GOVERNMENT AGENT MURDERED. OUTRAGE BY SOLOMON ISLANDERS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 289, 11 August 1888, Page 3

GOVERNMENT AGENT MURDERED. OUTRAGE BY SOLOMON ISLANDERS.

The schooner Saucy Lass returned to Suva on Saturday, 28th July, bringing the sad news of the death of Mr Bevan, the Government Agent. It appears that 'the sohooner's boat on June 16tn went ashore, while the schooner was anchored off the Island ol M alula, cne of the Solomon Group, to return a man. Mr Bevan and the boat's crew were in the boat, and unfoi'tunatcly took no extra precautions against assault if attempted. As soon as the boat ; got to the bhore, and three men had been recruited Mr Bevan gave one a lolonaa in the shape of an axe. No further remark was made, but the man cut Mr Bevan down across the region of the heart ; Mr Bevan was standing in the boat at the time, and fell overboard, dying almost immediately. At this moment, the other recruits attacked two Kanakas who formed part of the boat's crew. Others of the crew were armed with carbines and they fired on the as&ailants, wounding two of them. By this means, they were enabled to recover 'Mr Beva-n's body and to make their way to the ship. One of the natives died from his injuries at midnight of the 23rd. j It is supposed that the outrage originated in the fact that a man, who belonged to * Manawai and was expected' to return by the I same boat as his fellows, had died in the hospital at Suva. It is stated that a 2 JOS^ mortem examination was made in his case, and that another of the returns witnessed it at the hospital, and that it was in ( consequence of this that the murder was com-

mifcted, it being regarded as a proper act of retaliation. , As the regulations permit no landing or recruiting of labour, unless a Government Agent be on board, a return to Fiji was at once made, with ten of the return labour still on board, and no recruits. The murderer can be identified.