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WHO SflQT M1APS?
Asssi:s toed teii Geared
Charge Persisieritly Repeated
Consular Mm feflows
COLOMBO, August 20.—There was a
remarkable sequel to an incident waich
happened to coincide with the recent
visit of an Australian troopship to
Colombo.
During the afternoon a well-known
European resident named Bracegirdle
was shooting crows"St ilonnt Lavinia,
a pleasant seaside resort, a few
from Colombo, invariably visited by
the Australian soldiers.
Mr. Bracegirdle had a shot at two
crows, and some stray pellets struck
a Japanese' woman-, and herv brother,
who were walking on the beach, and
were hidden from Mr. Bracegirdle by
some rocks.
The injury in each case was very
slight.
The husband of the Japanese woman,
a merchant named Shibagaki,
adopted a remarkable attitude, however.
Hurrying to the police station, In
a state of great exc tement, he complained
that Australian soldiers had
chased his wife, and deliberately
shot her.
CABLE TO JAPANESE GOVERN-
MENT.
Dissatisfied with the police attitude,
he hastened to the Queen's Hotel. The
Governor was away, but the A.D.G.
heard the story, and tie strictest inquiry
was instigated.
Captain Neill, of the Australian
Provost Corps, and the Superintendent
of the Police soon established
that .the Australian soldiers had nothing
whatever to do with the in- 1
cident. .
jlr. Bracegirdle then caine forward
and stated that he only had handled a i
gun, and that no Australian was evpn
near him ,
He apologised to Shibagaki, tout the
latter refused' to accept ; his apology."
persisting that bis wife liad been shot
deliberately by the Australian* soldiers.
'. The clearest evidence to tne contrary
.was swept aside by him. and
he cabled at length to the Japanese
Government for redress.'
THE INCIDENT RECONSTRUCTED.
As a result of his persistent complaints.
tlie Japanese Consul at Bom-
bay has now arrived in Colombo, andij
with'the Police Magistrate, he visited
Mount Lavinia to-day, where the incident
'was reconstructed, and the
istoiies of eye-witnesses were taken.
The proceedings wefre conducted in
private, but I (the representative of
Reuter's Agency) am in a position to
say that it was again demonstrated
heyond all-shadow of doubt that the
Australians had absolutely nothing to
'do with the matter.
The peculiar attitude of Shibagaki
caused indignation among the. residents,
who strongly resent unjust
charges being recklessly made against
the. Australian soldiers, whose conduct
was in every way exemplary.
Shibagaki has a brother in the
"Japanese "navy, and" his wife is a near
relative of Prince Saionji, who was
leader- of ythe Japanese Peace Delegation.
•',.;.
Shibagaki . say^ that he is determined
to make an international matter
of the incident
—Sydney "Sun.",
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