THE WlLLS TRAGEDY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume I, Issue 25, 19 December 1861, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE WILLS TRAGEDY.

(by an eye-witness). Orion Downs, 27th October. About one o’clock on the morning of the 18th October, a servant in the employment of the late Mr. ’Wills, arrived at Eainworth, Mr. Gregson’s station, on the Nogoa, with the information that Mr. Will’s station had been attacked by the blacks on the previous afternoon, and all the party, so far as he knew, with the exception of another man and himself, killed. From his statement it appeared that the blacks had been frequenting the station for some days previous to the attack, but as their intercourse with the whites was apparently of the most friendly character, no danger was apprehended from their presence, and no adequate precautions taken against surprise and violence. On the day of the attack, the blacks had been about the station befoi e mid-day, and then left it. At this time the informant states that, feeling tired and exhausted with the heat, he had lain down in the shade of a bush to have a rest —a circumstance to which he owes Ins escape from the terrible doom that awaited his companions. Having fallen asleep, he was awakened by the noise of loud and violent talking on the part of the blacks, and on looking out from is hiding place, which only commanded a limited view of the scene, he saw several of the blacks attack one of the white women, who fell beneath their blows. Screams, shouts, and the dull crash of several blows followed and told the work of death had begun. In the midst of this one shot was fired, but apparently without effect. He waited in his place of concealment until a flock of sheep, without their shepherd, came in at sundown, when he crawled down amongst them and crept on hands and knees through the flock until he reached a better place of concealment and observation. The man shepherding the ram flock then came home with his sheep and the two went up to the tents, where they found a horse ready saddled and tied to one of the drays. The informant started immediately for Gregson’s, the other stating his intention to hide somewhere until relief should arrive. Mr. Gregson immediately sent information to his nearest neighbours, and the news was fowarded as rapidly as fresh horses and 'willing messengers could do it. Unfortunately the Native Police Force stationed in the district, were at the furthest extremity of their patrol (about 200 miles) from the scene of the calamity. Mr. Grcgsou’s station was named the rendezvous for those willing to give assistance, and on Friday, at sunset, the following gentlemen and their servants started for Mr. Wills’, viz.:—Messrs. P. MTntosh, Gregson, Thomson, Irving, Graham, Baxter, M’Guiness, and Dick and Larry, aboriginals ; Mr. Gregson, having previously sent forward three men well armed to succour any survivors that might yet remain and give assistance in any way they could. The party, who put themselves under the leadership of Mr. MTntosh, reached Wills’s about- half-past 12 a.m., and camped until daylight. Mr. Gregson’s men had found the shepherd who was left behind alive and well, and the bodies of seventeen persons murdered by the Two shepherds were still unaccounted for, and hopes -were entertained that they might ■ have escaped. Thirteen of the victims, including Mr. Wills, were found upon the head station; three others—the overseer (Baker), his son, and a shepherd—about a mile and a half down the creek, where they were camping with a flock of ewes and lambs; and one, a shepherd, about a mile from the station, near the road to Eainworth. The party proceeded to the tents, and the following bodies were seen and recognised;— • 1-—Mr. Wills, who was found lying on his back, about two paces from his tent door. He had apparently been intercepted in attempting to reach the horse, which had been tied up 'within twenty yards from him. There was a deep tomahawk wound in his right check—the neck being nearly severed just below the same spot by a large wound, probably inflicted with an axe. In addition to these the whole skull was bruised and dreadfully beaten with waddies. His revolver was found lying near him with one chamber discharged. No other resistance of any kind appears to have been made by any of the sufferers at the head station. A pile of fire-arms, guns, carbines, &c., was found in his tent, some of which had been put into a fire, and otherwise partially destroyed ; all of them were loaded, as if intended for distribution when required. No arms of any kind were found near the persons of any of the victims, with the exception of those about Mr. Wills’ tent.

The bodies of 12 more men, women and children, were found in a dreadfully mutilated state in the different buildings of the home station, and at the out stations the bodies of four other men

were found murdered in the same manner. This completed the number of dead bodies that have been found, and the heat of the weather rendered it necessary to bury them without delay. The corpses were dreadful and full of horror in ‘themselves, and their presence while unburied had an influence more than usually depressing, from their number, and the hideous circumstances surrouuding them. It was therefore decided to bury them at once, and accordingly a large grave was du» near the tent into which 1G of the bodies were put, Mr. Wills being buried in a separate grave by his neighbours themselves. When all was ready the service for the burial of the dead was read over them, the party standing round decently uncovered, and lending a strange interest to the scene from the presence ot their arms and their watchful attitude. After the burial of the dead the rest of the day was devoted to looking for the sheep and restoring to some kind of orderthepropcrtyofvariouskindsthat was strewn about in all directions. It was impossible to guess what had been taken away by the blacks, but the search for personal effects, clothin», &c., had evidently been prolonged and careful, and the empty state of all the private boxes, &c., would seem to indicate that it had not been made in vain. In the afternoon, Mr. Richards arrived from Springsure. r 6 On the following morning (Sunday) after starting an efficient patrol to look for the missing men and sheep, eight of the party started after the blacks, to find the direction they had taken away, and ascertained whether they had broken up, and, if so, whether any portion of them had gone in towards the stations recently formed. Being well armed, they were prepared to attack anything aboriginal that might be seen. The tracks of the blacks were found in all directions westerly from the station. At a distance of about 2 miles was found a large camp, where they had killed and eaten a number of sheep, which had been well butchered; this was probably immediately after the massacre. From this point they moved off in a westerly direction, taking with them a mob of sheep (ewes and lambs), judging from the tracks about 100. All along their tracks for some distance the remains of dead sheep were found, and frequent halts appear to have been made for the purpose of killing and eating sheep—for the last two miles that the tracks were followed those of the sheep disappeared, and it was supposed that the number they had taken had by this time been either exhausted or abandoned, but as no further traces of them could be found doubtless the former was the case. The track was followed about 5 miles (two of which were in scrub) to where the blacks had camped on the night of the outrage. Upwards of 50 fires were counted, the number present was, therefore, probably not under 300, and of these 100 may be assumed as the number of fighting men. The presence of gins and children would seem to indicate that the attack was not premeditated, but had been suggested by the unwary and practically defenceless state of the unfortunate victims. A number of letters and other papers, scraps of clothing, and some trifles of plunder, were found at the camp ; everything portable that was of use being brought back by the party - The object of the party not being to follow the blacks at present, they returned to resume the search for the two missing men, and have the sheep counted. This was done, when about 800 were missing, the search for which was continued till dark without success. Mr. T. Wills (who was fortunately absent with two men when the attack on the station occurred,) arrived in the afternoon of this day (Sunday 20th), he having only received the news on the previous night. It was arranged with his approval that the drays should be loaded with the most exposed portion of the property, and taken with the sheep to a point distant about six miles from Eainworth until future arrangement could be made. The two missing men were found about sunset, murdered within half-a-mile of the station ; they;haa been intercepted in an attempt to join the people at the head station, and and apparently been killed without resistance. Their names were George Elliott and Tom. take the following additional particulars from the Rockhampton Bulletin ; “ The whole place was a total wreck. The only things left at the camp were the sugar, tea, tobacco, flour, and some pieces of iron and zinc. The boxes and cases were all broken open, and everything was taken away, amongst which were blankets, a quantity of books, crockery, tools, axes, adzes knives, some white handled daggers, regatta shirts, trousers, clothing of every description, and other articles. In one case there were forty small pistols and a bag of bullets, all of which were taken. A canister of powder was emptied close to one of the fires, but it did not ignite. All the loaded arms in the tent were removed and placed upon the fire. These were all found with no other damage than that of two of the stocks slightly burned. A complete outfit, it is stated, was never taken by any party. “ Some of the women were found with their sewing in their hands. The cook was close by the fire ; the children were by their mothers. Immediately outside the camp, one of the bullock drivers who had been engaged drawing the logs for the sheep yard, was found dead by his bullocks, with his whip in his hand. The team was still yoked, andjhree of the bullocks strangled. Another man who was assisting him was also found dead. On the morning of the murders, Baker, the overseer, one of his sons, and another man, were sent about a mile and a half down the creek, with a horse and cart to form a station for the ewes and lambs; and the shepherds in charge of them went down to fold the sheep ; and there to camp for the night. Baker and son and third man, evidently made a struggle for their lives. They were putting up a tent when the attack was made, and they used the tent poles in defending themselves. Their bodies were very much mutilated, one of the men having his leg nearly cut off with a blow from a sharp instrument.

£ * Iso person in the camp ever carried arms. There ■wore ten or twelve stand of loaded arms iu the tent near where the ten wore murdered. The day after Mr. Wills arrived on the station, his bullock driver, William Albrey, went out in search of his bullocks, and met about fifty blacks. About 30 surrounded him closely; they took off his hat and felt him all over, and then took some of the

beads off their own heads and put them on his. Most of the shepherds were met at different times and treated in a similar way. The blacks were always unarmed.

Mr. Wills, a few days previous to his death, when riding alone in search of timber, met a gin with a baby in her arms. She was apparently surprised on seeing him. He road up to her, and took a silk handkerchief out of his pocket and put it round the baby. “At this she appeared quite satisfied.”

Mr. George V. Crawford, in a letter to the Sydney Herald, states that the Blacks had been pursued, and thirty of them shot in their own camp.