MURDER OF THREE WHITE MEN AT SUWARRW'S ISLAND.

Colonist, Volume II, Issue 137, 11 February 1859, Page 3

MURDER OF THREE WHITE MEN AT SUWARRW'S ISLAND.

(From the Sydney Herald, January 18.) We have received a very full statement of facts relative to the murder of three white men at Suwarrow's Island, by a party of natives from Tongarcva, or Pewybn's Island; from which statement we make the following abstract: — The victims were Joseph Bird, a native of Great Britain; Thoma3 Charlton, a native of the United States; and Jules (family mrne unknown), a native of France. The scene of the murder is a laguae island, lying to the southward of the Pcnryhn or Maniiki Group.

In August, 1857, Joseph Bird, with eighteen Tongarevans and some women, left Tongareva for the purpose of forming a pearl diving establishment at Suwarrow's Island, iv the employment of Captain Sustenance. Two days afterwards, the vessel by which they wont touched at Maniiki, another island of the same group, for the supply of cocoar.uts (7000.) From thence she went to Raakang.a, also one of the Penryhns, and on the 13th August, she arrived at Suwarrow's Island. Here they found Charlton, who, with a party of eight or ten Maniikians, had drifted from Maniiki in a canoe, iv April, 1857, and having providentially made Suwarrow's Island, had remained there ever since. Charlton and his men were added to the party, and different places of residence and of work were allotted to the two white men and their assistants. In the month of October following, the station was again visited, and a supply of 13,000 nuts left there, and it was found that the enterprise had not turned out so well as had been expected, the Maniikians proving unable, and the Tongaievans unwilling to dive. It was determined, however, to try them for a few months more. Charlton refused, to return to Samoa by the vessel, preferring to remain at Sinvarr'ow's Island, and collect beche-le-raer, for which purpose a large pot was left with him. All at this time appeared amicable, although little was done in the way of diving, the produce not being more than on.c or two shells per diem for each person. There were then sixteen Tongarevans and ten women at the settlement; two of the Tongarevans having been removed at the former visit of the vessel, at Bird's request, on account of their inveterate laziness.

In the interval between this period and the 15th June, 185S, several vessels touched at the island, and from one of them (the Tickler) the Fjei!ohmai},,.,Jnlfis, was landed. On the day first named the island was visited aguiu by Captain Sustenance, when he was informed that the three white men had left for Samoa, in his boat, in the month of February, 1858. The most careful enquiries were made, without anything being elicited to cause a doubt upon this story, and it was believed. A Paumotu woman, Here Vaiiri, gave a very explicit account, full of detail, as to the departure of the white men, the quantity find character of the provisions which they had taken, &c. Captain Sustenance removed the whole of the islanders, and carried them to Tongureva via Raakauga. They behaved well on the passage, and neither said or did anything to arouse a suspicion of what had occurred. In July, 1858, Captain Sustenance again touched at Raakauga, and saw the Paumotu woman before mentioned, wlio asked him if anything had been heard of their fate, and discussed, with considerable shrewdness, the probabilities of their safety.

Iv the month of November following, Captain Sustenance called at Raakauga once more, and then heard, for the first time, that Ibe white men had been all murdered. It was by a native teacher at Maniiki that the truth was discovered. His suspicions were aroused by finding that one of the native women who had cohabited with Charlton, was possessed of money. Upon making a searching enquiry as to how she came possessed of it, she confessed that the Tongarevans had murdered the three white men by casting them into the middle of the lagune with stoves .fastened to their legs. The teacher at Maniiki wrote to his colleague at Raakanga, and the latter made further investigations, which confirmed the woman's story. Kb was this teacher, whose name was Taire, who first informed Captain Sustenance of the

nrnrder

Captain- Sustenance immediately instituted a rigid inquiry into the fticcs, examining a number of witnesses, and reducing to writing the principal portions of their evidence. The Poumotu woman now detailed the particulars of the murder as readily as she had before described the supposed departure of the murdered men for Samoa. Ske declared that she and the white men's wives had determined to tell Captain Sustenance of the murder ou -his-arrival, but were deterred by the threats of the men. When asked why she had made so many minute and false statements about the men, she laughed, and said, io the native idiom, " What for ?''

The rmmlei' was clearly the result of conspiracy among the Tongarevans. The first overt act was seizing some of the stored food. What followed is not quite clear, but. some attack appears to have been made upon Cliarlton, by a native called Tangiroa, and Charlton fired his gun over Tangiroa's bead, to frighten him, instead of at him, which would, perhaps, have deterred the others . from proceeding further. The islanders, who were'all armed and prepared, secured all the white men, and having boaud them, placed them into the boat. The wives of Bird and Charlton interfered, but were forced away. The Maniikians also attempted to save the white men, but were repulsed by the muskets and swords of the Tongarevans. As the men were being carried off, Bird begged bard for mercy, offering the islanders all he had if they would spare bis life. Cbarlton told him " not to be a child, as it was tbeii too late," and added, "It is your fault that this has happened to us." Jules wept bitterly. Bird was thrown over first and sank at once, as also did Charlton, who was the next victim. Jules rose once to the surface, but one Powhatu out hini

on the head with a sword, and 7«? then sank to rise no more. The boat was destroyed, as were some of the white' mou's effects, but the remainder,.with all their money, was divided, and all the islauders seemed to "have shared to a more or .less extent in the spoil. The murder was said to have been committed some time iv February.

The names of the men chiefly implioated iv the murder are Tana Mokara, Purakakea Malrala, Mantohim, Tangiroa Takatauruu, and Powhatu.