New Caledonian

Bushranger Sentenced

THE New Caledonian bushranger Gaston Dijou, whose depredations covering a portion of the west coast, has been sentenced by the Noumea Assize Court to five years for a number of thefts. His associate Albert Debels, was acquitted of thefts for which he had been previously charged, but got two years for receiving stolen property. His women companion, the native, Marie-Therese, was acquitted.

“PIM” readers will recall that in March 1946, two gendarmes with two native followers came upon Dijou near one of the mines up the Dumbea valley. Dijou was armed, and in the affray he was wounded, and then taken to hospital for treatment.

Dijou, Debels and the native woman had been visiting US Army camps, where Dijou had taken possession of rifles, am munition and grenades. He had terrorised the neighbourhood, killing cattle, stealing fowls, and molested Asiatics.

After Dijou’s arrest, Debels and Marie Therese moved cross country to the Bourail area, where they were arrested in the vicinity of the Nerin tribe on last October 26, by a party led by nine gen darmes. They admitted having lived on stores stolen by Dijou, but denied having participated in the thefts. A charge against Dijou of having attempted 'to murder a US military policeman was dropped.

Mrs. M. Wacke, Mrs. Goetzelmann and two children, Sister M. Lehmann, Mr.

Ray Barber, and the Rev. and Mrs. Hof mann and four children left Australia recently for Lutheran Mission stations in New Guinea