MURDER BY AUSTRALIAN BLACKS

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16225, 4 July 1918, Page 3

MURDER BY AUSTRALIAN BLACKS

(from ottb own cobrespondzct.) SYDNEY, June 26. That danger from uncivilised blacks still exists in the more remote parts of Australia was demonstrated recently by the murder, in the Northern Territory,-, of a stockman, a returned soldier named Alexander Macdonald, who had served in Egypt and France. Maoaonald was employed at Anvergne ; Station, and had been -sent to a place called Dick's Creek, eight miles out, to repair stockyards. He was assisted by a black called Frank, and, on March 2oth, he sent Frank away on a message. The following day Frank returned, and he foima Macdonald lying in his camp, dead. Bo immediately went to the Timber Creek police station A party, organised by tho constable, arrived at the cams next morning, and a brief examination of the dead stockman showed that he had been speared in the back and arm, apparently while ha slept. It was subsequently foupd that ho was murdered after sundown on March 23rd. A loaded rifle was found near the body, but all the food in the camp had been taken away. The party promptly €et off in pursuit of the blacks, snd,. a eonple of days later they caught 6ight of a number of aborigines on Razorback Mountains. They gave chase, but as they ascended thf* steep slope, the blacks began to roll big stones down upon tbem. The pursuers thereupon opened fire, and shot three of the Macks. The rest fled. The police continued the chase, and, subsequently, in a gorge, they came upon- a party of blades again. They advanced rapidly, and, as some of the whites wero approaching to arrest the blacks, the latter. attacked savagely with spears. The police party immediately opened, fire.' _ There was a merry little fiiht, in which four more blacks wore killed. The others scattered, but some of them were subsequently captured. . From information furnished by them it appeared that the attack on Macdonald was deliberate and unprovoked, and that the actual murderer was one of the four blacks shot in the second encounter with the police. It is hoped that the prompt and drastic punishment meted out will act as a warning to other murderously inclined natives.