WHITE MAN'S BARBARITY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 21 June 1907, Page 4

WHITE MAN'S BARBARITY.

NATIVE WOMAN TIED TO A TREE AND LEFT TO DIE. Newspapers received in Bprlin from We&t Africa, report the trial at Swakopnuind of a case which is described ns a parallel of the Aremburg case, in which Prince d'Arenberg was convicted of beating a native woman to death. A young German farmer called Wiehager, twentyfour years of age, belonging to a good Rhenish family, awl an officer of reserve in a crack cavalry regiment, was charged with eliooting a Hcrero woman who ran away from her work. It is further alleged that he had tied up a native woman and child to a tree, and forgot to untie them. The woman died, and the child is stated to have been hanged by a native on Weihager's orders. The prisoner is further accused of attempting to bribe soldiers of the Protectorate force. Wiehager pleaded not guilty of having shot flic woman, who lie said had run away and -had not returned. He admitted tying a woman and child to a tree, and forgetting to release them in press of work, though they did not die, having been released by somebody.

The Public Prosecutor said the accused had succeeded in the colonies by oppressing his employees, who consequently ran away. The accused replaced them in a manner recalling the Arab slave raid. Workmen were severely beaten, and he was ashamed that conditions like those at Wiehager & farm at Omajonne 6hould prevail on a German farm. The Public Prosecutor demanded in all nine years' penal servitude !m the murders and lout months' penal servitude for bribery.

The Court decided that the shooting as well as the death of the woman and child were unpremeditated, while the hanging ot a child was not proven. In view of the prisoner's youth and good record the Court passed sentence of three ycaTs' imprisonment,

The prisoner has appealed. The case had created considerable sensation in the colony.