TROUBLE IN TONGA

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1477, 8 February 1887, Page 3

TROUBLE IN TONGA

Auckland, February 8,

News from Tonga indicates that the long-expected religious war between the Wesleyan and the Free Church has at last broken out v It has taken the unexpected form of the attempted assassination of the Rev Shirley BaVer, Premtar, who founded the Free Church. On Thursday evening, January 13, at about 7/0 p.ra , os Mr Baker was driving m his buggy with his daughter Beatric?, and his son Shirley, close to their o<vn house and tho King's palace, Mr Baker sow sctne men coming down under a fence with guns pointed at tho bugcy and another man m ih • roadway. He called Shirley, who immediately jumped down and told the man to give him his gun, and said, " Dont fire." The men at the fer.ee Baid " Wi wi " (Do it). Immediately he fired hit ing Shirley m the left arm. The men at the fence were peering round trying to get a Bight at Baker, but either the carriage lamp dazed them or elae they were a f raid of hitting IVUas Baker, Anyhow, they did not fire, and all cleared away. The horse sprang forward when the ehot was fired having been hit with one of the slugs, and Mfss Biker was thrown out, severely hurting hey nsck and biclr. Shirley Bad "I am all ri^lr," but his father must have seen hia arm vhatferpd and drove furiously off for a doctor. There wsq greac yelling, and the whole t >wn wa=» soon scene (? of disorder) armed with gnns,' nxes, clubs, spears aud etc. The doctor attending tihirley found he had received a aevore wound tefl cted b> three or four slugs which had entered the inside of his arm and came out just below the joint. Some people say they heard two roper's almost simultaneously, arid m support of !li3 statement there is the fact that tho lamp waa struok i;i two p'acea, aod the f- plash board of buggy also. Miss Baker waa wounded m the thigh m two plac a. A great many boats have arrived full of armed men, also two flohooners with 400 men. There was a fearful yelling snd the warriors marched round about firing their guns m all directions. In tho aft moon a crowd of them massed round (In prison yelling and beating m tho doors with their rifle butts. Four shots wera fired, which penetrated the prison wall. O:i Ba'urday, Hoabi and his warriors started out m gangs and plundered a number of houses m the town and country villages. So far as the Wesleyans are concerned m the districts of Horna" they (t'ue Wesleyans) were stripped of all their possessions and tutned out of their homes. It ib said that the shooting was done by escaped oonviotn, but Mr Btfker says that Europeans were concerned m it. The convicts aaepected have surrendered themselves to prevent their female relatives be<ng outraged and punished m their stead. The Government schooner is waiting m the harbor fully armed with guns and ammunition, and cables ready to slip and put to son at onoe should any emergency arise making it necessary for Mr Baker to decide upon going to Auckland m a hurry. This, taken m connection with hh request to have the English fhg hoisted over his dwelling and property, glvea good not'ee of what his ideas of his own personal safety are.