“QUIET AND SAD IN APIA”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 866, 9 January 1930, Page 6

“QUIET AND SAD IN APIA”

Story of Riot and Bloodshed EYE-WITNESS GIVES DETAILS Official Denial of Statements ALL is quiet and sad in and around Apia.now,” said Mr. Jsi Kronfeld, a barrister of Samoa, who supplied to the Svdney “Daily Guardian” a detailed description of the riot which occurred in Western Samoa on December 28. The story, dated January 1, appears in the “Guardian’ which arrived bv today’s mail. Two of Mr. Kronfeld’s statements are officially contradicted. It is asserted that no shooting occurred until the lives of the police were in imminent danger.

Mr. Kroufeld's account is as fol- j lows: — 1 “Preparations had been made by the Mau to welcome Mr. Smyth, who had been deported with Messrs. Nelson and Gurr, on his return to Samoa. That kindled the flame. The village of Vaimoso, the headquarters of the j Mau, was the scene of great activi-j ties. The feast was prepared and all , arrangements made for the welcome ; home according to the best Samoan | traditions. "About 0 a.m. the members of the Mau, numbering some 1,500, left Vainioso headed by High Chief Tuimalealiifano and marched to the strains of a brass band to Apia, some two miles distant. They were quite orderly and as they marched past the scene was most impressive. They all wore the distinctive emblems of the Mail and marched four or five abreast, save for some 40 of their own police chiefs, who carried batons and marched on the flanks. “They proceeded along the main beach road from the west and were approaching the Tivoli wharf, which is near the central offices, when another party of the Mau could be seen approaching from the east. About 10 constables could be seen walking in front of the central oflices. They were not armed, but carried batons. Sergeaut Fell was ill charge and the party was instructed to arrest one man who was wanted by the policeauthorities. The particular individual was picked out as the Mau column passed the central offices, and an attempt was made to apprehend him. The constables rushed in. In the melee Sergeant Fell was knocked to the ground senseless and mauled and beaten with a cornet. ARMED REINFORCEMENTS “Armed reinforcements came to the rescue and suddenly one constable was seen to run into the head of the line and grab a native, who resisted apprehension and fled to the sea side of the column. The constable followed. A small scuffle ensued and two shots were fired, the second bringing down the man. was seen to run into the baud off Oth “Immediately there was a hue and cry. Bullets began to hiss around and many natives foil. Others picked up stones and threw them at the police. Windows in the central offices were broken. One stone wrecked the drawers of the desk in the Crown Solicitor’s office and the walls now show ; dents where stones connected. “Constable Abraham, who was a member of the armed reinforcement, was knocked down by a blow over the shoulder from an axe or knife. He rushed into a small alleyway and evidently emptied his revolver as he retreated. He fell and was pommelled to death, receiving terrible injuries to the head. High Chiefs Tamasese and Faumuina were marching at the rear of the column, and when the trouble occurred their voices could be heard exhorting their men to keep the peace. Tamasese rushed up to the front and received shots in the hip and arm. Several natives rushed to his help, and one, a youth, jumped in front of i his chief, dropping dead, his body j being- hit with several shots. Two ! other men received fatal wounds. LEWIS GUNS IN ACTION

“Lewis guns then played for a couple of seconds from the verandah of the police station, three bursts being fired over the heads of the mob in different directions. Tuimalealiifano was seen waving his arms and also exhorting the men to quieten, and a few moments later High Chief Faumuiua, helped by other chiefs, eventually pacified the mob. “The killed and wounded were hurriedly rushed back to Vaimoso in motor-cars, and within 40 minutes of (he first incident the Mau were seen quietly marching back to Vaimoso. The injured were reluctant to go to hospital, but thanks to the influence of Father Delhi, who arrived soon afterwards at Vaimoso with a doctor, wiser counsels prevailed, and by 9 a.m. most of the injured were receiving medical attention. “Th* whole incident was as unexpected as it was distressing. It is well known that many of the Mau are wanted by the police authorities, not only for political, but also for criminal offences, and have in the meantime sought protection in the Mau stronghold at Lopea. “Some six weeks ago High Chiefs Tuimalealiifano and Faumuina returned from Auckland and there awaited them a great reception. Many of these wanted men dared to come into Apia with their free comrades. The authorities made no attempt to

arrest them. Although a paper circu- , larised locally belittled that fact, the J authorities warned the Mau not to per- j mit these men to come out of their sanctuary, otherwise an attempt would be made to arrest them. Both Tuimalealiifano, who received slight wounds in the right arm, and Tamasese, were agfcinst these natives coming to Apia, but the high chiefs gave way to the majority, who took the warning more as a joke, never believing that it was absolute. “The imbroglio into which the factions have clashed, with the spilling of blood, was thus caused through a legal attempt to arrest a native under a legal warrant, and the consequently illegal resistance given by some of the Mau, with the result that force was used, and their leader, Tamasese, who died yesterday from his wounds, lies buried with six others, and some 40 are wounded, 28 of whom have received medical attention at the hospital. PASSING OF TAMASESE “Much praise must be given to Dr. Hutson and Dr. Campbell, Mr. Partridge and the sisters of the hospital for their untiring attention to the w r ounded. Many received immediate temporary medical attention, while the more serious were being attended to, but ugly rumours were spread that they would be arrested or killed, and they left the hospital. Several have since returned, appreciating that the hospital is neutral ground, and have been, operated upon and are now progressing favourably.

“Tamasese lost much blood. His heart weakened and he gradually sank. I saw him at the hospital shortly after his admission, and he greeted me with his usual boyish smile, his face beaming with courage. He was removed to Vaimoso early on Sunday and died at 8.45 a.m., members of the Mau giving the royal salute as the last breath left him.

“To the last he exhorted his adherents to keep the peace, and his remains were reverently interred this moring at Lepea, in the presence of many hundred Europeans and natives. His chiefly rank gave him the right to be buried with his father, among the late Kings of Samoa, at Mulinuu, but that would have meant the corttegq coming to Apia, and probably exciting more, trouble, and so Lepea was' chosen for the. place of burial. He-was a mart in his early thirties, a typical Samoan, handsome and of line physique, and of a kind and generous disposition. He was a born leader of the men of his race, with strong administrative instincts, and his loss even by his political foes will be sadly felt throughout the territory. He leaves a widow and three infant children to mourn his untimely death. “Constable William Abraham was born in Ireland, and enlisted with the Samoan military police in Dun edin in 1928. He was 24 years of age, and was a kindly fellow and held in high esteem by all who knew him. He was buried at Magiagi cemetery with full military honours.” Ml*. Tsi Kronfeld is the son of the late Gustav Kronfeld, who was one of the earliest European settlers in Samoa, and was educated at Auckland. His mother is a Samoan princess, and he is a barrister practising- in Apia. He was a personal friend of the late Chief Tamasese. DANGER TO POLICE UNARMED BEFORE CLASH NEITHER BATONS NOR REVOLVERS Press Association WELLINGTON, Today. The description of the riots in Samoa by Mr. Kronfeld, as published in Sydney, contains two statements which are officially contradicted. One is that the police who sought to make arrests were not armed, but carried batons. The Government’s information on this point is that the arresting police were not armed, either with batons or with revolvers. It was not until the resistance of the Mau that a supporting party of police came to the rescue armed with revolvers. It' was also stated In the article that after the reinforcements of police arrived, the constable pursued a native, whereupon a scuffle ensued and two shots were fired, the second bringing down the native. The Administrator’s reports indicate that there was no shooting before the lives of police were in imminent danger.

The latest official advices from Samoa indicate that the inquest on the death of Constable Abraham is now proceeding.