THE BANK TRAGEEDY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1197, 6 February 1885, Page 3

THE BANK TRAGEEDY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Tho Argus of the 22nd hist, gives th« fol lowing details of the mnr *er of bank officials in Western Australia, brief notice of which had been previously gabled : Yesterday information reached the authorities of the Union Bmk of Australia, Melbourne, that heir branch at Rojbonrue Western Anatra la, had he n attacked, an 1 the manager, Mr Anketell, and tne accountant, Mr Burrup,. murdered. Our corres pondent at Perth, in a telegram which appears below, gives particulars which show that an extra mlinary crime has been perpetrated. The victims were tomahawked -the accountant in ilia bed, and Ue mm ager on t'.e varandah. The keys of the safe w-re taken out of the manager’s pocket but, strange to say, no in mey was oarne 1 away. It may turn out, however, th it tho assassins having robberv in view, be came alarmed, and made off without ad ling robbery to the murder. The inform it-iou at present rec lived is, however, somewhat meagre. Roebourne is a town about KK'O odes north of Peith, tho p imitation is ou y from 3 i() to 400 ; Cossack, 10 miles distant is the nearest port. Tho branch of the Union B-nk was established some three years ago. having been openo I by Mr Anketell, who left the service of the London Chartered Bmk in Victoria to do so. Mr Burrup was sent to Roebourne in April of last year. Their is no other bank in the town, ami it is believed that Messrs \nketcll and Burrup were the only persons upon the premises at the time of the murder. The district is a peaceable one, and there has been no alarms about buahranging. One policeman is appointed to protect the inhabitants with the assistance o' the native po’ioe. The red lent magistrate lives within a quarier of a mile of the spot. There is no telegraphic communication with Roebourne, bat a line is in course of construction, an i the news of the murder was conveyed to Perth by its mea's. a messenger having hidc< from Roebourne to a point I which has been reached by a wire. The country round about is pisto-al, and is thinly petiole *. The pearl fleet cilia at Cossack twice a year. The telegram is as follows:—“ Perth, 21st inst. News his just been receive lof a terrible murder committed at Roebourne a few days ago. The bodies of Mr T. Anketell, tho mincer of thtlooii branch of the Union Bank, and Mr H. Burrup. the clerk in the same bank, were found mnr dered evidently with tomahawks. Mr Anketell’* body was found in the verandah of the b nk, and Mr Bnrrup’s in ned in the same building. No roohery had been committe 1 except that of the keys of the chest, which hid been taken from the manager’s pocket. The. minder is believed to be the 1 work of white men, but no clue had been discovered up to the time of the messenger’s despatch from Roebourne to the end of the ■ telegraph-wi-o near the Harding River, north of Carnarvon.”