TRAGEDY FEARED

Hokitika Guardian, 29 September 1933, Page 8

TRAGEDY FEARED

SPEARED BY BLACKS. TWO LOST PROSPECTORS. SYDNEY, September 20. 'Adolf Koch' and Stephen Arensky, two white prospectors,’ .a-i’e believed to have bee.iv murdeted by aborigines m the dangerous Fitzmauriee River country, Northern Territory. The two men have .been 'missing for more than nine months, .. nd it is believed that they were striked and- ,speared to death when] they took shelter in a cave. All hope for their safety was abandoned by the Darwin police' when a coastal and river boat, the iMaroubra, arrived without ! news of the men. Had the two men J been alive they would have signalled the Maroubi'a on its last trip—th e last before the raiiny •season—fronr an appointed rendezvous, near the mou-h of the Fitzmaurice .River.

Anxiety has l been felt for the men for several months. 'Stories have filtered ’ through from aborigines' to Constables Fitzer and Lfingdofi, at T imbei Creek, near the Victoria River, that the two, men had been speared several months ago. These stories were conflicting, one stating that the men had been stalked- grid speared to death vvnen they took cover tin a cave from a rainstorm, another that the men had been murdered fit night, .and a third that they had beejn murdered as soon they landed b:i shore for their stoie of firearms and foodstuffs.

Aboriginal stockmen at the 6300 square mites Bradshaw station, which contains the whole length of the Fitzmaurice River within its boundaries, have told the police that they have seen the river tribesmen wearing clothes belonging to the two missing prospector and carrying their firearms. The story which Ihe police believe is true is the 'ojne accounting for the prospectors do th m a cave. Tits is supper: ed by the fact that when the Abroubra s too( t in towards the Rendezvous on its last trip, the natives, instead of running down to the shore to greet ‘.he ship. a s they usually did, made for the bush, and lighed smoke signals, which were carried on ‘by other fires up the river as far as could !be seen from the sVo. Native prisoners on board the ship said that these fi rs were warning that police were aboard and were going to land. Ordinarily the arrival, of a ship would -not be signalled, so v is -assumed that the Victoria River natives passed word on up the coast by smoke signals that the ,police bid boarded the Marouibra at Victoria River denot. * ’Messrs Koch arid Avinsky left the Daly River, where they had been peanut farming, for the Fitzmaurice in November, 1932, and were taken as'far as Point Pearce by the Maroubm. There they were lowered overboard into -their small dugout canoe about a mVe from the shore. The captain of the Maroubri warned them that it suicide to-enter the Fitzmaurice Rivecountry, ar.d before they left the Daly (River the police told them that their lives would not be safe there- among the blacks, who -were hostile and treacherous. Despite the warnings tbyv paddlod straight for the mouth of th" Fitzmaurice River. That district is classed 'by the police, with Arnhem Land and the Kimberleys (Western Australia) as dangerous for white men. A policeman will make a hurried patro. of the Fizmaurice country before the rains set in.