The Samoan Mau Party in parade escorted by Samoan Mau Police
On the 28th of December 1929 the Samoan Mau Socialists celebrated in parade on the open shores splitting in two parties (each party gathering suport while walking through the main city area) who were to meet in a central place to welcome returning overseas Mau Party members. Some of the returning Mau members were movement leaders and NZ lawyers who were coming home and to meet again with councils. Mau member liks gentlemen Mr. Messrs Smyth and Mr. Hall Skelton was hosted by Mr. Krause. During the celebrations for the Mau members an New Zealand Sergeant Waterson and Sergeant Fell had unconfirmed warrants with malintent, who on that day claimed they were there to arrest a boy during the parade, Waterson moved in to make an arrest with no respect for the parade itself.
Both Sergeants who moved about the crowd during the march were spotted by the Mau Policemen and were followed to their target, at which time, both were told to leave the event immediately. NZ Sergeant Fell was then arrested by the Mau Police who had made an advance toward the band line and Sergeant Waterson was held by force by two Samoan officers. Mr. Fell who resisted arrest was then struck twice and batoned on the head, swayed and half conscience, he was held in arm. Sergeant Waterson tried to pull-out his revolver but was stopped and over powered. Mr. Waterson managed to make it to Fell's side, but both were restrained by the Western Samoan Mau Police force.
On the side of the Beach Street stores an NZ Colonel Downes was situated on the corner of Ifi Ifi Beach road, an assembled force waiting on a whistle, Colonel Downes then sounded an advance to the situation. The Mau Police then surrounded the NZ military unit, as did the young Samoan men of the parade and conflict ensued in full contact.
The New Zealand military force were beaten, stoned, and flung around, fastly put to the ground, and several were held, the rest of the New Zealand Unit retreated. Witnesses stated that it was Sergeant Waterson, first ahead, ahead of the NZ pack, who left behind the NZ military in unit, who in statement said 'he thought the pack was with him'. NZ Sergeant Waterson was initially one of the first who start the affray and was the first to run away. In the conflict, many within the NZ unit was left behind including a Constable Abraham. The NZ force had split, each scattered man-for-man, and some went into an alley way between the Samoan beach stores. Constable Abraham was caught there in the ally and was downed. It was stated that it was one hit to the head, possibly with a stone in hand, and Abraham fell dead.
Witness statement by Corporal Cahill "While we were being forced down the lane, I saw Constable Abraham behind a post in the lane. I was trying to dodge a stone. As I looked at him I saw him crumple up. His back was towards me but I was under the impression he was firing his revolver. There were a number of Samoans in front of him, they were throwing stones in the lane. I stopped when Constable Abraham fell. I could not go back because the Samoans were too strong. I retreated with the others. I did not see Constable Abraham again."
As the Samoans attacked the New Zealand unit were in a full retreat heading for a building of the Samoan Government Police Department, and the faster youth were reported to be running ahead to cut the NZ unit off. The Samoan Police station building was the nearest agency working with NZ Government. The NZ military force buckled undercover, shooting in panic, several grabbed rifles. Sergeant Waterson who made it safely, was the one charged with firing a Lewis Machine gun on the balcony. Although Waterson was not the hero of the event, he was also found not to be villain, who only fired above head according to statements and not into the crowd. It was brought about in court that it was the rifle-fire who struck the only man who could have calmed the crowd, a Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III. Only two others were reported wounded and passed away from wounds, Leota and Migao, the rest unregistered.
According to a Pacific Historian "To begin this more correctly the title of NZ Black Saturday is a New Zealand or Englander-New Zealander form of framing history events. The wikipedia version of events is a fairytale, trying to portray that a single machine gun took over a whole nation when it was the NZ unit who was in retreat. The New Zealand unit was there in Western Samoa under an older Apia alliance where part of the Samoan Government approves both the Mau Party and the New Zealand presence, with the NZ presence only there to protect NZ interests"
An Inquest Hearing in New Zealand was held and statements were made on January 2nd 1930, at least 10-15 witnesses, including the store owners themselves who watched from indoors, expecting business on that day not an international incident, and military spoke their claims. The court hearings are still public records.
The Mau after that day spread and founded a Mau Women's branch. The Mau Party later created a Samoan Defense League in Auckland New Zealand, working with the new Socialist Labour Party of New Zealand. The Germans in 1930 launched several Cruisers to loop South Africa and enter New Zealand seas, sent the ship auxiliary cruiser Orion in 1940 who planted underwater mines around the Northern NZ island between the 1930-40s.
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Posted in: Samoa Pacific Islander Studies
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