Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-06-09
4 LONG NIGHT OF AGONY.
Desperate siruaRle for Life with n Han
Of Murdercrs.

ASphu'h NpiiNol'hNsh' W VIZ A~N"
York World writes ms follows The
natives of the South Sea Islands should
either be speedily brosght under the
influence of Christian civilization or snf-
fer extirpaton. The latest case OF hor-
ror which reaches MS from this section OF
the world is the massacre of part OF II
crew belonging TO Melbourne vessel,
the particulars of which have been fur
nished by correspondent of m Austria
linn paper.
It appears that in january the
schooner Douglas, with crew OF ten
white men, including officers. left Cairns
for Chilcot island, lying two hundred
miles to the east, to take in load of
guano. On the passage the vessel stop
ped of Drink island and shipped three
natives, who boarded the Douglas from
q canoe. On arriving ut Chilcot, a small
detached, uninhabited island, n brig be-
longing to the same owners was found
there partially loaded. A member of
the firm who had gone ont with the
schooner decided that, rs there WAS not
native labor enough to screen the guano
asapidly as desired, he would return with
the brig and fill up her cargo with cedar
at the Daintrce. In the presence of the
three natives shipped at Drinl, island,
nearly all the arms belonging to the
schooner were transferred to the brig,
aud the latter sailed on the morning Of
the fifteenth. The arms, it may be said,
were taken because the Daintree was
known to swarm with trcacherous in
habitants, and no one dreamed that the
natives ON the remaining vessel would
undertake the murder of more than three
times their own number. A hut had
been erected on shore for the storage
of water and provisions. Early in the
night this hut was occupied by two
white men named Cochrane and McIn-
tosh, and two of the natives. The latter
seemed cheerful and happy, and the
whites were under no apprehension of
danger. Watching their opportunity
the two natives stealthily approached
their victims and dispatched them will,
an instrument known as half AK. Re-
tanning their weapons, the murlcrers
swan off to the vessel. The whites were
all sleeping in fancied security, and not
soul was on the alert save the third
native, who waited 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 incapable of uttcring
sound. Leaving these two men for
dead, the murderers next entered the
hold, and finding sailor named Purcell
they chopped his head, face and arm in
n frightful manner, and cut huge gap
ing cash in his back. They believed
him dead, but subsequently he managed
to crawl through the hold in the after
cabin. The acting second mate, Deasy
by name, who was asleep ON the fore
castle, hearing the outcry made by Pur-
cell, rushed on the deck. He lodged
the blow of bloody ax and cried out
"Captain, the natives are numbering
us p
The three murtlerers attacked him. but |,
he managed to get away with numerous
fesh-wornds and a 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 assailplts with small grind
stone lying on deck. Deasy and two
men then succeeded in reaching the rig
ging The natives followed, but the
men gained the foreyartl and kept them
at bay with blocks cut away with the
mates knife. The struggle aroused the
captain. he started to go on deck, but
rs he laid his hand on the top of the
it was chopped off with an
ax, and he Immediately retreated to the
cabin. Here lie remained with his son,
and was subsequently joined by Purcell
md Shaw, the latter one of the men first
On lying down to sleep Shaw
a rug and thick bag about his
and this alone saved him from !
death. According to his own {
story, he awoke in sort of dream and t
found himself one mass OF clotted blood {
rom wounds on the head and arms. l
The men on the foreyard-the mate so '
that he had to be lashel TO J
prevent falling-supposed that all hands, l
save themselves, were dead, and did not q
lare venture down. The villainous t
not ablc to attack them in t
heir position aloft, commenced a search v
or the bodies of their victims and such f.
'thers as might have evaded their at a
acks. The steward had shut himself up il
Il his galley and escaped their murder p
'us intentions. Shaw and Purcell, as fl
We have seen, had crawled away to the l
abin. Coming across the body Of Troy, d
ne OF the two first struck, they found ?
lim still alive. They then chopped his II
'ody and Glove his head, till all life, all i,
emblance even of humanity, was lost in Il
he horrid butchery. Trembling in his
ALLEY, and momentarily expecting his =,
wn fate, the steward heard the poor
ictim groan out: ooh, God ! I'm fin =
shed now." The wounded, mutilated r
nen in the cabin attempted, and vainly :.
o, to load pistol, the flowing blood r r
logging the weapon and SO damping "
he powder that they could do nothing. ~
Daylight came at last, and with it came 9,
ONE hope for the poor bleeding victims :, q
f the murderous fiends, although de- ;,
iverance was yet to be delayed. The q,
ituation as the day dawned was MS fol- = :
1ws The three blood stained demons
ED the deck, three men were on the
ard, the steward was hidden away in al
he galley, and the captain, with his boy, h
ED watch in the cabin, with two poor O,
men, weltering in their blood p,
eside them. One of the villains COM 81