Caledonia

Javanese Amok in N.

From Our Own Correspondent

New Caledonia, Nov. 29.

A SHOCKING tragedy has been re ported from a lonely portion of the east coast road, 15 kilometres from the tiny port of Houailou. A Javanese labourer ran amok, and after attacking and wounding his employer, went farther afield the following day, entering a house where a Frenchwoman, Madame Andre Clavel, was reading with her two young children, Fernand, aged four, and Gisele, aged seven. He attacked the family with his long bush knife, terribly mutilating mother and daughter, while the little boy ran out to give the alarm to Javanese in the vicinity. The maniac then set fire to the house.

When doctors arrived, they found the two victims had managed to crawl out

side. A New Zealand Army ambulance took them to a NZ military hospital on the other side of the Central Chain, where unavailing efforts were made to save the life of the little girl. The mother’s condition is serious.

East coast gendarmes found the Java nese and brought him to Noumea hospi tal, suffering from gun-shot wounds in the chest.

Mr. C. E. de F. Pennefather, of Suva, has been appointed Censor of Postal Matter and Telegrams for Fiji, The Bishop of New Guinea, the Rt.

Rev. P. N. W. Strong, is at present in Tasmania. He has addressed meetings in Hobart and Launceston.

The Rev. W. F. Paton, well-known Presbyterian missionary in the New Heb rides, who returned to Tasmania recently for health reasons, has been appointed to the Tasmanian parish of Evandale-Long ford.