Islands Tragedy

Girl Suicides; American Lover Goes Mad

From Our Own Correspondent

Apia, Apr. 21.

A TRAGIC incident occurred at Pago Pago in April.

A Samoan girl, 18 years old, a nurse at the hospital, committed suicide by throwing herself into the sea from a cliff near Pago Pago. To make sure of death, the girl tied some pillow slips, filled with stones, to her body. Hours later, her body was found, floating in the sea near the cliff.

In a long letter, written just before her suicide, the girl explained that she pre ferred to die, as her family had objected to a love affair she had carried on with an American bluejacket attached to the naval station.

As a result of the suiciding of the girl, tier sailer lover became demented, anc was sent back to the States by the “Mon terey”.

Rev. A. S. Jones, L.Th., of the Method ist Mission at New Britain, New Guinea, who is at present on furlough in N.S.W., has been taken seriously ill.