Ten People

Killed

Wholesale Arrests After Gruesome Murders in N. Hebrides

From a Special Correspondent THERE has been a series of gruesome murders In the Batnafnu-Melsisi district of the island of Pentecost, New Hebrides, within the last two months.

For years past, there has been trouble between a mission school community there and the bush people. The former claim that, unable to get matters fixed up by the proper authorities, despite appeals, they took matters into their own hands.

Some six months ago a school adher ent interfered with the wife of a heathen chief. He, catching them in the act, killed the boy. The school people then decided to kill the heathen chief. He was warned and got away.

Thereupon, the school people turned their attention to the man who warned him. A party of fifty people surrounded his house, riddled it with bullets and, then seeing and hearing nothing, con cluded no one was in it and proceeded to destroy it. Suddenly a man rushed out of the house. They fired at him and missed. Then a woman, carrying an infant, rushed out. They shot the woman and, in falling, the infant was killed, too. They then* broke into the house and killed a little girl with knives and axes.

Another chief now offered to pay pigs and make peace, and sent a message to the school people. The latter told him to come back next week. The next day the school people attacked the chief’s village, killed him. wounded his wife and son and also killed at least two other men.

The total of killed, after the series of murders, was 10 (including two women and two children) and two other people wounded.

These killings were not done by wild bush people but by people calling them selves Christians, and with ammunition and guns supplied to them.

The Administration acted, and arrested a white teacher and 16 school people and one heathen. The school people claimed they had been told by the “Government” to take the law into their own hands— a statement which is being enquired into.

Pentecost is about 40 miles from the residence of two district agents, one British and one French. Pentecost people say they have been neglected by the Administration who answered appeals by procrastination or by very hurried and very infrequent visits by the officers concerned. There has been from one to three years between visits, and these only to a few places and for a few hours at a time. There is no reason why these outside islands should be neglected.

Pentecost has good anchorages and land ings all along the coast.

Mr. S. Bennett, manager for Messrs.

A. B. Donald Ltd., in Rarotonga, and European member of the Island Council, left for New Zealand on furlough in December, accompanied by Mrs. Bennett and daughter Dorothy.

Mrs. Robinson, wife of Rev. H. Robin son, Methodist missionary at Fergusson Island, Eastern Papua, recently arrived in Australia to live with her people in Sydney.