MISSIONARY CHARGED.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 590, 19 August 1909, Page 5

MISSIONARY CHARGED.

: , WHIPPING NATIVE GIRL. 1 FAILURE OF THE PROSECUTION^ (By Telegraph.-*Presa Association.—Copyrlcht.l ; . (Rec. August 18, 7.25 p.m.) - Brisbane, August 18. Government officials have concluded -an inquiry into grave charges made against the Rov. Nicholas Hey, .superintendent of the Mapoon Mission, involving alleged cruelty to natives. The'charges were made.by Michael Baltzerj and wore circulated in Gonnany last year by a sister of Baltzer, and were communicated officially by Bishop La Trobe,of the Moravian, Board of Missions, to the Australian Presbyterian Board of Missions, who controlled the Mapoon Settlement. \ Baltzer alleged tlmt a half-caste girl named Ellen had been unmercifully beaten with a stingaree tail's whip for striking Mrs. Hey. Baltzer, in his evidence before the inquiry, stated that tho flogging was carried out by Mr. Hey and himself at. the former's instigation. . • The girl Ellen, in her evidence, admitted being flogged, and said that a dinghy chain was put round her neck after it; but, with the'exception of that one beating, she had been kindly'treated at the mission. Mr. Hey, in his evidence, stated that Ellen was whipped for assaulting-his wife. He explained to .the children, who witnessed the punishment, why it was given, aud how sorious the offonce was. The girl received 25 cuts, not 100, as alleged by Baltzer. He asked the latter to carry out the punishment as he did not like to inflict corporal punishment.on any. one! He txjhsidered it 'a severe whipping. -Ho would have administered the same punishment to one of his own.children' under the same circumstanoes. . -It appears that Baltzer,.in August of last year, wrote to the Moravian Mission Board, voluntarily retracting-.'the charges made; against Mr.' Hey. Other charges were preferred by Baltzer, but, as he could only offer hearsay evidence about them, they were' struck out. ' The Bench, after a full inquiry,-dismissed the charge against Mr. Hey.