Massacre on board the Douglas, Schooner
From our own correspondent at Cairns wo learn that a
magisterial enquiry was held thero on February 22, before Mr. E.
Morey, P.M., and D. Spence, J.P., regarding the murder of three
men and the wounding of five others bolonging to tho schooner
Douglas. The following is the evidence of the master of the
Bchooutir, whose statement was corroborated by those of his crew
'and officers who wero examined: ? 'Thomas Harris, sworn,
Btated: I am a master mariner, and am in commaud of the schoonor
Douglas ; my owners are Beaver and Co., Melbourne ; I am engaged
iu the colonial trade ; wo had a crew of cloven all told,
including myself and cabin boy j ou January 8th loft Trinity Bay
for Dunk Island to procure firewood and dunnage ; tho first
morning after reaching the island two cauoes carno off each
having a native on board ; they carno on board my Bhip
voluntarily ; I gave them tobacco aud other things'; I also
gave thom to understand that they could come with the ship for
eighteen months if thoy liked; they said " budgenie," and three
days after, just when we wero getting underway, four natives'
came off (tho two who had previously visited tho ship, and two
others ; three of thom were allowed to como on bonni; tho other
ono I refused to take with us, on account of his treacherous
looks ; thero was a license authority sent on board the ship nt
Melbourne,.authorising mo te recruit nativo black labor at
certain islands in the South Pacific, or from tho main land, for
a period of twelve mouths, to bo engaged in becho dc-iner
fishing, or procuring guano ; natives so engaged were not to
exceed twenty in number j we were bound for a guano island, named
Chilcott, which, with tho Oorriuggo reef, are tho property of
Beaver and Co., my owners ; I believe tho license under which 1
sailed was a general license, issued by tho Governor of Victoria
in favor of Bcavor and Co.'s vessels ; when tho natives wero
engaged they were told they' would get wages, mid plenty to eat,
and their engagemout was -entered in the ship's log-book (book
produced, and entry read); that is correct; all it wants i'h
my signature, ; owing to head winds did not reach Chilcott.
Island for about throo weeks ; arrived thero, and commenced
operations by erecting hut and discharging planks and barrels; I
forgot to mention that wo found the Alexandra, brig, also
bolonging to our owners, lying at tho island, aud about four days
after our arrival it was decided that tho brig should go to tho
Daintree to load cedar, and Mr. Beaver (tho owner's brother), who
had come with us from Trinity Bay, took passago in hor to
Cooktown, and 1 think he must havo inadvertently taken our
license with him, as I cannot find it, and have not seen it since
thou ; the brig, I think, left on Tuesday or yesterday week,
aud during tho day alie left outwork went on all right; at night
two of the men (Humphrey, Coughlan, and Alexander M'Jutosh)
were left t? sleop on tho island, two of tho blacks remaining
with them ; tho men had no arms save half-axes, which they wero
cautioned to be careful not to leavo iu tho way of the blacks ;
that night on board ship all hands turned in hr usual; did not
consider it necessary tn keep a watch, all hands being tired after work,
only one blackfellow ou board, and the vessel half-a-mile from
land with the boatB astern; about .midnight, whilo tho mata and I
were asleep on tho " looters," we were awoke by a cry of Save me,
they are murdering me;" X said to the mate, "For God's sake, got
up ;" ho rushed out and 1 followed ; tho mate went by the port
side, and when I reached tho deck I met. one of tho hands (Jumes
Purcell), all ,cut and bleeding ;' I told him to go down into the
cabin; ho wont down, but seemed hiilf-atupid ; I next saw a black
following tho mate with a raised axe ; I Hangout to him j
iind lie turned round and struck at my head, Keverely wounding
my hand, raised to guard my head ; I immediately closed with him
to take the axe, but could not succeed, bo I tnade: for the
cabin, ' where, I, found - Purcell lying-in a pool of blood
and moaning very much ; the boy was also there; 1 tried to load
ii revolver, but could not on account of: the wound' on my hand ;
tho blacks were then assailing tho skylight with pieces of
ooal and the butt-ends of oars j with tho assistance of cabin-boy
got revolver loaded and fired several shots ; somo Bhort timo
afterwards John Shaw carno to the cabin through the lnzarette,
and said,' "Var God's ¦ eldee, let mo in;" I assisted him in, and
put him in the mate's ,borth ; in the meantime the-blacks had
full possession, pf,,tho deck, c,uttiug; arid hacking everything
:witu the .axes they had ; about fifteen minutes to five, o'clock
a.m. heard a blackfellow^ voice, ond immediately afterwards
tho steward tumbled down into the cabin, unwounded; I,gavp,'him.a
revolver,:and told him to fire at the black stationed at tho
skylight; ?ho ?fired, and I believe hit tho black, but did not
kill him'; ho ran up on deck arid put another «bot into him,
which killed him ;. I'followed, and saw some of the orew forward
; ono of them called out " Ono of the blacks ia overboard ;" I
' looked through the .gangway and saw a black swimming ; I
told tho Bteward to fire at him, which ho did, but can't say
whotlier tho fugitive was hit; I saw him land on a rock, and sent
tho boy to tho maintop to watch his movements ; next saw a sea
take him oil' tho rock; never saw him again ; beliovo he was
drowned ; on ookiug around saw two blacks dead, and ordered
the bodies to bo thrown overboard ; also uaw the body of Patrick
Troy, greatly mutilated; on mustering crow, found the others
badly wounded, the mate and steward only being unhurt; I sent
them away in tho boat to tho island to ueo how matters stood
there ; whon they returned, thoy reported that the two men,
Humphrey Coughlan anti Alexander M'Intosh, hui been murdered in
the hut; the mate stated that tho bodies were much cut about the
hoad, and tliut decomposition was fait setting in ; but before
sending the boat away again, I ordered the body of Patrick
Troy to bo wrapped up in his blankets and taken on shore to be
buried with the others ; tho murders were no doubt perpetrated
with tho half-axeB ; those now produced are thu weapons
montioned. The other witnesses were?Daniel Deasy, sea ?/nan;
Frederick Dowdall, chiof mate; aud .Henry Fuller, cook mid
steward. Our correspondent further states that tho Polico
Magistrate had everything in his power done to alleviate the
sufferings of thu wounded men. ' Tho uso of a iorgo
building erected for a public-houBO, but not finished, wan
secured to do duty sh a temporary bospital, and the sorvicos of
duty sh a temporary bospital, and the sorvicos of a cook aud
nurse were also procured, whilo valuable professional skill was
rendered by Mr. G. Jj. Kutherford,'chemist; butit wasdeemedadvis
able to forward tho worst oaBcs to Cooktown, aud three of theraen
were Bent away, by tho Blackbird on Friday evening laat. Captain
Harris and another, only slightly wounded, aro progressing
favorably. Until steps aro taken....
Extracted from: The
Brisbane Courier, Thursday 8 March 1877,
Any contributions will be
gratefully accepted
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