SEIZED BY ALLIGATORS.

Shannon News, 2 March 1926, Page 2

SEIZED BY ALLIGATORS.

STATION MANAGER'S DEATH. TERRIBLE STRUGGLE IN RIVER. Australia possesses few animals that are dangerous to mankind, but of those few the alligators which infest the rivers and inlets of the tropical north are 'undoubtedly the worst. From time to time reports filter through to the cities of this danger to the settlers in Australia's, least settled regions. Sometimes it is a native that is taken, sometimes it is an incautious white man, sometimes a horse or cow. An account of one such tragedy has just been received in Perth. It occurred four days before Christmas, but so remote are some of 'those sparsely-settled areas of the continent, and so slender arc the moans of communication that in this instance the victim's mother did not learn of the tragedy that befell her son until a fi iv days ago. The victim was Mr. Frederick Easton, manager of the Mount Avon Vale cattte station, about 100 miles norl-h of Derby, a seaport on the northwestern coast of West Australia. News of the calamity was received in a letter written to Mr. Easton's mother by Mr. C. J. de Laucourt, an adventurous Frenchman who is walking round the eoaiit of Australia. D'e Lancourt had spent a few days at Mount Avon Vale station as the guest of Mr. Easton. The latter agreed to provide Mr. de Lancourt with a dinghy to cross the Isdell River, and sent two natives ahead, while Mr. de Lancourt's two boys, Paiddy |and JLeggins, remained with Mr. Easton. ; Mr. do Lancourt crossed the river in a dinghy. Then, for a reason not made clear in Mr. de Lancourt's letter, Mr. Easton decided to cross the river at an t inlet two miles lower down. Mr. Easton removed his boots and gave them and his rifle to Leggins to carry. An alligator had evidently watched the white man's movements, for no sooner had Mr. Easton reached deep water than he was seized by a leg. A fierce struggle ensued, and with Leggins' help Mr. Easton managed to free, himself from the alii gatoi\'s grip. The white man was seriously maincd. To support him Leggins dropped the rifle he was. carrying and, as if sensing the loss of this Avcapon, the alligator returned to the attack. Mr. Easton and Leggins set up a fearful commotion, hut not to be denied, the alligator again seized Mr. Easton, this time by the thigh. The scared Leggins felt the unfortunate man being dragged inexorably from his grasp, and much exhausted and greatly frightened,' scrambled breathlessly ashore. By that time Mr. Easton, in the jaws of the saurian, had disappeared. As is the custom with these reptiles, the alligator had dragged his j prey b'eneath the surface of the water. As soon as he had jecovcred sufficient] v Leggins appears to have set after 'Mr. de Lancourt and recounted the tragedy. The latter returned to the spot and an examination of the scene confirmed Leggins' story. Mr. Easton was never seen again.