CHARGES AGAINST A MISSIONARY.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2584, 19 August 1909, Page 5

CHARGES AGAINST A MISSIONARY.

FLOGGING A HALF-CASTE AUSTRALIAN GIRL. THE CHARGES DISMISSED BY BOARD OF INQUIRY. United Press Association —Copyright (Received August 18, 10.20 p.ilr.) BRISBANE, August 18. Government officials have concluded an inquiry into grave charges made against the Rev. Nicholas Hey, superintendent of Mapoon Mission, involving alleged cruelty to natives. The charges were made by Michael Baltzer, and were circulated ii* Germany last year by a sister of Baltzer, and communicated officially by Bishop Latrobe, of the Moravian Board of Missions, to the Australian Presbyterian Board of Missions, who controlled the Mapoon settlement.

Baltzer alleged that a half-caste girl named Ellen had been unmercifully beaten with stingaree tail whips for striking Mrs. Hey. Baltzer, in evidence beforo the inquiry, stated that the flogging was carried out by Mr. Hey and himself at the former’s instigation. Ellen, in her evidence, admitted being flogged, and that a dinghy chain had been put round her neck after, but with the exception of that one beating she had been kindly treated at the mission.

. Mr. Hey, in his evidence, stated that Ellen wa 6 whipped for assaulting his wife. He explained to the children who witnessed the punishment why it was given and how serious the offence was. The girl received 25 cuts, not 100 as alleged by Baltzer. He asked the latter to carry out the punishment, as he did not like to inflict corporal punishment on anyone. He considered it a severe whipping. Ho would have administered the same punishment to one of his own children under the same circumstances. >

It appears that Baltzer in August last year’ wrote to the Moravian Mission Board voluntarily retracting. ■ The charges were preferred by Baltzer, but, as he could only offer hearsay evidence, they were struck out, and the Bench after a full inquiry dismissed the charges against Mr. Hey.

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