Report

Tragic Death In T.N.G

Misleading and Inaccurate Report

Letter to the Editor AN article in your September, 1935, issue headed “Crime On Goldfields,” from a “Special Correspondent,” is so recklessly inaccurate, and so calculated to mislead readers, besides inflicting—mischievously —pain on some people concerned, that I feel constrained to write you, pointing out the extent and character of these glar ing misstatements.

These may be due to extreme zeal with out due care and thought on the part of the “Special Correspondent,” or may be attributable to the “journalese” spirit that at times disregards mere truth. Bacon says of Pilate: “What is truth —said jest ing Pilate—and would not stay for answer.” I do think that your own responsibility for statements made by your “Special Correspondent” is well recognised in the realms of law.

Let me deal shortly with the misstate ments —which are better described as wil ful perversions of fact.

Para. 1: “One of the most startling crimes, etc.” did not in fact occur (as your correspondent would have people believe) “on the verandah of the Bulolo Hotel” —it occurred (vide reports—offi cial and Coroner’s inquest) at Wilde’s Sawmill, some two miles or more from Wau. The actual minutiae —the details of time and circumstance—cannot be stated with exactitude, but surmised for the most part. There were not 12 persons pre sent; i.e., the crime did not occur “in front of a dozen people” as your pains taking correspondent states.

Para. 2: The police evidence points to a shotgun as having been used—not a re volver, as your correspondent blithely mis states, and the action did not occur on the verandah of the hotel. Mrs. Hender son did not die “in a few minutes,” but expired some 20 or more hours after the tragedy, in the Wau Hospital.

Para. 3: News of the tragedy certainly spread—as it would in a small community —quickly; but none of the reputable citi zens noticed any incursion of scandal mongers or those driven by prurient curiosity into Wau from the Watut or elsewhere, as a direct result of the un fortunate occurrence, Para. 4: Evidently concerns some pri vate vendetta of your estimable corre spondent—for the meaning is too obscure and anonymous.

Para. 5; There were 3 cases tried at Wau—the charges being for breaches of the Gold Buyers’ Ordinance, and for re ceiving. One man received a sentence of 2 years, a second man 3 years, and the third 1| years on 1 charge and 3 years on another charge, the sentences being made concurrent.

Para. 6: This calls for no special men tion.

Mr. W. Hockey—one of the principals in the tragedy—was not a resident of Merri Creek, but a sawmiller in the em ploy of C. L. B. Wilde; and the tragedy occurred in the late Mr. Hockey’s house at the sawmill, and apparently without witnesses.

I do not desire to labour the points too greatly. Suffice it to say that 1 demand space for this letter of “correction” lest the apparently wilful—even malicious— report of your correspondent go unchal lenged. I will not stress the obvious, for your “Special Correspondent,” keenly anxious to achieve sensationalism and possibly to vent some personal rancour,

bids fair to involve your publication in serious trouble.

I would suggest that you seek some confirmation of his or her reports in the future; for the article to which I now take such serious exception can be con tradicted almost in every line by the offi cial reports with which it is at variance.

I am, etc.,

Wau, T.N.G.,

F. S. Stewart (Mrs.)

Oct. 28, 1935.

Editorial Note

We can do no more, unfortunately, than give publicity to the above correction, and to express to our readers and to Mrs.

Stewart (who is proprietress of the Bulolo Hotel, Wau, and a relation of the late Mrs.

Henderson) our sincere regret that we published so inaccurate and distorted a

report of the tragedy. We try conscien tiously to maintain accuracy and fairness in the columns of this journal;, but occa sionally we err.

In the case under notice, we accepted the report from a source which we be lieved could be depended upon for fair ness and accuracy, and we published it in good faith. —Ed., P.I.M.