sent out to arrest the murderers of Mr. T. F. Exton in the hinterland of Wewak, in the Aitape division of New Guinea, were given by District Officer C. E.

McDonald, who arrived in Sydney by the “Montoro” on January 5.

Mr. McDonald was the leader of the party. It penetrated into the rugged and mountainous country near the villages of Lawindugun and Wamba, where the murderers were eventually arrested.

No resistance was offered to the patrol, and, in fact, no natives were encountered till the party fell in with a boy who expressed ignorance of the murders and offered to guide searchers to Lawindugun.

But the willing “guide” had been sent out to lead the police into a trap, for, in a small clearing, it was suddenly ambushed. A shout from the dense vegetation bordering the clearing was followed by a shower of spears, some of which narrowly missed the bogus guide as he ran to cover. The police immediately opened fire, and, though some of the attackers were shot, they were dragged off by their retreating companions.

After the attack, a party of friendly natives was met, and they led the police into the village and helped to arrest the murderers. Mr. McDonald found that a clearing near the one in which he was attacked was the scene of the murder of Mr. Exton, who him self had been the victim of a similar attack.

Nine natives were arrested and taken back to Rabaul, where they were sen tenced to death. They expressed no dislike for Exton, but were only carrying out a tribal decision to kill the next recruiter they met.