A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1944, 30 December 1913, Page 6

A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

IN THE NEW HEBRIDES.

JEALOUSY LEADS TO MURDER.

(By Teleerapli.—Special Correspondent-.) Auckland, Decembor 29. A tale as terrible as any Island tragedy pictured in fiction was revealed at tho recent trial of the New Hebrides native, Banga, who was sentenced by tho Joint Court at Vila to dio under the guillotine. News to hand to-day via Sydney is to the effect that Banga murdered his master and two shipmates, blew up the vessel on which tho tragedy occurred to liido the traces of his crime, and terrorised two other natives into sharing the spoil and aiding his escape. There was a woman in the case, a New Hobridean named Lizzie, and she, with tho other actors in the human drama, was 011 board the trading vessel Voltairo which was sailing along the west coast of Api Island. On ilie night of November 3 Silvio Hoarau, a half-caste French subject, was .in charge and had as mate a Loyalty Islander named Candwicli and as crow tho Hebrideans Samahoubou, Quoiquc, and Little Tom. As the Voltaire lay becalmed off Api awaiting a breeze that would tako her north to the plantation of Mount Ancellin, and the master had retired early, Tom took tho wheel and Banga stationed himself near the sails. Presently tho master, sat on the cabin step, his back towards the poop. Stealing towards tlie sleeping man Banga had seized a .chopper that had been left on tho top of tho hatch and struck him a blow 011 the nape of tho neck. Hoarau fell into the cabin dead, and turning quickly the murderer faced Little Tom who had left, t-he wheel in horror at the deed he had witnojsed. Another blow that bit deep into Tom's throat, and a second lifo had been taken. Roused by the fall of his master's body, the mate, Candwich, made to go 011 deck, taking with him tho only rillo on board, but as 110 stumbled up the stairs lie received a violent blow on the head from Banga's chopper, and fell back stunned. The cries of tho injured mate had in tho meantime wakened Liznie, the indirect cause of tho tragedy. Coming up the hold she found hersolf face to" faco with tho blood-stained miscreant, who did not attack hqr, but told her what he had done, adding that ho was going to finish tho injured man, Suiting the action to t,lic word J.e wont below, whero Candwicli was 011 tho floor leaning against the partition, and with a few blows killed the helpless Loyalty Islander. He then 'went forward intent on killing 'the remaining members of the crew who might stand between him and liberty, and at tho entrance to tho foreenstlo met Samaroubou, who drew back on seeing Banga. There was 110 chance of catching Samaroubou unawares, and Banga also retreated. Thi3 gave tho oth'ers an opportunity, and wliile Banga was thinking out a plan of campaign, Samaroubou and Quoique rushed and disarmed liim. Captured and weaponless, Banga confessed his crimcs, but such an influence did he wield over the horror-stricken sailors that 110 persuaded them to release him and to throw tho remaining corpses over tho rail. Tho terrible wounds on the bodies struck fear 'into tho Iwo sailors, and. with talk of tho danger they ran of being arrested as accomplices, Banga induced them to agree to his project- of blowing the vessel up and escaping into the Aoto bush. Subsequently, however, they denounced him t-> a settler, and 110 was capfiiitd. Banga made no attempt-to deny -tiny of the 'fiiarges. He admitted that'his crimo was premeditated, and that ho had also hoped to kill tho men wlio eventually betrayed him.