Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Monday 21 January 1918, page 4


LOST

ON MILEURA STATION TRAGEDY OF THE BUSH. LAD WANDERS FOR DAYS. FIGHTING MADNESS AND EX-HAUSTION TILL DEATH COMES IN KIND-NESS.

Further particulars is regard to the death of the lad, Frank Deeble who became missing from Mileura Station on the 31st of December, have been supplied to the Murchison 'Times by. Constable Mills, who went out with

Mr. Rymer (manager of Berringarra Station) when the latter came to Cue with the news, of the lad's disappearance. On the above date young Deeble was sent to visit several windmills to see if they were working, and if there was enough water in the troughs for the sheep. In company of- a black boy, he had visited the first well about six miles from the station a day or two previously, and as the other well he had to visit was only a few miles f urther, and could be reached by fol-lowing a well defined track, no trouble. In arriving at it was anticipated by Mr. MacIlwraith, the manager of the   station, who sent the lad on the Jour-ney per bicycle. During the afternoon a slight rain fell and as the lad did not return Mr MacIlwraith, on his motor cycle went in search early next morning, telling a black boy to obtain some food for the lad and follow on an ordinary bicycle. On arriving at the first well it was clearly seen that young Deeble had been at that well after the rain fell but there was no evidence that he had been to the well farther on, as the rain had obliterated all marks on the track. When the native boy arrived, he tracked the bicycle away from the well and along the road leading to Cue for several miles, and thence through mulga country until he came to the bicycle which the lad had discarded, and resumed the journey on foot. The native boy then returned to the station, and a search party, consisting of Mr. MacIlwraith, J. Oliver, G. Hod-der, and J. Reece, accompanied by eight natives, commenced a systematic search which never ceased for eight days. From break of day until darkness set in, with only brief halt for meals or when the tracks became too indistinct to follow, the searchers plodded on across the sun-scorched mulga covered plains, and over stony ridges where the lost lad had aimlessly wandered, never seeming to take rest by day or night. When the ground became too rough to leave marks that the sharpest eyes could discover, some of the party would circle, a long way out, and as soon as tracks Were found smoke signals were sent up and the party reassembled and the, journey resumed. On several occasions the demented lad approached wells, and crossed main roads, one of which he followed for about five miles. Then he took to the bush, only to resume his aimless wanderings, circling and zig-zag ging through the.bush. On the eighth day the party were within three miles of Mr. JT. .Clift's homestead at Mindoolah, where the tracks again turned, and about six miles in a direct line from. Clift's, the party discovered the body of the unfortunate lad lying beneath a tree with his arms around the trunk. A few yards from the body the boots, which apparently had been discarded by the deceased, were found, also a part of a bottle and a tin, as if he had been carrying these up to the last few minutes. From the state of the body, it was Judged that death had taken place some, days previously — probably four or five days after leaving the well. No one can tell the horrors of that long walk to death beneath the. rays of a scorching sun, and the feelings of lonesomeness during the hours of night. Only those who ceaselessly followed the trail until almost worn out, could in any measure even picture the sufferings of the poor lad. Mr- J. B. Rymer, J.P., of Berrin garra station, and a jury consisting of Messrs. Bottrill, Crawford and Sheedy, viewed the body, which was then buried at the spot, Mr. Rymer reading the burial service at the grave

The English language is full of subtle meanings and unexpected turns. Not long ago a man asked an acquaintance a number of questions about his business. 'How many people work in your office?' he inquired. 'Oh,' said the other carelessly, 'about two-thirds of them?'