When D.O. Bell Was

Killed

Tragedy of 1927 Re-Told in Book

Thirteen years ago, in October, 1927, Mr. W. R. Bell, a district officer in the Solomons, his assistant, Mr. Lillies, and 13 native police were massacred in the Solomons. The incident, now, is almost forgotten. Jack McLaren, an Australian author, rc-tells it in a book recently pub lished in London, “Gentlemen of Em

pire”:

TAKE the case of District Officer W.

R. Bell, on the island of Malaita, in the Solomons. He was there with his assistant, Mr. K. C. Lillies, a clerk named Marcus, and 12 native policemen. Often he was alone ex cept for his native police. He was at tacked by fever, yaws and other ill nesses, for the island was notoriously unhealthy.

One of his jobs was to collect un authorised firearms from the natives.

Another was to collect the native poll tax.

These things were anathema to Bas iana, a big chief and “devil man”, who

plotted to overthrow the white govern ment’s authority. He sacrificed pigs over a long period to discover when the omens pointed to the right time for a revolt. And then the time came.

Basiana and his people were told to meet Bell at the tax hut to pay in their money and surrender any rifles in their possession. Basiana collected his people together and told them that the hour had struck. He worked them up to a pitch of excitement so that they cried: “We are men of Malaita, war riors and takers of heads. Destroy the white man!”

Next day they appeared at the tax hut. Bell sat in the front of it with his assistants. To minimise any display of force, his native police had been told to stay inside the hut.

Slowly the warriors filed past, put ting down their weapons and paying their taxes. Then came Basiana. He, too, put down his Snider rifle, paid his tax and slipped back into the crowd of 250 Malaitans.

Suddenly the crowd parted. Basiana, holding his reclaimed rifle bv the barrel, leapt through and brought the heavy stock down on District Officer Bell’s head, killing him instantly.

Lillies and Marcus were treated in the same way. The police, trapped in the hut, were slaughtered.

Some time later an Australian war ship was sent to Malaita and an armed party was landed. Basiana’s men were rounded up and brought to trial. Six of them, including Basiana, were exe cuted, and many of the rest were given long terms of imprisonment.