The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-20
FULL ACCOUNT OF MURDER
OF NEW GUINEA MISSIONARIES

celVeQ the uetallS OF the awful late Oh
Ia party of English missionaries at the
hands of the fierce cannibals of New
Guinea. The noted explorer, Rev.
James Chalmers, and DR.. Oliver Eel
lows Tompkins of the London Mission
airy Society, James Walker and Thomas
Rathbone, young men who accompan-
eleven native converts who were with
the party, were decoyed from their
boat, led into the interior and set upon
and murdered by 800 warriors.
After the massacre the bodies of the
victims We're cut to pieces and the saw
ages devoured the flesh.
There was no excuse for the murder.
The natives received the missionary
party in friendly fashion, and. after
gaining the confidence of the white men,
deliberately slew them. Sickening de-
tails of the terrible tragedy were fur
nished by native captured by the
punitive expedition sent from Thursday
Island AS soon as the affair became
known a military force was sent TO
the scene from Thursday Island. and
a Warship from Sydney followed WITHIN
a week. Terrible retribution was taken
upon the murderous tribes responsible
for the. outrage. Whole villages were
l. laid in ashes and many natives were
killed A portion of the expedition has
returned, bringing full particulars on
the crime and it's punishment. The
story, even in it's bare, unimpassaoned
official recital, shows that the massacre
of the Chalmers party was the most
wanton affair of the kind that has &c
Cured in the South Seas for many
Years.
The most striking feature of this
story of savage treachery and fiendlsh
cruelty is the sublime courage dis
played by the missionaries. Suspecting
that murder was in the hearts of the
natives, Chalmers advised his colleague.
DR. Tompkins, to return to the beat
while vet it was possible. Tompkins.
although coinciding with the views OF
Chalmers as to impending danger. re-
piled to the warning by placing him
self at the side of his friend and march
ing steadily with him until they were
separated by death.
SCENE OF MASSACRE.
Across the Straits of Cape York Pen
insula, in British New Guinea, lies the
Island of Coaribatta. A dozen native
villages, inhabited by the most savage
people in the South Seas, are situated
few miles inland, where great sWamps
make the country almost impossible.
1t was at a place known as Risk Point.
not far from the mouth of the Fry
River, that the massacre occurred On
the first of April last the missionary
party set out from Thursday Island IN
the little schooner Niue, which is owned
by the London Missionary Society.
| Included in the party were Rev.
James Chalmers, DR.. Tompkins, James
Walker, Thomas <Rathbone and eleven
young native converts and students.
| Captain Bob Shoemaker was in COM
mand of the schooner. 1t was the in
tention of Mr.. Chalmers to visit some
| of the islands where missionaries had
never before been. No one knew bet
ter than he the dangers attending such
an expedition. For many years he had
llabored among the natives of New
! Guinea and he was well acquainted
with the bloodthirsty nature and
| treacherous character of the people
| His chief assistant, DR.. Tompkins, had
been in New Guinea year. The lat
| ter was but q years old when he met
his untimely end.
| The Niue cruised around the islands
until, on the morning of April 9Th, she
| dropped anchor off the shore of Coari-
batta. A few hours later several canoes
filled with natives came out to the boat.
| The head man of the islanders greeted
the white men warmly, and assured
the visitors that they would be safe
with his people. Chalmers conversed
with the chief for an hour, and after
an exchange of presents the natives
withdrew to the shore. On the day
following the chief returned and invited
Chalmers and his companions to visit
his village in order that the native peo-
pie might be given an opportunity to
hear the message brought by the mis-
sionaries.
Enthusiastic in the cause to which he
had devoted his life. and needless of
personal danger, Chalmers accepted
the invitation of the chief, but declared
he would go alone, leaving his compan-
ions on the schooner. To this proposal
the others would not consent, and so
the entire party landed in the native
canoes, leaving the Niue in charge of
Captain Shoemaker. Fifty warriors
received the white men on the beach.
Chalmers noticed their sullen chances,
and the fact that their faces were hid
eously painted in war style, and whis-
pered to Tompkins that he feared
treachery. He advised his young COM
panion to return to the schooner, say
ing that if death lay in wait for them
in the interior, there was no need of
more than one being sacrificed Tomp-
kins responded with an emphatic re-
fusal. and then the old missionary urg-
ed and pleaded. declaring that he was
old and had but a few years to live at
the most, while Tompkins was young
and could yet be of great service in
the cause of ChEist.
To this appeal the brave young Eng
lishman responded that he had cast his
lot with Mr.. Chalmers, and he was
determined to remain at his side as
long as life was left to him.
TAKEN PRISONERS.
No act of hostility was committed until
the procession reached point three miles
from the beach. Then several of the
warriors closed around the white men
and the native students and with uplift-
ed clubs intfmated that the visitors rera