THE BURENDA TRAGEDY.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 538, 9 March 1876, Page 3

THE BURENDA TRAGEDY.

A HORRIBLE 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 lastnamed shortly after. They were described as all being “continually muddled up in drink,” and “ the worse of liquor.” These men used to have a “ go in” at the publichouse, and then would 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 twelvemonths. 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 a bottle of grog. They had with them five dogs, intending to make Nive Downs station by an old track, known as the Postman’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 carouse, and at starting they were all “ muddled up in drink,” After travelling about four miles heat and thirst overcame them, and 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 farther, 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 ; but although the dog had followed close at his heels all 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 dr an k the blood. He then abandoned his cloth s, and pushed ahead along the track, an I nest morning reached water, arriving a,t Nive Downs at 10 or 11 o’clock on Sunday morning.

It appears that Green, after leaving Larkins, wandered off the track into the scrub in quest of water, and about 10 o’clock at night heard a dog bark; and, guided by the sound, came to a place where Louis tichmidt 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 uu..ble to travel from where they had 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 Nolan 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 vvashpool, and there learned from the shepherd that Nolan had come there the night before, quits naked, and fearfully exhausted, stating that he had left Green nearly dead in the scrub. The sufferings of Nolan and Green, before they parted company, and of Nolan afterwards till he reached water, were, as describe d by Nolan at the inquests, dreadful. They used to dig holes at the roots of the most shady trees, and get up the cool

1 sand and ground to cover their naked bodies with. At mid-day on Tuesday, the 4th instant, the search parties from Burenda station found Wilson on the track where he had left on the Ist instant, alive. He was lying upon his back in the scorching heat of the sun, covered with ants. He spoke quite clearly when first found, saying, “ I’ll give a pound for a bucket of water,” and then immediately, 11 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 130 deg, 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 search party discovered 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.