Solomons

Justice In The

Interesting Native Case

From a Special Correspondent.

GIZO, February 1.

A NATIVE case of outstanding interest occurred recently at Devely, Vella La Vella, in the Solomons Group, between Alberte Odumu —an ex-police boy, with five years’ experience, two years in Gizo and three years in Tulagi—and Sasabule, an equally important native, in his own esti mation.

The latter was going home one evening,

carrying his gun in one hand, an axe in the other, when he came upon his small son and another youngster fighting together on the path leading to the village.

Instead of leaving them to fight it out, he separated the pair, ordering his son to follow him. They both walked on in single file, while the other boy ran ahead, and so gained the first hearing of the loiterers hanging around the village. His tale was that they were playing when Sasabule came along and struck him with his guu.

A little later, however, Sasabule arrived on the scene and flatly contradicted this story, at the same time asserting his own version of the incident.

In order to pay back this supposed insult to the nephew of a mighty man, Odumu (the boy’s uncle) watched his chance and got hold of the offending gun. By skilful use of heavy stones he twisted the barrel into a circle and smashed the rest of it to smithereens. Naturally there was a tre mendous hubbub over this, and while the matter was under heated discussion, the Government launch with Mr. C. Wilson, D. 0., aboard, dropped anchor off the vil lage, so it was agreed to “make court” before “Govman” on the chance of ending the trouble. This in a communal village was a question of the utmost importance.

A charge of assault by Sasabule was first inquired into, and was dismissed. Followed the case of wilful and malicious destruction of a gun, the property of Sasabule, The gun, damaged beyond repair, was pro duced as evidence against Odumu, who proudly owned up to this thoroughly destructive piece of work, and neither by native nor any other law could such an action be justified. The magistrate con sidered Sasabule’s claim of £4 compensa tion fair, giving judgment accordingly.

Failing payment Vf that sum, there was the alternative of six weeks’ imprisonment, which Odumu promptly closed on, leaving there and then in the Government launch to commence the sentence.

He “did time” by lolling about what was the Gizo Golf Course. There “business belong him stop, him bullamacow, he kai kai flour belong Govman.” This term of six weeks finished the Administration are now obliged to provide for him until his journey back is arranged, thus ending the case, so far as they are concerned.

From first to last Odumu triumphed.

“He win ’im case” from a native point of view. That the aggressor should work (or idle) in Gizo is no satisfaction to a neighbour smarting under a sense of loss and injustice, also making a fool of him in the eyes of his fellows. How humiliating for our costly methods when it is recog nised that the position created by this case is still “all the same before.”