Monitor (Sydney, NSW : 1826 - 1828), Friday 29 December 1826, page 3


THE MONITOR. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1826. THE narration of poor Thomas Taylor's death, the herdsman, of Argyle, who was barbarously and wan-tonly murdered by the natives, and whose murderers have never been brought to trial, though one of them was captured at great expense, has in it circumstances of more interest than commonly attends these interior outrages. Sometime in the month of May last, a great concourse of natives, inhabitants of parts beyond Lake George, were returning from Bong-bong, whither they had assembled some weeks before to assist in performing certain ceremonies of their nation, particularly that of knocking out the front tooth. Of these tribes, one company called at Mr. Hall's Farm, at Lake Bathurst, and seemed mischievous, but from the bold front shewed them by the men in the hut, they betook themselves off. The next morning they were found in the neighbour-hood, at a hut of Mrs. Sherwin, about two miles from the northern side of the Lake. Three of their body were despatched by the rest to the hut, for the express purpose of capturing and murdering Thomas Taylor, one of their best friends. On entering the hut, one of the three went behind Taylor and clasped him round the middle, pinioning his arms. Taylor being well ac-quainted with one of them, felt at first no alarm; but on hearing one of the other two give orders to kill him, he made a strong effort, and getting loose, snatched a waddie from the third, and began to lay about him, but was soon disarmed and again pinioned. He then laid hold of a slab which was fixed in the ground, and nailed to the tye-beam, and in dragging him therefrom, the spike nail which fastened the slab, broke. At this time, Taylor groaned and trembled with alarm, being fully convinced of their purpose. (The account of the mur-der as here related, was enticed by presents from and was gi-ven very minutely by the three murderers themselves, at different intervals.) The blacks relaxed their efforts in order to sharpen their knives and tomahawks, and Taylor sprang to the door, but was caught and dragged to the pond; and in attempting to throw him in, Taylor again extricated himself and took to his heels. He ran about two miles towards the Lake, the blacks after him. Finding he would gain the Lake, and knowing him to be an expert swimmer, the man now in gaol stopped a moment to adjust his spear on the throwing-stick, and launching it with deadly aim, pierced the fugitive in the side. He continued to run with relaxed efforts till he was overtaken. One of the murderers first felled him by a blow on the head—another cut his throat, cleaved his breast-bone with his tomahawk, and ripped his body open from the neck to the lower extremity of the belly. The next operation was to sever the fat from the en-trails, with which they began to anoint themselves, singing one of their songs of victory at the same time. Over the grease, they threw a quantity of loose, dry, sandy earth. They then knocked out his teeth, deposit-ing the latter in their bags. The next operation was to strip the body and divide the clothes, which they placed on their own persons. The next ceremony was for two to dance round him, while the third lacerated his skull and visage by repeated blows with his tomahawk. After which, they began to cut off the flesh from the bones— beginning with the calves of the legs, next the thighs, then the fleshy parts of the breast; all of which they carried in their hands, in parcels, to a distance of about 300 yards. On returning to fetch a portion of the flesh, one of them saw the eye of the deceased glisten, and imagining he might still "jump up," (to use their own expression, for they are horribly afraid of the resurrection of a dead corpse) he beat the skull till it parted, and one of the portions he carried away. After this they kindled

a fire, and began to grill small pieces of the flesh on the hot cinders, together with some potatoes which Mr. Hall's servants had given them the day before. After making a very hearty meal, they rejoined their company, and brought the whole down to the fire ; but it appears that the remainder of the flesh became the property of the murderers, for it could not be ascertained that the company ate any - at all events, a considerable portion was finally carried away in the bags of the murderers. The company next proceeded to Sherwin's hut, which they plundered of every thing serviceable to them, and in order to enable his Jin to carry his portion of the booty, one of the men very deliberately took his infant child from the woman, and holding it by the heels, with the head downwards, struck it against a tree, by which its brains were literally dashed out, and the bark of the tree became smeared with blood, as it is at this day. The company then departed into the interior of the country, travelling, with unusual rapidity, for their fears of revenge on our part soon began to be greatly excited. TAYLOR was missed the same day by his neighbours; and the day after, one of the black women, who was very friendly with the white people, revealed the murder to them. Twelve stockmen immediately assembled from different parts of the district, all armed, and vowing revenge. They pursued the tribe several days without success, till their provisions were exhausted. On their return they halted at Lake George, at a hut occupied by a native lad named James Taylor, but the latter was absent from fear. They therefore re-turned to Lake Bathurst, which was considered as a kind of head quarters, and where the branding irons were continually kept in the fire as a kind of defence in case of a sudden attack; flints, powder, and ball, being extremely scarce in the arsenals of Argyle. On their return to the Lake, they found Captain Bishop and his troop had been there on their way to the interior. In a day or two the Captain returned, bringing with him two of the murderers ; one named Raggettyhead, and the other ————, the latter is now in gaol, being the man who threw the fatal spear. In the night, the former effected his escape, and has since visited several stations. The third murderer, who was never captured, has subsequently visited Mr. Hall's hut, in company with five of the old friendly blacks, and got something to eat along with them. It is much to the credit of the stockmen, in our humble opinion, that this fellow has never been injured. He, as well as Raggytyhead, are still in the neighbour-hood, and may be captured with the greatest ease. They say that the great gentleman, (i. e. the Governor) is, too boodgery, (i. e, too kind) to punish them. Raggytyhead threatens to kill Blake, a respectable overseer, near Lake George, because he was the means of procuring the fellow's capture by Captain Bishop. BEFORE one of the prisoners escaped, he and his companion in iniquity were severally interrogated, but they would acknowledge to nothing. When soothed, and assured of pardon, the chief murderer, now in gaol, consented to show the mangled body. Accordingly, he accompanied some of the men to the place where the remains lay. The murderer advanced cautiously to within such a distance as to be able just to discern the body - the moment he got a glimpse of the skeleton, all the terrors of a guilty conscience began to depict them-selves in his countenance. He stopped suddenly, and with a wild and horrid aspect, stamping with his foot, and with his right hand extended towards the body, and his face averted, he tremulously and almost breathlessly groaned out "there!" Our people advanced to the remains of poor Taylor. It was so horrid a spectacle, that after the first glance, the men had scarce resolution again to behold it, and averted their faces from the dreadful sight, giving vent to the feelings of nature. Indignation and pity at length prevailed over their horror, and one, bolder than the rest, lifted the corpse up on its feet! The murderer could not bear the dreadful spectacle! - he shrieked or rather howled with agony! and if those who have doubted the equal intellect with civilized man of savage nations had then been present, this victim of a guilty conscience would have demon-trated to them their error! He turned his face from the corpse, and trembled till his knees knocked together! and one of the men happening to approach him, he laid hold of the grass with his hands, lest he should be com-pelled to go nearer to the headless, ghastly trunk! The body was then placed on a sheet of bark, and was finally buried, about 25 miles off, on the estate of Mr. Justice Reid. Now we should feel inclined to make some remarks on government declining to bring the above three mur-derers to justice, save that we are aware that through Captain Bishop and Mr. Justice Futter, (the latter from his residence in the neighbourhood of Lake Bathurst being of course greatly interested in such matters) the circumstances were all clearly laid before the late At-torney-General. And we have so high an opinion of the latter, as to his general discretion, that we suppose there must be some ancient English statue just within the memory of man, but of which we editors are entirely ignorant, that operates against bringing these Abori-gines to justice. But if so, why detain the present prisioner? And yet to suppose that the blacks can come into our houses and cut our throats at their leisure, without being liable to punishment further than an imprisonment without a trial, seems very odd to En-glish comprehension. At all events, it is heart-rending for the brother stockmen of poor Taylor to see his mur-derers parading about their quarters, cracking their

jokes on "the great gentleman," as they call the Go-vernor, and coolly expressing their determination to put to death two or three more whites at the proper oppor-tunity. If ever the work of slaughter commences in Argyle, our people will, we are afraid, take a bloody and disgraceful revenge. Whereas, had the three murderers been tried, and if found guilty, executed, feelings of a benignant nature would have succeeded such an act of retributive justice, and peace and amity would have been restored between the tribes of Lake George and our people. So true it is, that in order to work mercy, you must first be just - and in order to be just you must temper your judicial wrath with mercy. To forego justice is to encourage revenge. To be just without mercy produces the same fell effect. But to be righte-ously and firmly just, and to temper it with mercy - this calms and sanctifies the minds of all concerned - as well the friends of the injured as of the injurers. So much for the conduct of the government and its officers in the vicinity of Argyle. Are the laws of England, we wonder, the same at Lake Bathurst as at Upper Hunter's River? We should imagine not, from the reports that have reached us from the last settle-ment. If they be, however, then that old political pos-tulate, namely, that the same laws are found to be good or bad, according to the character of those who admi-nister them, will be found to have advanced another step in Australia towards an axiom. THE settlers and the troops, it is said, and as we have before reported, took the law in their own hands at Hunter's River, in the late quarrels with the Aborigines, as they did at Bathurst in Sir Thomas Brisbane's time; and went and slaughtered the blacks, according to the sage, legitimate, and humane advice of the barrister-editor of the Australian Newspaper. The troops captured some of the blacks, but when the latter slipped their ropes, the former shot them without more ado. One native, it is said, was brought down the country, tied to a stake or a tree at one of the rendezvous, and deliberately put to death with bullets. We have mentioned all this before, but the Gazette neither denied nor affirmed our state-ment. In Argyle, one is captured but never brought to trial, nor is any attempt made to re-capture the other two, who are now walking in the precincts of Taylor's grave, and the voice of whose blood still crieth from the ground. In this instance we have mercy without justice - we have of course its consequence; namely, a neighbourhood of whites thirsting for revenge, and withheld from assassinating every black that comes in their way, from the fear of the law, which, however, they say, is not equal, since it connives at murder in the natives, while it would punish a just retaliation in them. At Upper Hunter's River on the other hand, we hear of retaliation without mercy. But as the law does not au-thorise retaliation, it becomes nothing less in the eye of the law but murder. Yet the government remains dor-mant. The murderers of the whites of Argyle are not brought to trial. The murderers of the blacks at Hun-ter's River are not brought to trial. We heard, indeed, of some kind of "Board of Murder," which sat on or in the vicinity of Newcastle—but no commission is entitled to any thing but our scorn, whose members from time, place, and circumstances, are unavoidably (looking to poor human nature) inspired with a strong feeling in favour of the cause of the murderers, if not of their persons. Our Chief-Justice, we think, would do well, as Supreme Coroner of the land (which we sup-pose him to be, that office appertaining to the Chief-Jus-tice of England) to institute an enquiry into the manner by which a number of blacks have certainly come to an untimely death during the last six months at Hunter's River. Is there an ordinary coroner there ? If there be, why did he not, do his duty, and call an in-quest, when he heard of any black native being killed, seeing martial law had not been proclaimed ? If there be no coroner, why, in a state of society where the ser-vices of this constitutional officer are so much required, has not one been appointed ? why is the government so much behind the growing necessities of the colony ? CAPTAIN BISHOP, we notice, is returned from the Five Islands. The conduct of this brave officer was so ex-emplary in Argyle, where he and his troop, in imitation of the worthy black slaughterers of Hunter'r River, might have killed a few score of the Aborigines with-out having his conduct (as it should seem) very consti-tutionally enquired into, that we cannot but regret to learn New South Wales is going to be deprived of this gen-tleman's services and society. A wise, discreet, brave, and experienced military officer, always puts us in mind of an old Roman centurion. And we have as instinctive a love for old Romans as we have for Englishmen, knowing also that some of the same blood flows in the veins, of the latter. Wherever the service requires the presence of Captain Bishop, we wish him health and promotion being satisfied there are few officers who will make a better use of these two cardinal advantages. WE deprecate the attack on the Governor in Wednes-day's Australian. We object not to all the facts therein set forth, nor would we, though they were increased a thousand fold. Facts it is always lawful if not laudable to reveal. But the manner in putting them in Wednes-day's Australian, is, in our opinion, ungenerous, un-magnanimous, and inconsistent with public decorum. So long as General Darling is the Governor, there is something more due to him, however egregious his faults, than what is rendered by Wednesday's Australian. The language is gross—even to an inferior officer it

would be harsh and unfeeling and we also will add prema-ture, therefore unjust. Let every man have a fair trial before the proper authorities and in due time and place and let him not by means of dreadful allusions be con-demned at the bar of any private individual ! It is not fair we repeat—it is not manly—it is the conduct of a bully who finding no danger penal or pecuniary, puts his foot on the neck of his victim insensible to his rank and dignity. How different is such behaviour to the manly frankness of another of our Barristers ? He having determined on making a public constitutional complaint, in proper form and place, made His Excellen-cy acquainted at once with his intention, promising to transmit nothing to H. M. Ministers without first send-ing the Governor a copy ! Besides, where is the con-sistency of The Australian ? Was he goaded to write as he has done by The Gazette ? On other occasions where the latter has been much more provoking and scurrilous, the Editor has displayed the most considerate forbearance. When The Austra ian of the 29th of Nov. last came out, every body praised the good sense, the discretion, and the good feeling it displayed. The Editor seemed to have at length thrown off the mysterious trammels by which his former public spirit had appeared to be depressed. The next number (Dec. 2,) comes out —" Oh ! what a falling off was there !" After three days examination into the facts, and after three days consider-ation of them in a legal as well as a political point of view, we read (to our astonishment) such mincing trim-ming apologies as these—" We have respected the exist-ing Government, &c." " For a moment we were sha-ken—only for a moment—and we do feel pleasure in acknowledging, that whilst we impute the error that has been committed to anything rather than barbarity, &c. &c." Now let any man of candour compare the article containing those apologistic sentences, written evidently under a hope that mercy might still be exten-ded the unfortunate wight who had previously been so bold, with the article of last Wednesday, and having so done, let him determine the question, whether the writer of such paradoxical sentiments can possibly possess any fixed public principle ? THE state of England by The Phœnix, seems to have reached the lowest point of distress. Hence, though wretchedness in every shape seems likely to continue, still it does not appear on the increase. The Greeks and Turks seem to have agreed to suspend further butchery of each other. Most of the Janissaries have been des-patched to the other world by the sabre of the Grand Turk, and the rest of Europe is busy cultivating the arts of peace. OUR friends will observe by the Advertisement of public Subscriptions to defray the verdict given against the Proprietors of this Journal, that the public spirit of this Colony in favour of free discussion and Whig prin-ciples, is not far behind that of our parent country. When public men find themselves thus supported, their minds will be invigorated in the sacred cause of public virtue, and their integrity meting its due meed of the popular applause, will be strengthened. We refer onr readers also to a lively sketch of the public meeting cal-led by Advertisement, which a Correspondent has fa-voured us with, and which we have inserted among the domestics of the week. The spirit of this meeting seems to have been truly English. " COCKING" a barbarous sport tolerated only by custom found a large quantum of admirers on Tuesday, or as it is vulgarly termed, boxing day, at the Spinning Wheel, on the Parramatta road. A main of cocks was fought and considerable sums it is said exchanged owners on the occasion. We think no public house ought to have a license which encourages this barbarous practice. A Public meeting of the Trustees of the Free Gram-mar School, takes place this Evening by adjournment at Cummin's Hotel. WE congratulate our Roman Catholic brethren upon the arrival of a pastor in the person of the Rev. Mr. Power, who has been appointed as the second Roman Catholic Chaplain to the Colony. Mr. Therry, we understand will continue to officiate in his private func-tion, his flock has augmented so rapidly within this last few years, that it has been impossible to pay requi-site attention to this large portion of our christian com-munity. Whether however he stay or whether he depart hence, the Rev. J. J. Therry, will ever retain the affectionate regard of his flock and the universal esteem of those who had the happiness of his acquaint-ance Mr. Power does not relieve Mr. Therry. BY Hobart Town papers up to 15th December , inclu-sive, we learn that Colonel Arthur has pubhished " a General Notice," directing the people how to proceed against the blacks. If this General Notice be merely declaratory of the law on the subject of capturing felons and other offenders, black or white, why did it not say so rather than appear to give new laws on the sub-ject ? If it be something more than a mere declaration of the law, is a General Notice a proper mode of passing new laws, which either disturb or add to old laws affect-ing the life of fugitives ? In either respect this General Notice appears to us an absurdity.—The new public school, we find, prospers better in Van Diemen's Land than ours in Sydney.—A bullock of 12 cwt is shewing at " The Ferry" as a Christmas prize beast.—Our go-vernment brig Amity, through stress of weather, put into the Derwent on the 1st. instant, having carried away

her main-boom; this brig had previously put into Port Dalymple along with H. M. sloop of war Fly, owing to westerly gales.—The Hobart Town Journals ridicule the government for having attempted to erect a new capital in more places than Brighton, and infer that after all, this ridiculous project is of Colonel Arthur's own con-  conjuration.—There is an energy among the Hobartonians which distinguishes its inhabitants from the languid, haughty, dandy-like spirit of our chief public men in New South Wales. (Chambers of Commerce and Agri-  cultural Societies to wit; )—on the 30th of November last a public meeting took place to fix a new fair— nine chief colonists were appointed to see their wishes carried into execution, and one of the first acts was to call upon the Lieutenant-governor to do his part, the least, namely, publish a proclamation, &c. &c. If you want public spirit in Sydney, you must pass by all those who call themselves citizens of the first rank ; amongst the second class only will you find some of the old En-glish true-blue.—Fencing by quick-set hedges is growing into fashion in Van Dieman's Land. Our Mr. Justice Bell, of Richmond Hill, has several sweet-briar hedges on his estate, and which, as they appear as eligible as the thorn we wonder have not come more into use in this colony ; this, climate is too hot and arid for English quick—hence, we know of no better at present than those made of posts and rails. Scarcity of splitting-timber will in time, compel our settlers to grow hedges instead of erecting timber fences. PUBLIC MEETING AT CUMMINS'S. A Subscrihber has sent us the following, with a request that it be inserted :—" The friends to free discussion and   an unshackled Press, approving the principles on which " The Monitor" Newspaper is conducted, assembled pur-suant to public Advertisement on Friday Evening last,   at the Sydney Hotel. About thirty gentlemen were pre-sent. At eight clock Mr. Daniel Cooper was unani-mously called to the Chair, and scarcely had the business   of the evening commenced, than the most solid of all arguments, Dumps and Dollars, resounded long and loud upon the table. A deep feeling of interest pervaded every breast ; the preservation of the rights and immu-nities of Englishmen, it was felt by all, was the object of that Journal, of whose principles the body of the people had evinced their admiration ; and to bear the conductors   through the arduous struggle, was the wish which ani-  mated all persons present. Continual communications reached the Chairman apologising for the absence of friends, but availing themselves of the opportunity of marking their approbation of the Meeting by pecuniary enclosures. Resolutions were passed appointing a  Com-mittee empowered to receive contributions ; in number six—and all business being satisfactorily arranged, har-mony, and social feeling predominated throughout the assembly. " The Freedom of the Press in New South   Wales," and " Success and prosperity to the Proprietors of   the Monitor, so long as they conduct that Journal in the highly satisfactory manner they do at this moment," were drank with enthusiastic applause. The health of " W.   C. Wentworth, Esq. a Native of the Colony and a Barrister at Law, who pleads OUR cause," was received with the most flattering demonstrations of respect ; nor were the benefactors of the Colony, the late lamented Macquarie, and our late Ruler Sir Thomas Brisbane, forgotten by their grateful constituents. The popular toasts of " Civil and Religious Liberty all over the World," " Trial by     Jury," and " Taxation by Representation," were also drunk with that enthusiasm which ever distinguishes honest men in a good cause, and were succeeded by a requisition for the harmonic talents of the company ; which being   cheerfully complied with by several sons of melody pre-  present, the party was kept together until nearly twelve o'clock. Nearly sixty pounds were subscribed in the course of an hour." Mr. CLARKE notifies his intention of filling up the vacuum of the Christmas holidays and dispelling the eanui which in these dull times prevails by preparing a musical entertainment at Mr. Lord's Rooms on Tuesday the ninth of January. The application of parties for tickets to be first submitted to a committee, in order to make this concert select. Some hives of English Bees were most patriotically imported hither by the Commander of the Ship the Three B's, which was burnt in Sydney Cove. Pray are they still in existence ? We have heard nothing of them in   all the scientific reports of our very efficient and zealous true Merino Agricultural Society. Two bushrangers were brought into Sydney yesterday evening under a military escort, supposed to be concerned in the shooting and robbing of Commissary Clements. THE Masonic Brethren of Australia celebrated the   Festival of the Evangelist St. John, by the usual Anni-  versary and Procession. Nos. 260 and 266, designated the " Australian Social and Leinster Marine Lodges,"   proceeded at " High Twelve" from the Freemason's Ta-    vern, preceded by the band of the 3rd Regiment, to Macquarie Street Chapel, where a most appropriate Sermon was preached by the Rev. W. Horton, and a collection made in aid of the Benevolent Society's Funds. After the Service, Dinners at Cummins's and Brother Warman's were partaken of, at which brotherly love and unanimity prevailed. These portions of the ancient and accepted fraternity it is understood would have dined together, but for a misunderstanding as to the necessary arrangements. We are much pleased to hear that the Grand Lodge of Ireland have expressed the highest satisfaction at the conduct of the " Australian Social

Lodge," under the mastership of Brother Campbell, Jun. of Bligh-street, in having paid so much attention to Sir Thomas Brisbane on his departure from the Colony in their address to His Excellency. We have this week to relate the particulars of a most atro-  cious Highway Robbery, on the person of Mr. Clements, an officer of the Commissariat, who was attacked on Saturday Evening last about half-past Eight O'clock, at the junction of the Bringelly and Cowpasture Roads, on his way to the farm of William Cordeaux, Esquire.—As the unfortunate Gentle-man was riding at a slow pace down hill, he was accosted by two men with the usual challenge of patrole " who goes there," to which Mr. C. replied, " a friend," they rejoined " pass then " Immediately each laid hold of the Bridle of Mr. C's horse and demanded his money, accompanied with threats of instant violence if any resistance was offered.—Mr. Clements spurred his horse and succeeded in extricating himself from their grasp, but was instantly fired at and received a musket shot, which entered under his left ear and passed out close to his eye—he fell immediately, and the ruffians proceeded to rifle him of his watch, money, &c. leaving him insensible on the road—he continued in this state for some time, but at length recovered and attempted to walk to the farm of Mr. Cor-    deaux, a distance of nearly two miles. With difficulty he reached a stubble field on Mr. C's estate, when he became so completely exhausted from loss of blood, that he was obliged to remain there until day-light : he was then discovered, and conveyed to the house, where every assistance was afforded him. We are happy to state that by the last accounts he was doing as well as the nature of his severe wounds will permit. Two men are in custody on suspicion of being the perpetrators of this sanguinary act. In consequence of this atrocious outrage, Mr. A. Still. Commissariat Clerk at Windsor, has received orders to proceed to Sydney to take charge of the Government Stores in the Lumber-yard. Mr. G. Wilson lately from Melville Island, succeeds Mr. Still at Windsor. THE lovers of Literature will be pleased to find Dr. LANG has published a small volume of sacred poems.—The Misses Bannister leave the colony in the Hugh Crawford ; we regret the country has lost so great a portion of our beau monde. The Bannister family, save their politics, were models of English manners and English feeling. Sax Ban-  nister was a real man of Kent, 'bating his Toryism. —Smithers and his wife yesterday received their sentence, 14 years transportation.—We regret to learn that a fine youth, eldest son of Mr. Still, Governor of His Majesty's Gaol, was drowned in the South Creek.—The new Solicitor-general was on Wednesday, before the Chief-Justice, sworn in as Commis-sioner of the Court of Requests.   THE Gazette seems to sneer at us, because, while we praise the New School of Industry, for training up young women to become good wives, we did not mention its capacity to make good husbands. But we really thought, that if we took care of the wives, the husbands would take care of themselves ; presuming in our old-fashioned style, that if we once brought the young folks as far as the Altar, we might safely leave all the rest to them. MR. ALLEN has requested us to withdraw his name from the Subscription to defray the Verdict in the late trial for Libel. We understand that we are accused of having inserted this Gentleman's name without due  au-thority. We beg to say Mr. Allen met Mr. Hall, and voluntarily offered his mite, and on being requested by the latter to say whether he chose an anonymous name, he replied no, but that his real name might be used. The Solicitor General was present. A case of some long standing was decided a day or two since in the Supreme Court. Mr. James Under-wood had commenced a building intended for a Theatre   adjoining the Sydney Gazette Office ; in digging the foundation for which, part of Mr. Howe's warehouse came down and damaged much stationary, &c. for the recovery of this the action was brought, and a verdict of 65l. and costs awarded.