QUEENSLAND PLANTERS AND THEIR NATIVE SERVANTS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1137, 15 February 1884, Page 3

QUEENSLAND PLANTERS AND THEIR NATIVE SERVANTS.

- A'PolyMßllahgirl recently died at Redland Bay, Que-nsland. .1 from acuidentul burns, under circumstances of evilsnt'y gross neglect on the part of a sugar planter named Dart. The case was brought under the notice of the Queensland Legislative Ass >mhly recently, and Mr Griffith (the Premier) informed the House ch"t Dart’s name would l e removed from the Commission of the Pence, an) that in future he would be refused any license to employ Polynesians. The fallowing report of the inquiry into the case appeals in the Bri-hano journals : - • An inquiry into the circumstances connected with the death of a Polynesian girl on the plantation of Mr Wi liam Dart, at 'Redland Bay, was held at Redland Bay by M r Horrocks on the 6 hj December. William Dart, sugar plan er, Redland Bay, seated : The deceased, Mina, was in my employment. She arrived by the Madeline on her last trip, about a month ago. She was working as a bouse servant. On'the 20th"November last, about eight d’ctock’in the'morning, 1 was at the mill. My so.A Ernest come to me and said “ A black girl’s dress is on fire, and she has got burned.” 1 did not go to see the girl until the afternoon, between four and five o’clock. Tfae reason I did not go at once, was that 1 was busy at the mill. 1 gave no instructions how to treat the deceased. I took no seps to procure me iical assistance on that day. : I caw the girl,between four and'five o’clock in the afternoon. I examine I her and found the thighs in blisters. I put sweet oil and Hour upon the burns, and instructed my daughter to nurse her. also a native woman belong'ng to the same island. She was lying in one of the rooms of my house. She seemed to be suffering a good deal. On the following day she came outside once for a short "time. ' She was in my house a week. She gave .a good deal of trouble. I then moved her into a small room adjoining the stable. She lay on a mattress on the floor. 1 attended her eve-y morning up to last Monday. My daughters also attended her. We moved her on account of the smell. In my opinion she was getting better. I did not think she would die. 1 continued my own treatment After she was moved into the stable my daughters, two black sir's, and a white man. attended on her. I proceeded to Brisbane, and partly on account of deceased, I consulted Dr Bancroft. He advised me to fetch her up to town, and gave me a lotion to apply, I returned home on the sth December On my arrival it wasreported to me that Mina was dead. I sati-fied myself that she was dead. I thought it advisable to have the girl removed to the hospital. 1 had been an employer of island labor fur about ten years. I have read the Pacific Island Laioreis Act of 1880. I am aware that I am bound by my. agreem nt to supply medical attendance in pate of sickness. No portion of the body was charred. On being recalled, be stated : I noticed maggots upon her two days after she was burned. I also noticed a few afterwards. There was a great stnrli. Mary Dart; daughter of the previons witness, stated that on heing toll the deceased was on fire she ran out. Found the fire had bean, extinguished. All her o'othes had been burned' so : the waist. Deceased was taken into the kitchen, and flour put on her burns, Som t old clothes were put on her, and she was placed in bed ; also put soma sweet oil on her legs. During the fourteen days she was til witness attended her more or less. Thought she would get over it, bat latterly she seemed :■ to get rapidly worse. About a week liefore she died witness noticed maggots on her. Ernest Dart, a n of William Dart, stated that on the 20>h Noyemner he was in the stable, qu, hie father’s plantation Heard solrieone call out “There is a fire," a"d going out found deceased in a Haze. Another boy threw water over her, and witness pat out the fire with his hands as well as he could. They assisted her into the kitchen. In a few minutes she began to shake and scream. Witness's sisters then took charge of her. Saw her twice during her illness. Did not go near her on account of the smell.

Martin Tawes, a labourer, in the employ of Mr Dart, stated 'that deceased was handed over to his charge on Monday, 3rd December, by Mr Dart, whpe he went to see a doctor in Brisbane. Washed h«r that morning. Found a few mag jots on her. There was a disagreeable smell One of the black (rirls assisted. Witness applied charcoal to the sores. Used to hear her moan at night. Witness slept aliout 15 yards from the stable where she was. Considered a doctor should have attended her. Saw one of Mr Dart’s daughters give wine to decease 1 on two occasions. Was with her from 5 o’clock in the afternoon till milnigh , when she died without a moan. Semor-constable John Faiquharson deposed to having visited Mr Dan’s plantation on the sth December in consequence of a Cvtumunioation from the previous witness. Was taken by- Mr Dart to a room adjoining the stable, where he saw the dead holy of a South Sea Island girl covered with blanket's, and lying on a blanket bn the flour. He also stated that no report whatever of the accident had reached him during the fifteen days the woman was suffering. The police station was only nine miles f om Redland Bay. C arles F. Marks, medical officer to the police force, deposed to having examine f the body of decea' ed. it was that of a well nourished girl of about 16 years. There w-.re no marks of violence of recent origin except on the left hand and arm, both thiuhs and buttocks, and left leg. The parts on the m-ide of the thighs down to the knots ween deeply burned and sloughing The burns wee sufficient to cause death from exhaustion. In witness’s opin inn death was cause i from injuries received by burning. If medical aid had been obtained in the fi'St instance the girl’s life might, in witness’s opinion, have been saved. Mr William Dart also appeared at the Cleveland Police Court, before Mr W. H Day, acting police magistrate, charged, on the information of Sir George Balph Gore, Immigration Agent and Polynesian Inspector, with; a breach of the 24th section of the Pacific Island Laborers Act of 1889, be having neglected to provide a Pacific Island female labourer, Mins, with proper medicine and medical attendance during her illness. The defendant pleaded guilty. Mr F. B. Sheridan, instructed hy the Crown Solicitor, appeared for the p caseation. To show the character of the off nee he read the evidence of the defendant and some of the other witnesses at the inquiry. He further directed His Worship’s attento the near approach of the offence to the crime of manslaughter. He a«ked that the heaviest penalty might he inflicted. The defendant stated,in mitigation- of the penalty, that the deceased was not doing anywmk for him at the time, of the arci dent, but was warming herself st th» fire. Whilst she was ill she had taken tip a great deal of tiiqe, and was a great .trouble to his family . . The assistant Police Magistrate inflicted the heaviest penalty and fined the defendenfl.2o. -N<r costs were ordered against tie defendant, who paid the fine.