How “Handsome
p. 59 · Read in the full issue
Harry” Died
THE dramatic circumstances surround ing the death in Port Moresby of “Handsome Harry” ( P.1.M. , July) make It worthy of being told correctly.
Harry Baker was a German-Swiss, who came to Papua as a passenger on the S.S. Van Linschoten from Darwin. He promptly got a job driving the “Pig and Whistle,” a steam launch owned by Charlie Baldwin. He was a “hard” citi zen but, with his “hard” points, there was much that was good.
Came Christmas Eve, 1914, and a few of us were playing poker in the parlour of Tom McCrann’s hotel. Among them was Ange Frese, a Dane, who was plant ing up a rubber property named Jawa rere. The game went on, and Frese and Baker clashed, with two good hands. The betting proceeded until Frese had no money left.
“I haf no more money left,” said Frese to Baker. “But if I had I would still be betting.”
Baker replied: “Veil, I vill bet £l5 against dat natif woman of yours.”
“Right, it’s a bet!” answered Frese.
They showed hands, and Baker won.
Shortly after that, the game was broken up. I remained for a while, talking to Tommy Powles and Alec Stork. As we were talking, “Handsome” passed and remarked that he was “going to get his Christmas box.”
It was then about 1 a.m. Baker went straight up to the house occupied by Frese. Frese was standing at the top of the steps.
“Veil, Ange,” Baker said, “I’ve come for my voman.”
“You can’t do that,” said Frese. “It vas only a joke.”
They argued. Then they fought. And the end of that phase was that Frese was beaten, and was thrown out of his own house, while Handsome Harry col lected his bet.
In the morning Frese was carrying a gun, and was walking about vowing vengeance.
About 9.30 Frese was in the bar drink ing, when “Handsome” walked in, and saw Frese. Rubbing his hands together, his face wreathed in smiles, he said: “Veil, my poy, it was a lofely Christ mas box.”
Frese snarled at him: “You German Baker advanced in a threatening man ner, “Vat you say—vat you say?” he demanded.
“This!” shouted Frese; and, pulling his gun, he shot “Handsome” through the heart.
Thus died Handsome Harry—a wild end to a wild life.
It was reported in the Pacific Islands Monthly that “Handsome” fought with “Yorkey” Booth, but that is quite in correct. The man whom Charlie Booth “fought under the lamps” was Hardy Gofton. Both men were in hard condi tion, non-smokers, and teetotallers, and both had had considerable experience in the fistic art.
Like all fights—or, rather, most fights— it started over a most trivial incident.
Booth was handicapped by the fact that he was wearing high boots, one of which burst at the side; whilst Hardy Gofton wore a pair of shoes. For over an hour the men fought, and Gofton took a mighty lot of punishment before he was finally knocked out.
Those were the days! The men they’ve got now are not the men they had.