PALM ISLAND TRAGEDY

Hokitika Guardian, 23 April 1930, Page 7

PALM ISLAND TRAGEDY

CRIAIE DESCRIBED

Following an affray in which Coin

was shot at Balm Island, an inquir

was held at Townsville on March 2!) a, which startling evidence was given. According to Dr Charles Maitlam Pattison, lie saved his life by lying a if bo were dead after he had been sho at Balm Island by the Superintendent Robert Curry.

At the time, Curry fired buildings oi the island, and his two’children wei\ burned to death. Airs Pattison wai

also shot, and Curry was afterwards shot dead by a native. Dr. Pattison said lie was awakened at 1 a.in. by a rifle shot which shat tered a. jug and basin on the was! stand. “1. jumped out of bed and made for my office where 1 kept arms and ammunition,” he went on. “I only got as far as the end o' the bed when there wa,s another reporl and I felt a stinging" pain. I feh to the ground and in a semi-conscious condition became aware that Curry was standing straddle-legged over me. “He was bootless, and the muzzle oi his rifle was within three or four inches of mv face.

“T did not move an inch, and pre ■sentlv Curry laughed and gave irp inanimate body a couple of kicks and moved away three or four feet.

“Three more shots rang out in quick succession, and othen Curry jumped over the verandah and disappeared.” *

Witness said that ten minutes later lie heard his wife manning.

He could not move because of his ounds, and his wife crawled over to him. and dressed his wounds. Inspector Loch: Did you at any time instruct one of the aborigines to shooi Curry in tbe guts, where Curry had shot you P—T have no recollection whatever of having used the words.

Pattison said that his relations with Superintendent Curry were absolutely friendly up to last Christinas. At that time a difference took place and Curry assaulted him.

As a result of that assault a magisterial inquiry was held at Palm Island about a week before the tragedy. Curry half a dozen times had threatened to shoot white residents of the island if they ever reported him. One day he .said to witness, “I’ll shoot you first, Pat/ because' all the rest would be frightened and go bush.” Cross-examined by Air Townley, for Curry’s family, witness denied arming the natives or instructing them to shoot Currv.

Ethel Maitland Patti,son, wife of the previous witness and matron of Palm Island Hospital, said that in consequence of the assault at Christmas by Curry upon her husband she visited Curry and told him he would have to keep his hands off the doctor. “I intend to kill that man,” was Curry’s reply. On the night of the tragedy witness was awakened by the sound of three shots, and she felt a stinging pain in the wrist and neck. “I jumped out of bed,” said Mrs Pattison, “and ran towards the door. .Tusl as T reached the door 1 felt the hot barrel of a gun against my heart, and the next tiling I remember was my husband calling out to me two hours later. ,

‘ ‘I crawled over to him, dragged him into the room, and dressed his wound with a sheet which I tore up.” On the following day witness with her husband was removed to the Townsvi lie Hospital.