ALLEGED CRUELTY

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 25 August 1909, Page 19

ALLEGED CRUELTY

CHARGES AGAINST A MISSIONARY: BRISBANE, August 18. j Government officials liave concluded an inquiry in regard to grave charges made against the Rev. Nicholas Hey, superintendent of the Mapoon Mission, involving alleged cruelty to the natives. Tbe charges were made by Michael " Balteer, and' were t circulated in Germany last year. by a- sieter Baltzer, and werecommunicated officially by Bishop Latrobe, of the Moravian. --Board-of "Missions, to tber A'ustfalian " 'Prtsbyterian Board" of Miasionis, w.hdch controlled the Mapoon settlement. Baltzer alleged that a half-caste girl named Ellen had been unmercifully foeateon with stingaree tail whips for . striking Mrs Hey. Balt&cT, in giving evidence before the inquiry, stated that the flogging was carried out by Bey and himself at the former's instigation Ellen, in giving evidence, admitted having been flogged, and said that a dingey chain had been 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 the course of' his- -evidence, stated that "Ellen was whipped for assaulting his wife. He explained.! to the children who witnessed the punishment why it wa6 given* and how serious the offence 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 anyone. He considered it a severe whipping, but he would have administered the same punishment to one of his cot children under the same circumibtances. It appeai-s 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 they were struck out, and the bench, after a full inquiry, dismissed the charge against . Mr Hey. \