VICTORIA.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 42, 3 April 1863, Page 2

V I C TORI A.

Queenscliff, 16'h March.

Two fishermen, named Watson and Jones, arrived here to-day, and made the following statement before Dr. Robertson, P.M. :■— They leftSchnapper Point at two p.m. on Sunday afternoon, in an open boat. They had with them a person named Hayes,, a contractor, who has been superintending the boring for coal at Cape Patterson^ Sir. Hayes agreed to give" them thirry shillings to bring htm across to Queenscliff, where his wife and child are living-. He had about ten pounds in s notC3 in his pocket. On the way over they commenced to quarrel and fight. The two men y Watson and Jones, appear much abused about the face and head. At dark they put Mr. Hayes ashore, somewhere on this side of the Bay, but they don't enactly know where. They also put ashore his carpet bag, and a little dog he had with him, but they brought his coat, wa'c ! i, and neck-tie to Q'teenscliff. The constable in cfiarge has telegraphed the circumstances to Schnapper Point, Melbourne, and Geelonj*. If Mr. Hayes does not turn up to-night, Watson and Jones will be taken into custody, and charged with murdering him. They have given so many contradictory accounts of the affair that great suspicion is felt that Mr. Hayes has met with an untimely end.

Queenscliff, 1 7th March.

The man Hayes, we reported yes terday as missing, under rather suspicious circumstances, turned up here last nijjht. From his version of the Story, it would appear that the men had a bottle of runi with them in the boat, and that they had not gone far btfore the whole three men got drunk. They then lost themselves when it became dark, but eventually made the white cliffs on the Point N^pean side of the Bay. The two men, Watson and Jones, told Hayes that was Queenscliff and wanted him to go ashore. Hayes objected, and accordingly they began to fight. Hayes says they attempted several times to put him overboard, which they admit having dove. A« last he consented to go ashore. He wandered about the bush all night, and until yesterday afternoon, when he observed two men in a boat fishing. He hailed, and they took him across to Queenscliff in their boat. Hayes has evidently suffered less in the scuffle than either of the other men.