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white law was pitiless, and pursued its way in the punishment of crime irrespective of circumstances and persons.

In January, 1862, two natives were executed for spearing Charles Story, a shepherd in the employ of Mr. Hassel, at Albany. Joseph Hesketh, a farm servant at Marbalup, took to wife a native girl. After a time she returned to her tribe, but Hesketh induced her to again join him. Her friends followed the pair, and speared Hesketh to death. In February several blacks destroyed numerous sheep owned by Mr. J. S. Davis, in the Victoria district. They surrounded the shepherds, dared them to move, watched them for some time, nearly starved them, and then went away as if satisfied. Eleven of them were arrested and sent to Rottnest. In February, 1864, a shepherd employed by Mr. Davis shot a native's dog, which had been worrying sheep. The native and his friends watched and speared the shepherd. Several of them were arrested after a severe and dangerous straggle. In September, 1864, blacks made a raid on Mr. Gray's station in the Victoria district, and in the same month eight blacks speared a shepherd named Bott on Mr. Jas. Rudd's station, at Bundeen, on the Upper Irwin. Five of them were hung. In October, Mr. Rudd himself was brutally murdered near the same spot. Four natives were hung in 1865 for killing two of their countrymen.

The incidents of the next murder are full of pathos. On the evening of 31st July, 1865, several natives appeared on Mr. Edward Clarkson's station, eighty miles east of Newcastle. One of them cast a spear at Mr. Clarkson, which entered his side and penetrated nine inches upward towards his shoulder. David Hacket, the hut-keeper, a brave lad, only thirteen years old, seized a gun, and the natives took to their heels. With the boy's help Mr. Clarkson managed to get to his hut, where he passed a night of suffering. Next morning he sent David out to look for sheep, but before the lad's return—two or three hours later—the murderers had again been to the hut. As David approached he saw them torturing the squatter by thrusting spears into his arms, hands, and legs. At sight of the lad the cowardly blacks ran away. The young hero nursed Mr. Clarkson through days of agony, until the 5th August, when he expired. Then, covering up the body and securing the hut, David took the gun and made a solitary and dangerous journey through the bush to the house of Mr. Dempster, scores of miles away. Mr. Clarkson's remains were taken to Newcastle to be buried. A subscription for the courageous and faithful lad was raised and deposited in the Savings Bank.

The police went out to apprehend the murderers. In January, 1866, Ngowee, after being tried and convicted, was hung at the station. In April another native was hung there, and still another in May. Their bodies were left suspended as a terrible warning. In April two men were killed by natives on an island in Sharks Bay.

 

