PEARLER MURDERED

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1927, Page 1

PEARLER MURDERED

grim fight on lugger

SYDNEY. December 24

Despite the ever-increasing spread ot settlement in Australia, there are still parts where the law of the wild rules and where men daily lace violent death. No part is too uncivilised as that part of northern Australia 1 ringing the Gulf of Carpentaria, where many tribes of aborigines are fierce and unafraid of white men. Illustration of this was afforded recently by a murderous attack on the Japanese captain of a pearling lugger, resulting in the death of the captain and one of his

men. Details of this outback tragedy Were brought to Darwin by Mr Zakharrow. an Anglo-Russian oil expert, wiho has spent several years in those northern district's. He said that he was camped at Bickertou Island when a native boy informed him that a higgei nas stranded on the rocks, and that a dead aboriginal was lying on the deck. Mr Zakharrow visited the scene, and found that the lugger showed evidence of a .rruesomo fight. There were bloodstains everywhere about the vessel, and there were human footprints in blood on the deck and on the canvas. STORY OF TR A 0 FRY. After questioning many natives. MiZakharrow was able to piece together the story of the tragedy. The assailants, four in number, were aboriginal pirates, members of a tribe which specialise in attacking vessels which :m . in difficulties near the shore, or wanderers from ships. The Japanese captain of the lugger went ashore, marine one native, a member of his crew, named Timbuek. on the ship. During bis absence, the four pirates attacked the lugger, creeping on board from tv o sides armed with waddies. Timbuek evidently out up a desperate fight with a small axe, for the dead aboriginal n„ the dock, one of the pirates, had a fruitful gash in his head and several gaping wounds in his body. Evidently Timbuek was then foiled with an iron bar. in an attack from the rear, and his body was thrown overboard. MURDER OF CAPTAIN. Meanwhile the Japanese captain was unaware of the tragedy on his ship, to which lie innocently and leisurely returned. Two aboriginal members of his crew who were with him hoarded the ship first, and were savagely attacked. During a running light, the captain managed to scramble aboard the lugger, and went in the direction of his "cabin to procure firearms. Two of the pirates attacked him with iron bars, but lie parried the attack for a while, and used a coal shovel, infliction- cuts and bruises oil both lus enemies. The two men of his crew, liavino- now onlv one man to deal with, escaped and fled. The remaining aboriginal, thus freed, joined m the assault on the captain, using a crowbar with fatal effect. The body ot tae Japanese was then thrown overboard. After looting the shin, the pirates took the lugger’s dinghy and decamped. They would have, taken the lugger, too. but their native superstition iorbade them doing so while their dead mate, killed by Timbuek, was stretched out on deck, and their tribal custom prevented them from throwing bis body overboard, as they had the others It was in this neighbourhood, Caledon Bav, that, persistent- reports •>*- tributed the capture of women from the wrecked steamer Douglas Mawson.