Ng Native Constables

Provide Most Of Criminals

From Our Own Correspondent RABAUL, August 4.

THE Supreme Court, presided over by Mr. Justice Bignold, concluded its sittings here to-day.

Three native constables were each sen tenced to eighteen months’ hard labour by Mr. Justice Bignold for forgery. The Crown alleged that the three natives conspired to write a note, to obtain three bottles of whisky from a Chinese store, and that one of the natives actually wrote the note and signed it with the name of a well-known European in Rabaul. The Chinese storekeeper, on sighting the note, refused to accept the order and reported to the police.

In three separate trials, three native constables, stationed at the Sub-District Office, Talasea were sentenced to eight, seven and six years respectively, for a serious offence which they committed while on duty at the native prison, Talasea.

A native from one of the small, isolated and infrequently visited villages of the Talasea Sub-District was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment for wounding a female native with a spear and axe.

A Papuan native, employed in Rabaul, was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for entering a European dwelling and stealing a watch. This native was, in fact, an escaped prisoner at the time of the stealing In all these cases Mr. S. H. Johnson prosecuted on behalf of the Crown, and Mr. J. R. Keenan, as ADO, provided the natives with a defence.

A European named Tolhurst, who was employed by the New Guinea Company in Rabaul, was found guilty and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for an indecent assault on a male native.

The Supreme Court of the Territory of Papua-New Guinea, sitting in its Criminal jurisdiction on circuit in Rabaul, concluded at 10.15 a.m. to-day. His Honour departs from Rabaul to-morrow, Friday.