While researching for my book Guys like Gauguin I spent some time in the National Archives in Kew looking at the British consul’s papers from the 1920s. Much of the consul’s time was spent looking after the upkeep of the consul buildings and the petty disputes between British citizens and locals on the island but occasionally he was drawn into more serious matters. Two possible suicides attracted my attention.

The first was the death of Archibald Morrison. In June 1922 the British consul recorded that a body had been found floating in Papeete harbour. It was later agreed that Morrison, who originated from Torrance in Scotland and had arrived in Tahiti as a passenger on SS Tahiti, on his way from San Francisco to Sydney had ‘met his death while bathing.’ None of the obituaries back in Scotland suggested that his death was in any way suspicious.

Partick Arthur Tierney

There was however more suspicion about the death of another man, an Irishman, Patrick Arthur Tierney, who emigrated to New Zealand before the war.

On the morning of October 5^th1922 Tierney’s body was found under the wharf in the bay of Bora Bora, an island a seven-hour boat ride away from Tahiti. His death was reported as suicide and an inquiry by the French Authorities agreed with this judgement. However, some of Tierney’s friends back in New Zealand started to ask a few questions, and they persuaded the Govenor-General of New Zealand to write to the British consul in Tahiti.

(The National Archives (United Kingdom), Foreign Office: Consulate. Papeete, French Polynesia, General Correspondence of the Papeete Consulate, Estates: PA Tierney, FO 687/19, Letter from New Zealand Governor-General to British Consul to Tahiti, Feb 15^th 1923)

His concern was that Tierney’s body ‘bore several wounds, including two deep incisions in the right forearm and two in the throat’.  Furthermore, there was no obvious reason why Tierney should have wanted to commit suicide since he was ‘of a cheerful disposition,’ and ‘in no financial embarrassment.’

Replying to the Governor-General’s letter the acting British Consul, WJ Williams, explained that he had been told by the French Authorities that although a verdict of suicide had not been clearly established there didn’t appear to be any clues suggesting murder. Williams pointed out that a British Trader, Ralph Hart, who happened to be visiting Bora Bora at the time of Tierney’s death had written a letter in which he stated he was fully convinced that there had been no foul play. Williams added that he had ‘known Mr Hart for twenty-one years’ and that he placed ‘great reliance upon his integrity and judgement.’ Williams did go on to say: ‘doubts existed in my mind as to the thoroughness of the investigation, with a full knowledge of the inefficiency of the local police.’ However, he thought if doubtful a new inquiry would deliver a different verdict.

He did however suggest that if Tierney’s friends wanted to take matters further, they should send a detective fluent in the local language to the island but that he should ‘work without the assistance of the local police’ who would ‘inadvertently hamper the investigation by their inefficiency.’ He concluded the letter by reassuring the Governor-General that his consulate would continue its ‘investigations in a quiet way’.

Presumably Tierney’s friends decided to let the matter rest. However, a year after Tierney’s death, on November 28^th, 1923, Williams, still the acting British consul, contacted the Governor-General again to tell him that a local man on Bora-Bora, called Pae a Pae had contacted him with more information. Although Pae a Pae was at the time being held by the French Authorities on a theft charge Williams was allowed to interview him. He summarised his story.

At the beginning of October, the Administrator and Medical Officer of Raiatea had visited Bora-Bora along with the well-known trader, Ralph Hart. There had been a big party with much liquor and many men were intoxicated. Tierney had been at the party but hadn’t been drinking. At 2am Pae a Pae, while out searching for his wife, observed two men, wearing raincoats, supporting another man who he saw, as he rushed up to them, was Tierney. He claimed the two men were Ralph Hart and Jas Adams, the Master of the Schooner which had bought the officials over to the island. Ralph Hart drew out a gun and told him to clear off, so he ran towards the wharf. There two men ‘in disguise’, one with a gun, were guarding the wharf and ‘warned him off’. He said he ran off terrified but 36 hours later Tierney was found in 10 fathoms of water at the end of the wharf. Pae a Pae claimed he had been the diver who had bought up the body and that he had seen the wounds as described in the police report.

Pae a Pae, when asked, admitted he didn’t know whether Tierney had been alive when he saw him being carried by the two men, nor had he seen him being attacked by anyone. He was sure Tierney had been killed, and he knew there were many others on the island who also knew. Asked why he hadn’t reported it earlier he said he had been ‘warned by the authorities not to speak of this under penalty of death.’ He then appealed to Williams to help him. The French Procurer then interrupted saying ‘this man is a criminal and he hopes to escape his punishment by telling this.’

The French authorities decided to ignore Pae a Pae’s evidence and he was convicted on the theft charge and sent to prison. Back in New Zealand the Auckland Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen’s Association, who had taken up Tierney’s case, agreed with the Governor-General’s ministers not to take the matter further. The confidential correspondence between the Governor General and the British consul were sealed until 1990.

Patrick Tierney was buried at the Uranie Cemetary just outside Papeete, the same cemetary where five years later Robert Keable was buried.