Gaiberi's Medal

Governor of Papua Presents It To His Widow

From Our Own Correspondent.

Pt. Moresby, Aug. 14.

July 29 at Tufi (North-Eastern ” Division of Papua), His Excellency Sir Hubert Murray presented the late Senior Sergeant Gaiberi’s widow with the King’s Long Service Medal, which ar rived a short time after Gaiberi’s death in March this year.

Before a large gathering of natives and a detachment of police, and with the Resident Magistrate of the Division in attendance, Sir Hubert made the follow ing address, before handing over the medal to Gaiberi’s widow with the re quest that she look after it well and not lose it, or give it away.

“I am going to present the King’s Long Service Medal to the widow of the late Senior Sergeant Gaiberi,” Sir Hubert announced, “and I want everyone to hear this talk. Gaiberi was a policeman for a long time. He was a good policeman in Papua, everyone knows that. He had been all over Papua, and had been in plenty of fights. He was a brave man; he never ran away but always stood his ground and fought back.

“The King heard about him, and sent out the news that he was going to give him a medal for being such a brave man. but Gaiberi died. I wrote to the King and asked him what I would do with the medal. The King answered, saying Ts Gaiberi’s wife alive, and is she a good woman?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ So the King said. ‘Give the medal to his widow.’

“This is a very good medal and only a few men in the world have received it.

Gaiberi is the only man in the whole of Papua to get one.”