SAMOA

Hokitika Guardian, 13 January 1930, Page 6

SAMOA

INQUEST EVIDENCE,

[Special'to Press Assn, by Radio.]

APIA, Jan. 11

At the inquest on the fatalities on December 28th, Mr Luxford was Coroner. Police ‘ Inspector Braisby and Mr (Andrews (solicitor) represented the Crown.

Dr Hutson gave evidence as to the nature of the wounds sustained by Constable Abraham. The scalp and face were slightly injured, and there was a fracture of the base of' the skull. This wound would have been caused by a blunt instrument, such as a club. There were no other obvious injuries. Witness considered the fractured base of the skull was the cause of death.

In his evidence, Constable Cahill, a member of the supporting party of nineteen, including the late Constable Abraham, stated that upon a signal by whistle, they rushed to the assistance of the arresting party at 6.15 o’clock in the morning of December 28th. They saw that th.c> arresting party had been attacked by the Mail. Blows were being exchanged, and there was great excitement. Samoans were throwing stones at the police,. Some had batons. He did not sec Abraham at the beginning. He only saw him when pressed back through Pabricius’s store. He did not know if Abraham was actually shooting or was attempting to reload his revolver nor did he know what caused Abraham to be knocked down. Assistance was impossible, because the Samoans were too strong, and that was the last that lie saw of Abraham.

Lance-Corporal Downes, who was in charge of the supporting iparty, said that the arresting party was at Hellesoe’s corner when the procession reached this point. 'Flic arresting party walked, along on the island side. Witness waited at the corner. An arrest appeared to have been made, and he saw a number of natives with clubs and ceremonial knives rushing to the scene. Seeing the arresting party in danger lie blew the prearranged signal whistle. The supporting party rushed to the scene of the fighting. He saw Sergeant Fell on the ground. He appeared to be down. Samoans belaying clubs and stones were flying everywhere, and revolvers were fired. He did not remember hearing the first shot. He saw Constable Abraham running from the shore side, and being hit by a native wi'h what he thought was a hatchet, a hammer or a stone. Constable Abraham and Sergeant Fell got up again. There was great excitement. Constable Abraham was firing a revolver, and that was the last that witness saw of Abraham. Witness was afterwards told that there was a. ipoliccman lying in Fabricius’s lane. He went, with others, and they found Abraham dead in the lane. His revolver was missing.

The Court adjourned to view the spot where Abraham fell wounded.

On the Court resuming, Peter Fabricius. a boy of thirteen years, gave evidence. He said that he saw from an upstairs window two Samoans returning bv the lane towards the beach. They stopped near the gate, and each , threw a stone at some object on the ground. He was not in a po«iGrm to see the object. A third Samoan stopped at the same spot, then looked down and said: “Poor white man!” Then dropping a stone he had in his hand, the Samoan walked away. Afterwards, witness said he saw that the object was Abraham’s body, and ho saw the police remove him.

Witness added that the Samoans in the lane had only stones. This closed tho evidence regarding the death of Constable Abraham.

Inspector Braisbv indicated that he had no evidence to offer in regard to the death of two of the Samoans reported from the hospital.

The Coroner said that he would require such evidence before he could give a finding. ' The inquest was adjourned till January 6 th.

On resuming on January 6th, Mr Slipper (counsel for the Samoans) informed the Court that lie was unable to proceed with the calling of evidence, because bis witnesses were still in tbe hospital, or were elsewhere, and were suffering from wounds; but be called up Mr Hall Skelton, of Auckland, to give evidence. Air Hall Skelton stated be met High Chief Tamaseso, who was conveyed to tbe hospital. Chief Tamaseso told witness where he was shot. Witness was present on the following morning when Chief Tamaseso died. Witness also saw seven other Samoans dead. Each of these had from one to seven wounds. One man had a hole in bis thigh. It would have been possible to put one’s fist in tbe hole. Nineteen other Samoans had slight wounds. Witness had not previously seen bullet wounds. Dr Hutson was recalled. He stated that the Samoans Leota and Migio died shortly after their admission to the hospital. Leota had a shot wound in the chest. Migio had a wound in the thigh. Witness said be saw no one wounded by more than one bullet. Witness had examined and had operated on Chief Tamasese, who had one bullet bole, from a shot, in bis upper right thigh. Witness extracted the bullet from Tamasese, fragments of which appeared to be nickel, but Tamasese was not* fit lor the X-ray.

Witness did not attend any Samoan with seven wounds in his body and chest.

Police Sergeant Waterson gave evidence. He said that he received information on December 27th that a Man ’procession would bo held the following day. He received instructions to .arrest any of the Alan for whom a warrant for arrest had been issued. The same evening arrangements were made to effect arrests of wanted men. On the morning of the 28th at 6.15 a.in., he received a telephone message from the Customs House that wanted men were parading. Eighty per cent, of the procession carried something that could have bee)ii turned into or used as weapons. Ho recognised Matau as a wanted man, and called on Scrgt. Fell. Witness saw Foil amongst tho band attempting to arrest Matau. He next saw Sergt. Fell on the ground and a native striking him. Witness was caught by the throat by two Samoans, and he drew his revolver, which misfired. However, lie struck one assailant with the butt, and ho got clear from the other. The supporting party then arrived, and there was fighting all round. Witness assisted Fell, who was dazzled, but was able to walk. Witness then heard the first shot fired. There was a thick mass of natives, and stones were flying everywhere. Realising that the police were likely to get hurt, and that there was no time for them to reload their revolvers, witness told his men to go back to the" station for rifles and bayonets. On reaching the station witness hurried up stairs and mounting a Lewis gun witness fired a burst twenty feet over the heads of the crowd in Ififi Street. He then turned the Lewis- gun. and fired over the heads a of the crowd between the Market and Hellesoc’s. Witness was a lewis gunner in the late war for two years. Witness heard stones on the roofs, and windows smashing. Witness saw Samoans advancing and throwing stones on the eastern side. He fired a burst over their heads. They ran away. Then they stopped and turned round. Witness then fired a short burst into the ground thirty yards in front of the natives. Witness said ho did not see a, man fall in consequence of any of liis bursts of fire from the Lewis gun. On returning to tho northern dah, witness saw several of the police in the attitude of firing from their rifles. He then gave an order to cease fire. He saw about six Samoans lying on the corner of the Government buildings. The cartridges used were R 303, mark 7, and R 455 revolver cartridges.’ Both were of the British service type. This closed the (police evidence.

SAMOANS? COUNSEL

REBUFF BY ADMINISTRATOR,

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.)

APIA, Jan. 11

An inquiry info tho circumstances surrounding the deaths of Constable Abrahni, also the High Chief Tamasese, and the seven other Samoans who died on or about the’ 28th December, was opened at Apia on the second of January. After considerable evidence had been taken, it as adjourned until January Bth. at the reqest of Mr Slipper, the solicitor for the relatives of the deceased Samoans," in order to secure evidence from the natives. Subsequently a further adjournment of one week was agreed upon.

Air Slipper, in writing, applied to the Administrator, requesting that a safe conduct be granted to all the Samoans necessary as witnesses for the Samoan side of the inquest. The Administrator replied, in writing, that he would not suspend the operation of law.

NATIVE WITNESSES BARRED; AUCKLAND, Jan. 12. Cabling to lion. Mr Nelson, Mr Hall Skelton alleges that the Administrator, on Thursday, refused a free conduct to the Court of witnesses for the defence at the inquest—presumably the inquest on Constable Abraham—and that, in consequence, the inquest was blocked on these grounds.

MR. HOLLAND REITERATES CHARGE. WESTPORT, Jan. 12. Referring to a Press Association message from Apia, which appeared in Saturday’s papers, Air H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, said that it was unfortunate that he should have' inadvertently written the word “Associaion” into his statement of the 9th. just. Everyone acquainted with Samoan current history would be well aware that the Press Association’s correspondence from Apia would not be likely to contain anything which the Administration would object to. It was a. press message, and not a Press Association message, that bad been refused transmission.

PREMIER’S STATEMENT. SAAIOANS CRITICISED. AVELLTNGTON, Jan. 11. Sir Joseph Ward referred to the killing of tbe High Chief Tamasese by the New Zealand police in Samoa, said that it was being stated Tamasese served his recent sentence in New Zealand for failing to pay taxes. “'Plus' is not the case.” said Sir Joseph. “The sentence served in New Zealand was for a far more serious offence of resisting the police, and indeed, circumstances were

such that his resistance might well have led to serious conflict and to bloodshed. The public should know also that while from the press report it would appear to be possible that Tamasese though amongst the rioters, was when wounded endeavouring to restrain them the actual facts can only be established when the inquest is concluded. In any case, he was clearly a party to the step that precipitated the crisis, namely the flaunting in front of the Administration’s offices of men wanted on warrant tor an attack on the police. Indeed, it is understood that for some time past the late Chief had been acting in a provocative manner, leading bands of natives armed with knives and batons, and that on one ocasion recently, he and his followers ambushed and stopped a car apparently in the belief that it contained members of the police force.

“Official reports,” said the Prime Minister, “confirm, last night’s press messages that the Mau have abandoned Vaimoso and Lepsa, and that they are now congregating at Leauvua (some ten miles to the west of Apia) and Solosolo (some twelve miles to the east of Apia).” Sir Joseph Ward is disinclined to comment in detail on the statement published to-day by the Leader of the Labour Party. He said he felt that the public could be left to judge whether after the many indications of Government’s desire to be generous, had been contemptuously rejected by the Man and their supporters, the Government could possibly ignore the Man’s forcible resistance to a lawful arrest on warant and the shocking murder of a New Zealand constable in the execution of his duty. He felt it necessary however, to reiterate that the arrests that were attempted by the police at the time of the riot were not for the non-payment of taxes, but for attacks on the police, and that the Government had no knowledge of a “huge concourse” attending funerals (though this might very probably be so) or of “European meeting of protest,?’ or “the remarkable movement now being organised by the women of Samoa” referred to by Mr Holland. “It should also be added,” lie said in conclusion, “that a system of direct taxation per head is common in Pacific -territories, and that its recent abandonment was not due to recognition of its injustice, but to the fact that m the circumstances it was considered unwise to adhere to it. This system is in operation in the neighbouring territory of American Samoa, where the head tax is considerably higher than that formerly in operation in Western Samoa.”

COERCION POLICY

EUROPEANS AFRAID

AUCKLAND, Jan. 22.

Mr Hall Skelton has cabled to the Hon Mr 0. Nelson (late of Samoa) from Apia, stating that the Administrator, (Colonel Allen) issued an order to fifty-eight Samoans to attend him at Mulinuu on Thursday. They refused, saying that they were in mourning. The Administrator had also issued notices to twenty Samoans to surrender to him by noon on Saturday, mostly on charges arising from the recent happenings. The High Chief Famuna, although he had been" walking the streets of Apia for seven weeks had now been charged with using abusive lauguage in the speeches he made on his return, from New Zealand. A further notice has been served on all of the Samoans who are not resident in the area of Faleata and Varmuiga to return home by Saturday.

Mr Hal Skelton says that the Europeans in Samoa, are afraid now to make any strong protest. Mr Hall Sketon also states that representatives from far and wide have joined the Mau this week, and that the Mau followers have had their headquarters moved to an unknown and inaccessihie destination.

MAU MEMBERS

MOVE AWAY FROM APIA

APIA, Jan. 10. The Censor is not restricting messages. There have been no further developments. The AI a n villages at Apia remain deserted. The Man adherents are reported to lie journeying away. It is helieved they are going in the direction of the distant village of Safata, for the purpose of holding Fonos, also of avoiding pursuit, and of discussing the recent proclamations. There is a total absence of Man uniforms in Apia and its surroundings. No police action is being taken. The position is in doubt.