What It's All About

In September, 1956, Frederic Ander son, now 33, was assistant district officer at Tapini, in the Goilala area >f Papua.

He had recently come in from patrol snd been told that while he had been ibsent a native named Avila, ac :ompanied by a native named Koupa, lad shot and wounded a native woman, (oupa's wife, and had been put in laol.

Anderson had both natives brought jefore him and they told him that \vila had shot the woman in mistake or a cassowary. Anderson thought his statement absurd, struck each lative and ordered that both should ie handcuffed to the station's flagpole.

At sunset, a few hours later, he reed both natives and sent Avila back 0 gaol. Avila remained in gaol until anuary, 1957, without a charge aving been laid against him.

The P-NG Administration later irrested Anderson and charged him vith having assaulted each of the wo natives, with having deprived hem of their liberty by fastening hem to a flagpole and with having mlawfully confined Avila to Tapini risen from September 1956 to Janu ry, 1957.

He was committed for trial, and 1 Port Moresby in September, 1957, he Chief Justice of P-NG, Mr. Justice lann, heard four of the charges— he two of assault and the two con erned with the flagpole—to which nderson pleaded not guilty.

He convicted Anderson, and sen jnced him to six months' gaol on ach of the assault charges, and 18 lonths on each charge of fastening ie natives to a flagpole.

The next day Anderson pleaded uilty to having confined Avila to rison and was sentenced to 21 months aol. All the sentences were to be ■rved concurrently.

Anderson in November was given lave by the High Court in Australia > appeal, and the appeal was heard i December.