Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Tuesday 4 June 1889, page 8


THE SCHOONER COLONIST.-THE CAPTAIN SHOT.

From Havannah Harbour, New Hebrides Group, news has been received that the master of the Sydney-owned schooner Colonist William Greenless was shot and killed by the supercargo, Henry Ernest Weaver, on the 22nd ultimo. H M S Lizard was lying at Havannah Harbour at the time and a boat from her went all to the Colonist upon the report of firearms on board being heard. On boarding the schooner It was found that the captain had been shot while lying in his berth, and the body subse-quently carried up and laid on the main hatchway. Weaver, the supercargo, was arrested bv the officer from the Lizard A sheath knife and two revolvers were taken from him, and he was conveyed to the Lizard, where evidence of the mate of the schooner and other eye-witnesses of the murder was taken. Subsequently H.M.S. Opal arrived at Havannah Harbour from Noumea and Captain Bosanquet as senior officer and Deputy-Commissioner for the Western Pacific, assembled a High Commission Court on May 23 the result of the inquiry was that Weaver was committed for trial on a charge of wilful murder, and was remanded to the Court at Fiji and he and the witnesses were to be sent to Suva by the A.U.S. N Company's steamer Gunga, expected In a few days Captain Greenless was well known In Sydney,

as was also Weaver