BLOOD-LUST IN PAPUA

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 339, 26 April 1928, Page 9

BLOOD-LUST IN PAPUA

MURDER, CANNIBALISM RAIDS BY HEAD-HUNTERS POLICE LEAD FIGHT PARTIES (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) SYDNEY, Friday. Wholesale massacres, headhunting and cannibalism are reported to be rife in the Delta division of Papua by two boatbuilders, Messrs. J. and L. Day. They have returned to Sydney from Papua, where for the past six months they have been building a boat for the London Mission Society. They say that fights between headhunters in the villages are common. Since Christmas more than 500 natives have been murdered. Just before the Days left a great fight occurred. The natives from nine villages in the Delta division atacked the natives of Morigio Island. They went down the creeks in 40 canoes. The Europeans did not hear of the attack until it was over. Thirty-nine natives were killed and many others were wounded. A serious aspect of the massacres was that the native police were generally the ringleaders. They often led the fighting parties in their police uniforms. NOBODY NOW SAFE After the fight at Morigio 15 of the police were arrested, in addition to about 80 other natives. The native police would wait until the Government officials in their district were too far away to interfere. They would then embark on cannibal and headhunting expeditions. There are five Government officials patrolling the Delta division, but the disturbances are kept secret by the Government. Nobody is now safe in the Delta division and, although the missionaries were doing their best, they could not cope with the situation.