Charge Of Murder

From Our Own Correspondent.

RABAUL, October 1.

JI/TESSRS. Schmidt, Schultz and King have arrived from Wewak, where they were tried before the District Court.

The two former were committed to the Supreme Court, Rabaul, charged with wilful murder of natives; and the latter with being an accessory. Some forty native witnesses have been brought in for this case which refers to alleged occur rences in the Sepik country, in uncon trolled areas.

Schmidt, whilst awaiting transport to Rabaul, escaped from the Wewak gaol and made his way into the hinterland.

He was recaptured after smart work by the police, Mr. Henry Dexter, who returned to Australia in September after a visit to England, departed from Sydney by the Montoro on his return to Samarai, Papua, on October 5. He was much intrigued by the fact that, as he had nominally left Papua, the Australian Customs Depart ment made him deposit £3O before he was given permission to return to the Territory.

Mr. and Mfs. C. R. Gurney departed from Sydney for New Guinea by the Montoro early in October. Mr. Gurney is senior pilot of Guinea Airways Ltd., at Lae.

Mr. J. Lomax, who had been in Eng land on furlough, returned to Lever’s Pacific Plantations Pty. Ltd.’s branch at Gavutu, Solomon Islands, by the Malaita from Sydney' early in October.

Mr. D. Mi Ison left Sydney for Port Moresby, Papua, by the Montoro recently to take up an engineering position witn Steamships Trading Co. Ltd.

Mr. Hector Wales, well-known New Guinea miner and holder of the Cle0 “ patra” lease on Morobe goldfield, returned to the Territory by the last Montoro.