ISLAND HORRORS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 213, 13 September 1904, Page 3

ISLAND HORRORS.

NEW BRITAIN MASSACRES OF MISSIONARIES. FURTHER I'ARTICULARS. BRISBANE, September 12. ' Detail® oi thy massacre show that • tihie attack was mu.de at nine o'5 clock in the morning. It appeal's " the nuurderers stood by their victims until the signal was gtiven by • Tomani, who was the only one with 1 a gun. lie shot Futlver Rasher dead with ii charge of buckshot while he 1 sat reading in his house. immediately, other meml>ers of the mission were killed. The majority were struck down with hatchets from behind. Brothers Bleu, Blare-haert, and Tohelteken at the time were engaged in joinery work for a new church. Sister Anna was in the next room to that, occupied by Father Rather, and wiieii she went to his assistance, Tomari followed and shot her through the head. Sister Sophia was returning from the village, where she had been to attend a s J iek native, when slue was struck down. Sister Agatha met har <loath whale binding the wound .of a native. Sister Agnes, teacruar at the station, was at the time engaged in needlework. Sister Wilhelmiria was murdeivd while 'arranging ornaments on the altar oi the new church. Her mutilated body wasi found on the altar stairs. Tine new church was to be opened . on August 26th, and preparations were beiog made to celebrate the event. Brother Rotteins' head was chopped off antd the skull battered to pieces.

Father Rasher was the founder of the missions. He had received fioiu the Kaiser a Prussian order of refor his work in native language and ethnology. All the other victims Were Dutc-h except one, who was of (ieriuun oxtraction. Two of the murderers were freed slaves ; the rest were from adjacent / mountains. The chief criminal, Tomarl, had been ait -the mission since it start ud. Tine general,opinion in t'.«e islands is that the attack was not onl) against tihui missions, but really u prelude to m\ attack against all whites. It is* umlt'i'stood that the attack en intended to attack sun-oral obher stations belonging to the CaUioiic mission, but the people were p/epaud, and tliiey proved unsuccessful. It is sitated the oui]Uieak was due to a desire on the part of the natives to be iive l'ike white men. TUej do not like being compelled to work and wished to be allowed to nvu as they liked, without restriction. Another report states that 80 ol the !New Britain murderers were taken and 16 shot.

OUTRAGES AT NEW HEBRIDES. MURDERS ON FRENCH RECRUITING VESSELS. BIIISDANE, September 1 '2. ■ Further massacres' are reported Irom Uiti New Hebrides. A toat belonging to the French recruiting ketch Charollaise, with a crew o'i live natives, hvndud at fllailicolo. The natives surrounded nmu tailed four, but the filth eraai.'d wounded, ibiy swimming to the ketch" ' A second tragedy occurred aboard the Ireuch labour ketch Ferie, lying oil the coast of Santo. The native crew butchered Captain LebousHe a»d the mate (Willie Champion) whiK sleeping, stripped the vessel and escaped in the boats to Aoba' where they were cupiuied. v«t£r h ' warßhip j,as gonct ° in -