MEMORIES CONNECTED WITH THE EARLY Gold Discoveries IN VICTORIA

Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 33, 10 November 1894, Page 6

MEMORIES CONNECTED WITH THE EARLY Gold Discoveries IN VICTORIA

(By an Old Identity).

(Written for the Southern Cross

[all rights reserved.]

CHAPTER Xlll.— (Continued.)

A Narrow Escape. A Midnight Atrocity. Judge Ltnch Takes the Chair. —A Startling Confession.

At the place where the previouslymentioned tribal combat took place — for the sake of being 1 convenient to timber for firewood fnd to procure piles for the ground we were working) and also to be clear of the noise and revelry that prevailed every night at the grog shanty —we had pitched our tent at the head of a gully some distance from the main workings. A r regards the latter, it was a case of “ out of the frying pan into the fire,” for the two camps of blacks had squatted down within a few miles of ns, and made night hideous with their barbarous orgies. But as they had a wholesome fear of firearms —with which I took care to be always well supplied after my experiences in Jim Crow Ranges—we had no fear of being molested by them. In addition to a doublebarrelled gun and a Colt revolver, we had an invaluable sentinel in the shape of a sharp little terrier dog. The fight between the' hostile tribes of blacks had taken place on a Saturday, and having procured a fresh supply of liquor, angry vociferations resounded in their camp during the entire night ; but doubtless owing to the severe injuries most of them had received in the morning contest, and the want of other weapons, no further general collision ensued between them. The following day (Sunday) was exceedingly sultry. The air was charged with electricity, and the dark, low-lying clouds portended the approach of a heavy thunderstorm. Just before night closed in I was seated against a sapling endeavouring to inhale as much fresh air as possible, when I noticed three blacks move out of the bush and make for a deserted shaft at the foot of the gully. All three appeared to examine the depth of the hole, and were jabbering to each other in their own dialect. One of them, looking up towards where I was seated, drew upon me the attenlion of the others, and after surveying the surroundings of the place for a few minutes, they retired the way they had come. j I did not attach much importance to their movements, as it was a common practice of the aborigines to search about heaps of debris at shafts for bits of gold that had become exposed by heavy rains. Shortly after j I retired to ■ rest, but owing to the j enervating, heated atmosphere, could ; not invite sleep. j The expected storm came on about j ten, and raged with terrible fury for j some two hours. The thunder was J deafening, while the lightning made objects as plain as in noon-day, and rain descended in torrents. About midnight there was a short ! lull, and still awake, I thought I J heard a rending noise, as if some one was slitting open the back of our j calico tent. Almost simultaneously our dog became furious barking viciously, and by the straining at his chain evidently trying to get at some intruder.

I was immediately on my feet, and seizing the revolver, fired through the roof of the tent as a warning. This had the desired effect, for the pattering of bare feet could be distinctly heard retreating towards the gully. On going outside to take observations, by the aid of a lightning flash I discovered three natives racing at full speed down the gully. A charge of shot was sent after them by my

mate, by way of reminding them to keep at a civil distance, and we again betook ourselves to our blankets. An appalling clap of thunder and a blinding flash of lightning the latter rending to atoms a huge gum tree in our vicinity—followed immediately after. With such warring of Nature’s forces, and the knowledge that the blacks were moving about and evidently bent on mischief, sleep was out of the question. Thus I lay awake for about an hour, when a chopping noise was heard similar to an axe or tomahawk operating on some soft, pithy substance. This was followed shortly after by a heavy thud, as though a weighty body had fallen in a marshy part of the gully. Although faintly suspicious that a tragedy had been enacted, in bur isolated position, and with a knowledge of the treacherous instincts of the blacks, it was not deemed prudent on so dark a night to investigate the cause of the sounds we had heard.

About half an hour later agonising groans resounded throughout the locality; but fancying these might be

feints of tlie blacks to induce ns to leave our tents and take us unawares in the darkness, we decided that our safety lay in keeping to our shelter. The painful' meanings were incessant, however, during the remainder of the night, and at daybreak I made for the place whence they emanated. They came from the old shaft the blacks had been examining the previous evening. Hastening to the nearest tent, I procured assistance to bring the sufferer to the surface. The shaft was about I6ft. deep, and had about a foot or so of water and mullock at the bottom. Descending by a rope, I found that a tunnel had been driven in a few feet from the bottom, and that the unfortunate I sought to rescue had crawledj into it. Much difficulty was experienced in bringing him to the mouth of the shaft. There was not yet sufficient light to distinguish anything down there, but as the body was unclothed, I concluded it was one of the blacks. Owing to the slime and smell and the helplessness of the creature, a most unpleasant task had fallen to me in fastening

the rope under his armpits. That being at last effected, I lost too time in getting out of my unenviable position, almost overpowered as I was by a sickening sensation. The United efforts of the three that were assisting soon got the unfortunate to the surface. He appeared at first sight unrecognisable as a human being owing to the barbarous way in which hb had been hacked. I will spare the reader a lengthy description of his anatomization. It will suffice to say he had been mutilated in a manner that only an Australian black knows how to accomplish. The object was simply chopped atoms of humanity held together by skin and tendons. It has often been a mystery to me how anyone could exist as that man did for hours in such a state. He was not more than a minute on the surface, however, when with a convulsive gasp, he yielded up life. In his death-grip he had caught hold of the rope with both hands, and so firmly was it held that we had to cut it and leave a portion with him. A “roll up ”of the miners was called immediately, and a feeling of horror seized on all who beheld the frightful spectacle. A few of the blaeks had also joined us, and endeavoured to recognise the remains ; but for some time they appeared utterly at fault to know which of the tribes he belonged to, so' completely was he hacked and battered out of human semblance. Ultimately it was proved to be the body of a Coleite that had done much execution amongst the Mount William warrior s the previous day. He was also the man that had abducted the lubra from the latter people.

Few partook of food that morning’, and a council was convened at the grog shanty, when it was decided to muster all the blacks at once. That being accomplished, enquiries were made if anyone could throw light on the tragedy. The only evidence forthcoming was that adduced by my mate and self; and I pointed out the three that I had seen examining the shaft the previous evening, and related the incident of our tmt being slit open during the night. Those suspected of having committed the murder were quickly bound to trees, nooses of ropes placed around their necks, and the ends thrown over branches, preparatory to administering Lynch Law. In that position, each was questioned as to knowledge of the crime; but only one of the three vouchsafed an answer, and that was in the form of a request that he would be allowed to “ bid his brudder good-bye,” and an inquiry if “ any white-fellow would give him a chaw of tobacco,”

Finding it would be useless to glean evidence o£ the crime in' the waystated, and doubtful of the consequences of lynching them, one of the diggers was despatched to a station some five miles distant—the owner of which was a justice of the peace— to acquaint him with what had transpired. The man returned in the afternoon, and stated that as the J..P. had no police to assist him, and as he was about to leave for another part of the colony on urgent business, he could do nothing in the matter. As evidence of the slight importance attached to the murder of a native at that time, it is worth noting that although intimation of the crime was later on sent to the police, no one ever appeared to make official inquiry regarding it. Another meeting of the miners was held in the evening. A consensus of opinion prevailed that some show of law and order should be resorted to — if only to make a suitable impression upon the blacks and adopting the generally - accepted theory that age brings wisdom, the only bald-headed man on the field—a confirmed soaker, and known by the soubriquet of “ Daddy ” —was voted to the chair (an empty rum cask), while Mike Conolly adopted the role of Crown Prosecutor.

As I write, the scene of that memorable evening is vividly before me. “ Old Daddy ” seated on the rum cask acting as judge ; a group of rough - looking miners standing near

Mm, armed with guns, picks, and shovels ; in the foreground the two savage tribes .squatted on their haunches, and interestedly watching the proceedings ; old Queen Cole in front of them, with a lean, hungrylooking dog lying alongside her; the three prisoners with ropes around their necks bound to trees, and unconcernedly smoking black clay pipes; and the mutilated remains of the blackfellow covered with a dirty blanket in the centre of all. It would have made a suggestive and interesting sketch for an artist and be worth preserving as a relic of the wild life led on the outlying diggings during the early fifties. In his official capacity Conolly inquired of the most ferocious-looking of the three prisoners if he was “ king of either of the thribes ?” He was answered by a volley of curses that he had doubtless heard from old hands on stations. Resenting such language as “ contempt of coort,” Conolly seized the offender by the woolly hair, and by repeated impressments of his head against the trunk of the tree he was bound to, restoied respect for constituted authority and advanced the dignity of the proceedings ; for neither the supposed “ King of the Thnbe ” nor his fellow prisoners vouchsafed any response to further questions regarding the murder.

When it became evident that it was a waste of time to further interrogate them the presiding justice briefly and pointedly summed up the case : “Ye see, boys, these haythens don’t know nothin’ ’bout British law. That ere corpse before ye —that is, when ’twas alive —stole another feller’s gin, an’ when once a woman gits mixed up ’mongst these varmints there’s Old Harry to pay. Besides, their ugly xnugs are so much alike that you can t tell ’tother from which, an’ the wrong fellows might be noosed arter all. I -vote we lets ’em off an’ liquor up.” That profound deliverance, although accentuated with numerous hiccoughs fche result of divers antemeridian refreshers found favour with the majority of the diggers. The three accused were released from bondage, and permission given to bury the remains. All the blacks were further notified to clear off the field that evening. On the culprits being released, members of both tribes made preparations tor the interment. Two sheets of bark were taken from trees ; the remains were encased in one, while the other was used as a cover. These were lashed with pieces of rope to keep them together, and the rudely-impro-vised coffin was conveyed into the thickest part of the bush. None of the miners cared to witness the barbarous obsequies that followed, and how or where the victim was interred was only known to the blacks themselves.

About two years later I learned further particulars regarding that tragedy. In my prospecting wanderings I called at a shepherd’s hut on Campbell’s station, near - Mount Ararat, for rest and refreshment. No one was in the place when I entered it, and I was awaiting the return of its usual occupant, when a backfellow entered whom I at once recognised as one of the three that had been tied up on the morning of the murder, I learned that he had left his tribe shortly after the events narrated, and was then acting as rouseabout on a sheep station. He was clothed in rough European attire, and could speak sufficient English to be perfectly understood. He made no hesitation in confessing that he was one of the three that had committed the crime. The lubra that had been stolen was, hefstated, his property, and he boasted of the revenge he had taken on her abductor. Other information he volunteered that somewhat surprised me. He stated that it was he that had cut open the back of our tent, and that we also wouldjhave been tomahawked but for the furious and unexpected way in which our dog had charged them. They had depended on getting into our tent when the noise of the thunder and rain was drowning all other sounds, and not being aware

that we had a dog became disconcerted at his fierceness, and cleared off when the first shot was fired. Asked what his object was in attempting to murder us, he stated that I had seen them looking into the deserted shaft, and for their own safety they had decided to put us out of the way. The threat that I would put the police on his track had only the effect of amusing him and causing him to laugh heartily. He had learned sufficient of our customs to know that before a conviction could he ensured both the body and witnesses of the crime must be forthcoming, and that was then simply impossible. After conversing with him for some time on the subject I was convinced from his wily answers to questions and remarks that no proof could be adduced that‘would warrant a conviction, and I felt that ray personal interests would be best consulted by not meddling further in the matter. Thus, owing in some extent to a love of practical joking, and a desire to witness what Connolly called “a rale ould-fashioned schrimmage ” but mainly through excessive use of vitiated liquor —one of the unfortunate aborigines lost his life, while many others were seriously, if not fatally, injured ; and on the principle that “ dead men tell no tales,” two others would in all probability have been sacrificed but for the timely vigilance of my faithful little terrier. The truest friend of the miners in the early fifties was an intelligent and watchful dog; and for the services rendered by my trusty sentinel on that and subsequent occasions of peril I experience, after a lapse of over forty years, feelings of the liveliest gratitude.