SPEARED BY BLACKS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 513, 22 April 1933, Page 6

SPEARED BY BLACKS

OLD MAN'S ENDURANCE WHEN SEYiERELY WOUNDED. v Darwin, Saturday. A story which shows the remarkable trust and endurance of old prosoectors was told in the Darwin Supreme Court this morning by Joe W'allace, a tottering old man cruelly ' diifigured who has spent many years of his life alone in the bush. Fred, a native, was charged with wounding with intent to murder at Y\T andy, near Pine Creek, on J anuary 18, 1932. On January 17, Joe Wallace was approached by a native he bad never seen before, allegedly Fred. The nacive said he had seen a turlcey, and asked for a shotgun, which was given him, with cartridges. Twice the blackfellow returned with' no turkey, and gave back the gun. At "picaninny daylight" on January 18, the old pensioner was dnawing a bucket of water from a billabong when he noticed the native approaching with a ^pear. Wounded in Camp. Unperturbed, he returned to camp, fllled a quart pot, and turned to place it on the fire, when a shovel spear, 10 feet long, with a vicious blade, peneti*ated his chest Breaking off the long shaft, he withclrew the blade and with his gun endeavoured to follow the native running swiftly away. When his conscioueness partly failed, he groped his way back to camp, where he remained nine days almost unconscious, his chest bound with calico. Each day he listened to the sound of horsebells at the billabong. At last a horse came to the camp. Saved by Nurse. Wallace caught him, and rode to Pine Creek, where he remained another day without medioal attention. Then he presented himself to the policeman's wife, Mrs. Tom Turner, who is a trained nurse. To her skill and kindness he attributes his life. A native was arrested 10 months later. Counsel for the defence pleads mistaken identity. Never having actually seen the native who threw the spear, and now suffering from failing eyesight, the aged pensioner has been unable to clearly identify the prisoner.