THE NEW BRITAIN MASSACRE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXII, Issue 49, 8 December 1904, Page 3

THE NEW BRITAIN MASSACRE.

THE MURDERERS' FATE.

The Sydney ' Daily Telegraph ' told, in a recent issiue, the sequel of the cruel massacre of Catholic missionaries in New Britain by some wild hill-natives, led on by a convert named Tomaria, whom the Fathers would not permit to put away his lawful wife in favor of another. The account of the punisliment of the miunderers is from tne bpeiial coi respondent of the ""Daily Telegraph ' and is dated trom Herbert/shoe, New Britain. 11 mips as toilows :—: —

Since the massacre of Pater Rascher and his community at St. Paul's, Beining, a s,lrong police force under the direction ot Police-m,aster Schaper has been sicouring the fastnesses of the Beinmg Mauntains, and has infiicteid a fearDul pumsihment on the natives for their cnbne. l>s to the present 83 riati>ves have 'beein shot, and 35 semt.etn.oed to various terms of imprisonment.

The Repentance

Tthe lirst of the murderers to be captured alive was Togjvnakam, who had struck down Brother Shellekens. He was taken by his own ipeople, and delivered wp to the pplice. He was biought on to Herbertfe/tooe, and was tried by the Imperial Judge, Herr Kornmeyer, ajid a special jury of three. He confused this crime, an*i when questioned as to why he committed the deed, he replied, 4 Tomaria told me to do so.' He was fecund guilty and sentenced to be shot the next morming. At the appointed time he was brought out to tiie place of execution, an/d allowed himself to be boinnki to the post without a lminmir. He was attended by Father Dick till tthe last momont. Uniortunately, the native pokce bungled the nhaoting, and two volleys haid to be lired into tihe miserable man before he was killed.

Qn September 12 ToKapie was captured, tried, tind shot at Herbertsihoe, Father Dick again attending the doonrod nuan. Tirowas, tihe ni'urderer of Sister Agatha, was captured and executed at Beimng. Jiust before his execution ho expressed a wish to be baptised into "the Catlhiolic faith, and the U'overtimont officials, in compliance with hvs wish, secured the attendance of Father Van der Aa, who baptiseid him. At the conclusion of the ceremony he was .shot. Toyule, who was captured wiuh Tirowas, was also sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted t>o imjp.ris'onment for life on acciount of ( hns youth, he being only 16 years of age.

How Tomaria Planined the Murders

From tihe confessions of the executed men it seems that Tomaria was planning the Beming massacre for a Long time, ar*d got many of the 'natives to join in by means ol a trick. Tomana v\as 'accustomed to gio to the villages of the natnes a,nd buy ]>ig f s, saying that they were foe the use of the missionaries, and that Pater Raseher would eventually pay for them. He would take the pigs to his tnertds arud they would feast. After many pigs haid been secured in this way, he told the natues to go to Pater Rasoher tor thei-r pay. Naturally the priest was .surprised, as he had never seen one of the pigs , he told the natives, .and refused to pay for what he had not received.

The natnqs leit full of anger against Tomaria lie was waiting for them, and inquired if they had icceivod payment. The natives accused him of trickery, but in great indignation he told them that, Pater Raschor had lied to tihem, as the mis.s«onaries haid eaten all the pigs. He wound u.p his accusation wiUh the words : ' That is what your missionary does for you. lie is no tr,ue missionary, and we will kill shim ' Exasperated .it the idea that the missionaries ha,d cheated them, they agreed, a^nd the massacre was arranged to take place next nnormnq, as Tomaria had niow no fear of opposition horn any of the natives. lie also sieotired the services of Pater Hascher's peradnal attendant and another village boy to act as spies. It was arranged that the massacre was to take place in the morning, whilst the community were attending Mass, and that the signal was to be given by Tomaria shooting Pater Rasiher at the altar. Just as Tomaria was about to give the signal by aihaotrng the Pater, the priest turned towards his congregation saying the words, ' Domin.us Vobiscum,' and lus eye by accident fell on Tomaria, who hurried from tfhe church, thirtkrng that he w,as discn.vered. Finding that such was not the case, he Hurriedly arransred for the massacre to take place after the community, bad breakfasted, and it was carried out.

llfow the Murderers were Calught

During the campaign against the rryurderers they showed great ingenuity in defending themselves. Tlie chiefs, hearing of the approach ol the police, retirejd to the Kara mountains and dug deep trenches, heaping up the ground in front. When the police appeared they miade a determined resistance, but owing to their want

of firearms as opposed to the magazine rifles of the police, they we,re routed, many of them beilng Jailed.' Tomjos, the chief, was wo,un,ded, and afterwards died. Many other engagements took place, but duriing the whole time the ringleader, Tomaria, was n-ot seen or hoarlcl! of. The Governor, Dr. Hiahl, had offered large rowands to the natives fior the capture of the mjurderers, deaSd or ali\e, almd eventually several heads were brought in by the natues, but Tom'aria was not am.o'n'g tftiem.

Death of the Arlch-Murderer, Tomaria

Tihe Ci overlnment, recognising the serioaistaess of allowing Tomaria to remain at la r ,ge, two men who were under sentence of death were onered life and liberty it t|hey would guide the police force to the retreat of their leader. They agreed, and, chained together, they were told to lead, and were told that at the first sign of treachery they wo.uld be shot. The march was a fea,rflul one, and reflects the greatest credit on Policemaster Schaper, who, with his black police, undertook the dangerous duty. Attej a considerable distance of xougfi country ha\d been traversed, the party came across a newly-cut track, beautifully clean and fresh-lookilng, leading up into the mountains. Schaper, tired out with his Hong chniib, would have readily tunned into tihe track,, but the two guides objected, and insisted on ■ascending the mountain by another route. It was well for the party that Schaper listened to aidvice, for it was afterwards discovered that the track bad been cut by Tomana as a trap, and had the party taken it, they won I'd hhuea u e been killed to a man.

S lie ill t'hily a.scen,dmg, the party at last came in sight of Tomana's camp, which wk in the form, of a ring surrounded by deep trenches. The approach of t|he police was observed, and Tomaria, leaping over his trenches, stood waitung, ri/Ie in hand. As soon as Scraper came in sight a ball whistled past his ear, and he fell. Tomaria was not sure that the shot had taken effect, and called out derisively for the white man to ' Come on i ' *le then sent; another shot, w<hioh tore up the grass at Schaper's side. A third shot quickly fioll/owed, and then Tomana got behuid a cocoamut tree to reload. This was the policeman's chance ; he covered the tree with his rifle and fired, and Tomaria fell 'dead, shot thraupjh the throat, the ball having first passed through the tree. Ihe natives made a most determined resistance, but wqre driven out, many of them being killed. Tomarra's he,a'd was out from the body and placed on a stake, to act as a warning to others. Pater Rasfcher's cim was recovered, together with a considerable amount of ammumlton of Tomaria's own mianutacfure.

The Last Chapter

O/n September 29, Tokan'gal was captured at Vuna Mania, an I afterwards exec'utod at Herbertsh.De. It was he who gp.ve Sister Sophie her deatili stroke. He was attended by Father Dick. Tnlalama, wh,o was implicated in the sacking of the Tra^pist statilon, gained his reprieve by bringing in the heads of three of the murderers jiiamod Tomckmek, TopaJum, and Toyusira. The three natives defended theirkselives with spears, but were ovoicome by Toralama's people. St. Paul's Again. It is now considered that sufficient punishment flias been 'dealt out to the natives, and the mission stations will be again started. Pater Stehlm, two Brothers, alid three Sisters will sWon ta»ke uip the work at St. Paul s The heads of the natives who were executed were cut off, and put in spirits, aiud sent to Beilui.