Boxing Champion

Tongan Escapee

K.O.'d Captured by Young Boxing Champion

From a Special Correspondent

Nukualofa, June 2.

TUPOU GATA, a young Tongan crim inal, who escaped with a companion from Nukualofa Prison in April, was captured on Eua Island on May 8 by Soakai, Tonga’s boxing champion, who

had voluntarily offered his services to the police. The other escapee surrendered a month ago.

Gata—his name is the Tongan word for snake!—had previously been in gaol for burglary. He was arrested again and charged with the theft of cash and goods worth £34 from Burns Philp (S.S.) Co.’s trading station at Fatumu village, on the east coast, and with stealing dynamite from the Government store. Before his trial came off at the Supreme Court, he and another prisoner, Amusia, escaped from Siaine gaol.

A few days later it was reported from Fatumu. Gata’s home village, that natives had seen him in the bush, armed with a gun. This weapon was later found to be missing from Mr. Douglas’s plantation, only a few miles from Fatumu.

A posse of armed police was immedi ately rushed out by lorry to Fatumu to hunt for the escaped prisoner, but they found only a taunting note from Gata

While the police were engaged in a fruit less three week’s search, Data obtained a canoe and paddled along the dangerous Hahake coast then across to nearby Eua Island.

When messages came from Eua that Gata had established himself in a bush village there, another posse of police was sent across by boat. They were joined by Soakai, Tonga’s heavy-weight boxing champion. For days the police scoured the countryside for some trace of the escaped convict, but without success. Disappointed, the sergeant-in-charge was on the verge of calling in his men. Then, unheralded, Gata was brought in to police head quarters, having been captured and chained by Soakai, assisted by a young Eua lad.

Soakai had noticed a new track leading

into the bush from the village where he was stationed. Curious, he lay in wait with a young Eua boy, after sundown.

Some hours later Gata walked by, with a gun on his shoulder. Soakai sprang at him and connected a terrific straight left to the jaw, knocking him out. Thus ended Data's freedom, Hon. C. J. J. T. Barton, C.M.G., 0.8. E., is acting as Governor’s Deputy in Fiji while Sir Harry Luke is on a tour of the Western Pacific High Commission terri tories.

Mr. A. E. Ray has returned to New Guinea after furlough in Australia and has resumed duties in New Ireland as manager of Burns, Philp and Co.’s store at Kavieng.

Soakai (right) shows how he chained the escaped prisoner, Tupou Gata (centre), after knocking him out. Standing by is the young Eua lad, who was with Soakai when he cap tured Gata. He is holding Soakai’s rifle and torch, also the gun seized from Gata. This photograph was taken, by permission of the Tongan Minister of Police, at Nukualofa gaol.