THE BURENDA TRAGEDY.

Evening Star, Issue 4069, 11 March 1876, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE BURENDA TRAGEDY.

A HOkRIfcLB STORY OF DRINK AND DEATH,

We are indebted (says the ‘Brisbane Courier ’) to a perfectly reliable correspondent in the Warrego district for the following narrative of this disgraceful and horrible affair

Albert Green, James Wilson, James Larkins, Louis Schmidt, and William Nolan, are the names of five misguided men who met together at Burenda township to celebrate .Christmas in the usual style. They were all “good drinking men,” especially Green and Wilson—at least, so they were described at the inquests held on the bodies of the two, Mat-named shortly after. These men used to have a “go in ” at the public-house, and would then take bottles of grog to a Chinaman’s humpy* close by the same, wherein Charley Ah Soo chopped up his two countrymen with a tomahawk last July twelve months. On the morning of New Year’s Day, about eight o’clock, the five men already named started from the township on foot, carrying their swags, and taking with' them a small canvas bag and two billies of water and bottle of grog. They had with them five dogs, intending to make Nive Downs station by an old track, known as the Post-, man’s Track. Wilson affirmed that he knew the track well. They are described as having been drunk the night before, having, as it were, a final carpuse, and at starting they were all “muddled up in drink.” After travelling about four miles heat and thirst, overcame them, add they camped for a while,. drank all the water, and half the bottle of brandy, or rum. No one could say what liquor it was. Moved on three or four miles further, and again camped and finished the grog. Green and Larkins then “ pushed on,” leaving the other three camped. After travelling a little further, Larkins felt his head “ very bad,” and had to stop and tie.it up with Green’s handkerchief. He was quite Unable to proceed any further, and lay down. Green “looked queer,” and went off, “ Walking very fast," leaving his mate behind, and Larkins never saw him again. At sundown Larkins made up his mind to kill one of his dogs, and tried to coax the dog to him; bu,t although the dog had followed close at his heels MI day, never leaving- him, he would not come near his master, who now took out his knife to be ready. The dog ran away about 100 yards, and commenced howling, and soon went away altogether, and has not been seen since. Larkins then cut the other dog’s (a puppy) throat, and drank the blood. He then abandoned his clothes, and pushed ahead along the track, and next morning reached water, arriving at Nive Downes at ten or eleven o’clock on Sunday morning. It appears that Green, after leaving Larkins, wandered off the track into the scrub inquest of water, and about 10 o’clock at night hoard a dog bark; and, guided by the sound, came to a place where Louis Schmidt was camped, and who was also searching for water. After about two hours, Nolan also attracted by the barking of Schmidt’s dog, joined them, stating that he had left Wilson, who was unable to travel from where they finished, the grog on the track. The three men camped together till dawn. They all suffered intensely from thirst. Schmidt had some sugar and- tartaric acid in his swag, and this they ate (Green mixing his with wine in a pint pot, which caused him to retch violently.) At break of, day'the three men started again to search for-life. - After two hours travelling Green and N olan lay down, completely “knocked Up;” Schmidt left them some sugar and a little tartaric acid, and went on by himself, and searched all that day (Sunday, the 2nd) without finding any water. During the day his dog died. The sufferings of Schmidt on Sunday night were dreadful. He was able, however, next morning to crawl along, and seeing some cockatoos flying about, he made for the spot, and at 11 or 12 found water in the Warrego. On the following morning (Tuesday, the 4th) he made a sheep station belonging to Burenda run, six miles from the and there learned from the shepherd that Nolan had come there the night before, quite naked, and fearfully exhausted, stating that he had left Green nearly dead in the scrub. * The sufferings of Nolan and Green, before they .partea company, and of NolaU afterwards till he reached water, were as described by Nolan at the inquests, dreadful; They used to dig holes at.the roots of the most shady trees, and get .up the cold sand and ground to cover their naked bodies with. At mid-day on Thesday, the 4th instant, the.search parties from Burenda station found Wilson on the track where he had been left on the Ist instant, alive. He was lying on his hack in the scorching heat of the sun, covered with, ants. He spoke quite clearly when first found, saying, “111 give a pound for a bucket of water,” and then immediately “Why don’t you lift me up?” As the water-bag was held to his lips he murmured, “It’s too late;” his head rolled to one side, and he was dead. He had lain there, and lived ! in a heat, by day, averaging about 130dcg., without food or water, for exactly four days ! • The dead body of his dog was found close by. Later on the same day (the 4th) the searoh party dis>. covered Green’s dead' body, quite naked, lying on its face, at the spot where Nolan had left him. He had apparently died soon after he was left, the body being quite black.