AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 March 1924, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION, ATTACKED BY NATIVES. REPRISALS WILL NOT BE TAKEN (Received this dav at 10.10 a.m.) MELBOURNE, -Mareh 12. Si initor Pearce has received an official repo it of an attack by natives on the assistant resident magistrate, Mr Flint, at Papua, while on a mission to establish fiiendly relations with the natives in Kimimaipa Valley, North of Mount Yule. M'hile on his return journey Mr Flint's party was crossing the met Saint Joseph when local natives, who volunteered to act as carriers, took advantage of their position in the line of march and attacked members of the party immediately in front of them. A I'al.-e stop and a fall saved Flint, hut the policeman immediately m front of him had Ilis head almost severed by a blow Horn a tomahawk and two other native policemen were wounded. A fight foll. v.ed the assailants escaping, A police camp was later organised and liendquniters "ere established ill the district. After six months travelling over rough country, the principals in the attack were arrested. Three were convicted of murder and sentenced to death, while two were sentenced to seven years hard labour. The death sentences were later commuted to seven

Friendly relations have now been established with most of the tribes in the valley. Mi Pearce ha.s announced that n punitive expedition will not be dispatched to carry out reprisals for the murder of Trouper O’Dowd and (he only ad ion taken will he to luiiig the actual ofleuders to justice and bring the hitherto uncontrolled area within the radios ol cflcetive administration. THE THREE CARD TRICK. MELBOURNE, March 12. •fudge Motile at the Court of General Sessions in quashing the sentence imposed on a man for playing the three card trick, .said the three card Li id was not a game of chance, lint sleight, ol hand, in which one player hacked his ability to detect the card whilst the other, by dexterity of maniilmhition, sought to deceive tho eve.