Execution of Ludwig Schmidt

No less than 80 pages of the Hansard of the Federal Parliament are occupied by the report of the debates which took place on March 20, 24, and 25, as a result of an attempt made by the Labour party

to set aside the sentence of death imposed upon Ludwig Schmidt by the Supreme Court in New Guinea as punishment for a series of murders of natives.

Although it was carried on all one night

and part of two days the debate brought out nothing new. The speakers again and again traversed the known facts of the case, condemned the judicial system in New Guinea (which does not permit of the use of juries) and sought to show that it would damage white prestige in New Guinea if a white man were hung there; but the Government stuck firmly to the recommendation of the Admini-

strator, and would not interfere with the sentence that had been passed,

Details Of Schmidt’S Crimes,

Evidence brought forward by the Crown against Schmidt in every case was given by labourers indentured to the accused and showed that the prisoner maintained an iron rule over his servants, who were

afraid of him and carried out his instruc tions with trepidation.

The murders took place in the Kara wari River area, which is a tributary of the Sepik, and occurred sometime during the latter half of the year 1934, when Schmidt, together with King, was engaged on a prospecting trip through that coun try. Some of the time, Schultze and Groos were with Schmidt.

The first murder occurred when Schmidt shot a kanaka in the back, after having led him to the top of a slope and ordered him to run away down a pathway. He suspected the kanaka of having followed his party from a village previously visited by them, for the purpose of warning the local kanakas against the party—whose custom it was to shoot the natives’ pigs, rob the gardens and kidnap the women.

The second crime happened when the accused shot, in the back, a kanaka who was warning Schmidt and his “boys” not to advance upon the village. Evidence showed that after shooting the native, Schmidt ordered the body to be robbed of a shell ornament, which was considered of high value amongst these inland natives.

The third offence occurred when Schmidt ordered two of his own “boys” to shoot down kanakas in a village where native drums had been beating prior to the arrival of the party.

The evidence proved that the prisoner had wilfully murdered four kanakas of a primitive type, who had scarcely made contact with the white race.

The wantonness of the crimes seems to indicate homicidal mania, and it was sug gested in some quarters that Schmidt was insane. It is difficult to realise that any sane white man would commit the acts proved again Schmidt.

57 Natives Executed In New

Guinea.

Since 1925, 57 natives had been executed in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea for murder, the Prime Minister stated in the House of Representatives on March 27.

In 1925 three natives were executed, in 1926 three, 1927 six, 1928 seven, 1929 three, 1930 three, 1933 fifteen, 1934 seven, 1935 eight, and 1936 two.