THE QUEENSLAND TRAGEDY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10491, 30 November 1911, Page 3

THE QUEENSLAND TRAGEDY.

SILVA HAS TWO ASSISTANTS

(Received November 29, 9.35 a.m.)

BRISBANE, November 29,

At the police court, at Mackay, proceedings were commenced against George Silva, a Cimgailese charged with

the murder of Agnes Ching and five children at Alligator Creek, on Friday, November 17<th. Accused was employed at Ching's farm. The arresting constable detailed a conversation with the prisoner, who said that when Ching left homo he was shooting a hawke with Ching's gun. He afterwards went to sleep near the railway. He met Ching returning and stopped him. He had not seen the family. After the victims were discovered prisoner went to inform the police He carried the clothes wihk'h he had been wearing during the day in a parcel, but as they were galling his knee lie threw them away. Witness said: —"You're fooling. You knew who murdered the family." Silva replied: "God knows they were good to me. I never murdered them."

When the bodies of the two missing children were found prisoner broke down and cried. The tracks near where they were found compared with prisoner's boots.

Another police witness declared that prisoner admitted burning the clothes he was wearing on the day of the murder. Witness found in the remains of the clothing a gold watch, & razor and a medicine bottle, whica prisoner claimed.

Prisoner told witness lie and a | neighbouring Hindoo farmer name'] Daaley Khan and a white man conspired to murder the family a few Sundays before. He added: n Dooley Khan shot the mother and killed the baby beside her. I shot Maudie and Hughie. When Eddie and Dolly returned from school I told them their mother and the cliildren were waiting for them in the back paddock. Wo went together and Dooley Khan, waiting with a pea rifle, shot them. Khan wanted to marry May Ching and get the farm. ' I wanted Maudie-, but her mother objected."

Prisoner admitted that he used a revolver to shoot Maudie and Hughie. After searching, a cane paddock the weapon was found.