The Republican journal., 1877-06-07
A Long Night of Agony.
a London letter of May l4th to the n

| should DE speedily brought under The m
tiuence OF Christian civilization OF suffer
extirpation. The latest case of horror
which reaches us from this section of the
world is the massacre of part of Il crew
belonging to a Malbournc vessel, the par
ticulars of which have been furnished hY
a correspondent Of an Australian paper.
1t appears that in January the schooner
DOnglas, with crew OF ten white men,
including officers, left Cairns for Chlcot
Island, laying 200 miles to the east. to
take load of guano. On the passage the
vessel stopped off Drink Island and ship
ped three blacks, who boarded the Don
gas from canoe. On arriving at Chill
cot, a small, detached. uninhabited island,
a brig belonging to the same owners was
found there partially loaded. \ member
OF the firm who had gone out with the
schooner decided that. as there was not
black labor enough to screen the guanu
as rapidly as desired, he would return
with the brig and fill her cargo with
cedar at Daintree.
In the presence of the three blacks
they shipped at Drink Island, nearly all
the arms belonging to the schooner We're
transferred to the brig, and the latter
sailed on the morning of the 10Th 'l'he
arms it NAY be said, were taken because
Daintree was known to swarm with
! treacherouS natives, and no one dreamed
that the blacks on the remaining vessel
would attempt the murder OF more than
three times their number. \ hut h;ld been
erected on shore for the storage ui water
and provisions. Early in the night this
| hut was occupied by two whitemcn named
Cochrane and Mcintosh, and TWO Of the
| blacks. The blacks seemed cheerful and
| happy, and the whites were under no ap-
! prehenSion of danger. Watching their
opportunity the two negroes stralthily
| approached their victims and despatched
| them with an instrument known as half
axe.
| Retaining their weapons. the murderer,
swan OFF 10 the vessel The whites were
all sleeping in lancied security, and not Il
soul was on the alert save the third black
! who watched the coming of his fellows
| Softly they stole about their bloody task.
Two OF the whites Were sleeping ON deck
and murderous blows rendered them in
capable of uttering sound. Leaving
these two men for dead, the black npNt
entered the hold, and finding a sailor
named Purcell they chopped In, head
face and hands in trightlul MANNER amt
cut huge gaping cash in his back. They
believed him dead but subsequently, Ar
managed to crawl through the huld into
the after cabin. The acting second mate.
Deasy by NAME who was asleep hearing
the outcry made by Purcell rushed on
deck. He lodged the blows of Il bloody
axe and cried out, "Captan, the blacks
are numbering US
| The three lnurdererS attacked him,
but he managed to get away with NUM-
erouS flesh wounds and 4 severe chop ON
the arm. Once they had him ON his back.
and one attempted to chop off his legs
while being held by the other two. He
managed to free himself, and struck
| down one of his assalants with small
grndstonc lying on deck. Deasy and
two men then succeeded in reaching the
| rigging. The blacks followed. but the
men gained the foreyard. and kept them
at bay with blocks, cut away with the
mates knife. The struggle aroused the
captain. He started to 90 on deck, but
as he laid his hand on the top of the
companion it WAS chopped OFF with an
axe, and he Immediately retreatcd to the
cabin. Here he remained with his son.
and was subsequently joined by Purcell.
and Shaw, the latter one Of the men first
attacked. On lying down to sleep Shaw
had wrapped a rug and thick bag about
| his shoulders, and this alone saved him
| from immediate death.
According to his own story. he aWullr
in a sort of dream and found himself one
mass of clotted blood from wounds ON the
head and arms.
| The men on the torcyar,l- the mate 50
wounded that he had to be laShcd To pre-
vent falling supposed that all hands.
save themselves, We're dead, and did not
dare venture down. The negroes. not
able to attack them in their positions
alott commenced L search for the bodies
of their victims and such ;iS might have
eNadcd their attacks. The steward had
shut himself up in his galley and escaped
their murdcrOuS intentions. Shaw and
| Purcell, as we have seen. had rraWlrd
away to the cabin. Coming across the
body OF Troy, one Of the two first struck.
they found him still alive. The. then
chopped his body and Glove his head, till
all life, all Semblancr even Of humanity,
was lost in the horrd butchcry Trrm-
! bling in his galley, and momrntJrIl rN-
pecting his own fate, the steward heard
| the poor victim gruan out. ION. tod,
I'm finished now" The wounded mutt
lated men in the cabin attempted and
NalnIN SO To- load pistol. the flowing
blood cloggcd the weapon and So Uamp-
inc the powder that they could du hoth-
inc.
Daylight camrat last, ludWjth it came
| some hope for the poor bleeding victims
of the murderuus tiends, although drliN-
erancr was yet to be delayed. The ~tu-
alton as the day daNnrd WAS as follows:
The three blood-stained demons held the
deck, three men We're on the yard. the
steward was hidden away in the galley,
and the captain with his hoy held watch
in the cabin, with two poor Wounded metz
welterng in their blood beside them.
one OF the blacks commenced pcHin4
the men on the yard with stones and
pieces of coal obtained from below, while
his fellows, with axes in hand. rrncNcd
m nj IA 10 rit