Ghastly Murder in Tahiti: Prominent Resident Under Arrest

16.DS

Ghastly Murder In

TAHITI Prominent Resident Under Arrest From Our Own Correspondent.

Papeete, Dec. 18.

IITAJOR crime is of very rare occurrence in the islands of French Oceania—particularly among the Polynesian inhabitants. Indeed, as compared with many other countries, Tahiti and its dependent islands may be said to be remarkably law-abiding.

It was a great shock, then, to the community when a ghastly murder was committed within the borders of Papeete some months ago.

The headless body of a native woman was discovered in a lonely spot within the city limits. The severed head was later found buried in the sand of the beach, nearby.

Clever detective work by the police led to the arrest of a white man who, for several years, had been wandering about the islands supporting himself by caring for gardens and collecting miscellaneous curios and other objects for sale to tourists. When confronted with the evidence, the culprit broke down and made full confession of his guilt.

The mystery was, therefore, considered as having been solved. But a new and sensational development of the case occurred in the second week of November, when a very prominent and, perhaps, the most worthy French resident, of Tahiti, was arrested and placed in solitary confinement on the charge of having instigated the murder.

As the matter of guilt or innocence is in process of judicial inquiry, nothing definite is known as to the character of the evidence.

It would be unfair, therefore, to disclose the identity of the accused man