The daily gazette., 1881-05-30
FISHERS GHOST,
BY R. L. Vs.

+. M ll IH pil - ------
Every traveier VINO has enjoyed an
opportunity Of personally observing
the American Indiana, the natives Of
Pslynesian groups, and ether dark
races must have been struck with the
amazing powers Of vision and smell
they enjoy. The acuteness Of their
senses appears to have been designed
by Pr0vidence to compensate for their
want Of intellectual requirements.
The truly simple aborigines Of New
Holland, who have been designated as
the last link in the chain OF humanity,
or the most distant remove from civil
cation, have been found to possess
those powers in a pre-eminent and ass
tonishing degree. Among many we'll
authenticated instances Of their dis
playing their truly wonderful ACUTE
ness, the following seems worthy of re-
mark, particularly, as it is connected
with strange and inexplicable cir
cumstance that occurred about the
year 1910, and which may be found on
the records Of the Supreme Court at
Sydenham. g
A free settler, by name Jas. Fisher,
who had long successfully cultivated
grant of land in a remote district,
and was we'll known to be possessed of
o considerable sum of money, had
been for some Time missing at the near
est market town, whilher he had been
in The habit Of repairing with cattle
and produce for sale. An inquiry was
instituted by his acquaintance aud
his head servant, or rather assistant on
the farm, o convict, who, had lived
many years with him in that situation,
declared that his master had left the
colony for some time on business, but
that he expected him to return In a
few months. As the man was general
iy known as Fishers confidential SER
want, his assertion was believed, al
though some expressed their surprise
at the settlers abrupt and clandestine
departure. The months wonder, how.
ever, soon subsided, and Fisher was
forgotten. His assailant, meanwhile,
managed the farm, bought and sold,
and spent money freely. If question
ed, which was bat rarely, he would
express his surprise at his masters de-
lay and pretend TO expect him daily.
A few months after he had first been
missed, neighboring settler, who was
returning late on Saturday night from
the market town, had occasion to pass
within half q mile OF Fishers house. As
he was riding by the fence which separa-
ted The farm from the high road he dis
tinctly saw the figure Of 4 man seated on
the railing, and at once recognized the
form and features of his lost neighbor.
He instantly stopped and called to him
familiarly BY name;but the figure descen-
ded from the railing and walked slowly
across the field toward the farmhouse.
The settler, having lost sight of him IN
the gloom, proceeded on his journey and,
on his arrival ct his plantation, informed
his family and neighbors that Fisher had
returned, and that he bad seen and
spoken TO him. sa
The news spread from farm to farm;
and most of the neighboying settlers re-
psired the next day to visit and welcome
their old friend. On inquiry, however,
Fisher's assistant declared that he had
not arrived; and affected to laugh at the
settlers story, insInuating that be had
probably drank too freely at market.
The neighbors were not so easily salts.
fed; their dormant suspicious were
awakened by what they now began to
consider q preternaturai apparltion; and
they applied to the magistrates of the
district, who directed an Immediate and
strict investigation to be instituted.
Several natives Of well-known. saga
city and fidelity are attached to the Par
amatta police, Is constables were OF In
valuable service 10 tracing and pursuing
BUSH rangers, and other criminals who
had absconded. One of these, known
by the name Of Sam; was ordered to ex-
anime Fishers house and farm, and to
endeavor to find traces Of him In the
bush. He set of, followed by most of
the settlers belonging to the Nepean and
other nsighb oring districts, who had
been collected BY curiosity and intense
interest. The farmer who had seon the
figure resembling Fisher pointed out the
exact spot; and the black, having exam
ined the railing, discovered dsrk, brown
stain on the split timber, which he scra-
ped, smelt, and at once declared to be
"white mans bloodl'' He then, with
out the least hesitation, set off In full
hound, toward pond not far from the
house. te- @
A little dark brown scum was floating
on the surface: he scooped, some of with
his hand-smelt-tas it-and cried
out, "White mans fat Pr Having tried
the field, backward and forward In diff
ferent, directions, % ifto recover the
scent, Sam led the chase to q email cop
pice. Here he bored the earth in sever
al places with ramrod, smelling the
point every Lime, until be paused, point
ed TO the ground, and said, 'fH1hite man
herep' The spot was speedily dug up;
and q corpse, sworn to by the neighbors
as that of Fisher, was discovered with
the skull fractured, and In state Of ra
pld decomposition, evidently many
weeks buried. tt"i y 49,,
The guilty assistant was Immediately
arrested and tried at Sydney, on circum-
stantiai evidence alone ---strong enough,
however, to convict hmm In spite Of bis
aud protestations Of inno-
cence. He was sentenced TO death; and
previous to his execution made an ample
confession of his guilt. He declared that
be had murdered Fisher while sitting on
the very rail that the settler had pointed
out, about three months before the ap-
pesrance of that extraordinary apparitiop;
that be had In the first place dragged
the body TO the point whore the black
constable the had discovered traces Of IL;
but thet after It had been some days
ilnna4 there, his apprehension Of de-
tection HI imnel led him toTemoveit to