"DONE TO DEATH."

Temuka Leader, Issue 1146, 28 February 1884, Page 3

"DONE TO DEATH."

Seldom (say the Australasian) has a more horrible tale been told in an English community than that which was elicited in West Australia lately at the trial of a Creole or half-caste named Clifford for the manslaughter of a native named Thackabiddy. The affair arose out of the capture of the native on a mere suspicion of stealing sheep. He was arrested after a resistance in the cmu>e of which he received three bullets in the neck, chin and arm, A chain was then placed around his body and attached to the neck of a horse ridden by Clifford, and he was taken 100 miles at the late of 25 miles a day. Then, according to Clifford, his prisoner resisted, and a tussel took place, in which the native was again shot by a lad who was present, this time in the ankle. As he was crippled, Clifford determined to leave him behind chained to a tree, He thereupon made the horse drag the poor crippled wretch along the ground by the neck, the captive trying to relieve the strains on his wounded neck by his hands. In this way he was dragged with brutal malignity for a mile, although there were trees close at hand, and in the dragging his shoulders and neck were lacerated. When brought to the tree he was chained so that lie could neit ier stand nor sit, and his arms were tightly forced back, and tied in a cruel position, elbow to elbow. It this way he was left slowly to perish from cold, and hunger, and thirst, and the pains of his terrible injuries, till his tortures were ended by death. All these facts werf proved in evidence on the trial of Clifford on the minor charge of manslaughter. When we have added that the jury, after ten minutes deliberation-, acquitted the prisoner, and tl at His Honor, Mr Justice Stones, said, ' although he agreed with the verdict of the jury, he deemed it his duty to caution the prisoner against pursuing the same line of conduct again,' it would be impossible to add a word of comment which the reader would not resent as trifling acd inadequate. Exc-pt, perhaps this, that when we are disposed, as we sometimes are, to plume ourselves on possessing more humanity and philanthropy than other races, it will be well to remember the cruel doing to death of this miserable blackfellow in an English colony, and of the judicial proceedings which arose from the case.