The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-07-06
MASSACRED BY NATIVES
White Men Killed in British and
German New Guinea.
Savages Use Poisoned Arrows and tho
Constabulsry Fire Upon the Assailants
Three Planters Murdered.

Vancouver, British Columbia. TWEEN
ty natives slain in British New Guinea
in a conflict with the police force. three
planters and half a dozen native sery"
ants massacred in German New
Guinea-such is the sensational news
brought by the Australian steamer
Manuka OIL her initial trip to this port.
Poisoned arrows were used OIL one
side and modern rifles on the other in
the engagement, which resulted in the
killing Of the twenty natives Of British
New Guinea. The New Guinea Gov.
eminent steamer Merrie England went
to Goaribari Island to arrest the MUIR
derers Of the lev. James Chalmers ana
Mr.. Tonkins, q report Of whose violent
deaths at the hands of the blacks was
received some time ago. Judge Robin
son. acting administrator Of New
Guinea, was on board with a squad Of
police.
Several Of the supposed murderers
were seized and taken aboard. Then
the islanders decided to attempt q res
cue. The Government party, not sus-
pecting this design, allowed a large
number Of canoe to approach the ves-
sci. An arrow with a poisoned tip was
fired at Captain Harvey. This was the
signal for a general shower Of arrows,
most of which went over the steamer.
Several, however, dropped on board.
The arrows are terrible weapons as,
once they enter the flesh, the only way
to get them out is to pull them right
through. The c~onstabulary quickly re-
piled to the attack and firing was kept
up until the native assailants Of the
vessel had had enough, when they hur-
riedly made for the shore. There are
conflicting reports as to the number Of
natives killed, some putting it as high
as eighty, but twenty is given as the
most reliable figure. Nobody on the
Merrie England suffered. There were
between 400 and 500 natives in the at
lacking party.
A passenger on board the Merrie
England having asserted that some Of
the natives were shot while held as
hostages, Captain Harvey has. emphat-
ically denied the charges. The captain
declares that the islanders began the
conflict, otherwise there would have
been no fight.
Concerning the massacres in German
New Guinea, the most atrociouS was
that of Mr.. Reimers, manager Of the
Wahlen plantation, on Durour Island.
A band of 500 natives took possession
Of the property and seized Mr.. Reim-
erS.
While two of them held him down
another thrust a spear into his mouth
and then forced the weapon right
through his body. The natives weight
ed the body with stones and cast it into
the harbor. Retribution overlook the
attackers, for as they fed to a neigh
boring island in the hope of escaping
Justice a big storm arose and most Of
them were drowned. Large numbers
If empty m were washed ashore.
Another band Of natives swooped
down on the steamer Meta, belonging
% Peter Hansen, manager of the Peter.
shafen station of tie New Guinea COM
oany. The vessel was berthed at a pri-
vate jetty on the shore. The murder
ars, who were armed with spears,
killed the engineer, Dobell, and half a.
dozen of the native crew. Then they;
attacked Mr.. Reinhardt, the agent Of
the company, who was on shore, and
left him for dead. Peter Hansen was
shielded by friendly natives. Except
for their help he also would have been
massacred.
The government Of the German arch
ipelago Immediately organized a punt
i've expedition. Several Of the vii.
ages were destroyed by & German war
ship as a warning to the islanders that
all attacks on white traders will be
quickly punished.