Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-09-05
BOSTON MARKET-FURs AND SKINS.
Murders in Australia.

In May last report appeared in the
London journals of two brutal and
treacherous murders on the Paramatta
River, Australia, the victims being a Mr..
Bridgers, formerly mate in Her Britain
mic Maiesty's ship Rosario, and Mr..
Percy Walker, u native of Thornbury,
Bristol, and latterly of bennington,
Warwickshire. Previous to joining the
Rosario, the murdered man Bridgers was
connected with the crew of the unfor-
tunate MegHra Both were decOyed by
an advertisement in one of the Sydney
papers for a clerk in q country store, the
terms being attractive. Bridgers was
was the first accepted, the engagement
being made with two men named Mich
oils and Lester, who represented them
selves as the agents of the advertiser,
Mr. Norton, the proprietor of the large
country stores up the Paramatta River
According to appointment, Bridgers met
them at the Sydney wharf, and was con-
ycycd with his luggage up the river
shortly before six O'clock one evening.
Several days after. the body was disCoy-
cred in the river, the skull battered in,
and havv stone tied round the neck.
Mr.. Walker was then engaged, and des-
patched in a similar way. In both cases
the wounds were in the back part Of the
head, showing that the victims had been
attacked in a treacherOus manner from
behind The murders were discovered
accidentally, and the men, Nichols and
Lester, detected while attempting to dis
pose Of Mr. Walkers watch At the in
quest. public Indignation ran so high
lIHf1,,1tvr I,1 yNrieNr, ORG
were preserved from violence. Both
were respectfully connected. The day
previous to the murder of Bridgers,
Nichols left lucrative appointment in
the telegraph office; Lester was the heir
10 considerable property in England, and
at the time of the occurrence was con-
tcmplating journey home to see his
friends and arrange his affairs. \ fast
life had involved him in some pccuniary
difficulties, In consequence of which q
gentleman kindly offered to pay his pas
sage home.
Lester accepted the proffered assist
once with apparent gratitude. His pass
age money was paid, but at the last mo-
ment he declined to leave the colony,
and returning to Sydney fell in with
Nichols, who seems to have been the
leader in the diaboliCal murders of Bridg-
es and Walker In May last, the two pris-
0nors were tried at the Central Criminal
Court, Sydney, and sentenced to death
Lester had been anxious to give evidence
from the first, but the police refused his
assistance, as they considered the evid-
ence against both quite sufficient. Be
fore sentence of death was passed, he
handed in a written confession, throw
ing the whole blame upon Nichols. He
said Nichols told him to hire the boat
and receive the box of clothing Bridges
had with him. AS they went up the
river, Bridgcrs pulled one OF the oars,
and on the way Nichols said they would
90 to the shore for some ballast. They
did so and took in the large stone that
was afterwards tied round. the body to
keep it under water. After getting up
the river q long distance, Nichols re-
marked that they would not be able to
make the journey that night, because
the water was getting low. He there
fore proposed that they should anchor
and lie down to sleep. They did so, and
while he was asleep, Bridgers was muir
dered, Nichols first discharging pistol
shot into his head and then beating in
the skull with life-preserver. A cord
was then used for the purpose of tying
the stone to the body; e5 14s. and the
murdered mans boots and shoes consti-
tuted the amount of plumber. The con-
fessiOn states that Nichols afterwards
accused Lester of COwardIce; said that
dead men tell no tales" spoke of num-
erOus other replies received to the adyer-
tisements, and prospOsed the robbery
and murder of Walker. Lester hesitat-
ed, upon which Nichols said he must
look out for himself if he refused. He
then consented, and on the evening of
the 18th Of March they despatched Mr..
Walker in a similar manner. After
Walker had laid down to sleep, Testers
courage failed, and he asked Nichols
not TO carry out his intention. He said
he should, and in ten minutes after shot
Mr.. Walker in the head while asleep
1t seems that the shot was not effectual,
for Mr.. Walker Immediately sat upright,
when Nichols attacked him with the
life. preserver and beat his brains out
The affair has created a very painful
sensation in the colony.
SELF-REGIsTERING EARTHQUAKE In
DICAToR.-Erkmann has laid before the
natural history society of Prussian
Rhineland and Westphalia, plan of a
self-registering apparatus for recording
earthquakes, with although somewhat
complicated, is said to be not without it's
merits. The principal objects of this
are, first, to record the exact
hour and minute in which an earthquake
has taken place at any given point sec
ond, to determine the number and dura-
ton of the oscillations of the pendulum,
and the relative force of the earthquake;
third, from the difference of time at |
different stations, to determine the We
locity of the propagation of the wave;
fourth, to ascertain the duration of the |
earthquake, SO also its beginning and |
ending, and whether acting by shocks,
or in waves and radii fifth, to indicate
the shocks that without its agency would |
be inappreciable, and thus determine
the absolute frequency of the phenome-
non.