A BOLIVIAN MURDER.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 165, 14 April 1916, Page 4 (Supplement)

A BOLIVIAN MURDER.

AUSTRALIAN THE VICTIM

SOUTH AMERICAN "JUSTICE.'

The Secretary of State for the Colonies has forwarded to the Federal Minister for External Affaire a despatch relating to the murder in Bolivia of Mr H. J. Nilen, an Australian. Particulars received at the Colonial Office from the British Representative .show that Mr Nilen was at Inquisivi, awaiting the judgment of the court in expectation of taking possession of a wolfram mine which had been "jumped" by Artudo Fricke, a meicftant, of Ururo. The judgment was to be given »n eight days. Mr Nilen and two companions were taking tea one day, when a party of thirty or forty men fired upon them, killing Nilen and wounding his friends. These facts were reported to Mr G. F. Boulton. the Eng. lish Charge d'Affaires at La Paz, by Mr W. M. Gray, the British Vice-Con-sul at Oruro, who urged that influx etice should be brought io bear to stimulate the police. Mr Boulton interviewed the Minister for Foreign Affairs at La Paz, and brought the case under his notice, asking that action should be taken to prevent any evasion of the law. The Minister inform, ed him that an inquiry had already been instituted, and that the "Fiscal" for the district had been instructed to sift all the evidence he could collect in order that an arrest might he effected without delay. A tew hours after the interview Mr Boulton received a telegram from Mr Gray stating that on the denunciation of Fricke, an order had been issued for his (Mr Gray's) arrest. Mr Gray declared that he, of course, had nothing to do with the event in question and that he had not moved from Oruro. He attributed t'ue annoyance to the personal spite of Fricke, who on previous occasions had tried to molest him. Mr Boulton, in view of the facts attending the death of Mr Nilen, all of which pointed to the guilt of Fricke himself, considered that the inquiry was not being justly conducted, and early the following morning he again called upon .the Minister for Foreign Affairs, only to learn that the entire Cabinet had resigned the night before, and that there was nobody to whom he might properly address himself. He theretore telegraphed to Mr Gray, at Oruro. instructing him to repoi-t any developments at once. As he had not received word up to the date of his despatch to the British authorities, he presumed that the order for Mr. Gray's arrest had not been put into effect. So far, however, no news of an arrest in connection with the murder has been received by the authorities.