Sentenced to Death in
p. 75 · Read in the full issue
New Guinea White Man Who Murdered Natives
FOR the first time since Australia took over the civil administration of New Guinea, a white man has been sentenced to death for murder. Judge Wanliss, pre siding in the Supreme Court at Rabaul on February 17, found that Ludwig Schmidt was guilty of the wilful murder of natives in the Sepik district, and sen tenced him to death, Schmidt shot down the natives without any reasonable ex cuse, in August or September, 1934. Ad ministration officials spent much time in gathering details of the crime. Schmidt, when charged in November, 1935, pleaded not guilty.
Judge Wanliss took great care with the case, and examined the evidence in much detail. In his judgment, the deliverance of which occupied three-quarters of an hour, he described the crime as “brutal and wanton murder.”
It is presumed that the sentence of death will be referred to the Administra tor, or to the Administrator with his Executive Council, or to the Common wealth Government, for confirmation; but the procedure is not at all clear.