The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-03-29
miscellaneous.
IN OLD AUSTRALIA.
A STORY SHOWING THE SAVAGE MA
TuRE OF THE ABORIGlNCS.

Massacre of the Wills Family and the
Swift Punishment Administrations
my's Love For His Zingari Jacket-This
Was All In the Old Days.
Perhaps there Is no country that has
changed to such an extent within the
space of 80 years as has Australia. Those
heroes of romance, the 'bushwhackers -
to the uninitiated in antipodean nomen-
Clature, escaped convicts-have for tho
last 10 years been rara avis. The good
old gambling days, when individual min
ers brought their two or three months
find down to the nearest town and were
content If it saw them through week S
orgy, are gone. So, too, have the gam
blers in real estate found their occupation
gone.
The gradual disappearance of the abo-
riginal has also made change-very much
for the better-in the country. 1t is not
for me to judge, but it has ever been a
mystery to me why or for what purpose
these animals ever had an existence-1
say animals advisedly, though in chasing
them with dogs, horses and animals of
that character 1 am doing a grievous
wrong. If they are to be classed any
higher than the wombat-a miserable Aus
traltan animal of no use that know Of
then the white people have great deal to
answer for, for no doubt their numbers
have been greatly thinned by the intro
duction of the civilized mans whisky,
with which they were allowed to kill
themselves at discretion, though there is a
heavy fine scheduled for allowing them to
have it.
There was a grewsome happening in
1870 Some 80 natives were invited to a
banquet in the bush One survived 1t
was proved that the bread was poisoned,
but by whom government officials could
never find out. Of course no one can help
shuddering at such proceeding as this,
even if it had been kangaroo, which, for
the matter of that, are of more use than
the other native, for the former do make
splendid soup, for it has been handed
down to US that Tho who eats our salt
shall be safe. OF course there was a
great cutlery, but 1t was only nine days
wonder, after all
Some time in the sixties family of the
name of Wills emigrated from England
and settled on nice sheep run in Vic
toria. The family consisted of father,
mother, son and three daughters. Tho
son, Tommy Wills, had been captain of
Rugby school and also captain of the
cricket club, and ON his departure for
Australia was esteemed as one of the most
popular cricketcrs in England, being a
great power among the members of 1.
Zingari, very swell club. 1 met him at
a small town in Victoria, and one night
after dinner prevailed upon him to tell
fol1 w | give
his own words:
well, we had been out here three years
and had settled down comfortably and
were doing well. 1t was just before Christ
mas, and l had to drive 200 head Of cattle
and take a lot of wool down to Melbourne
and return with the good things for
Christmas sold everything well, staid
an extra day to see the English fellows
play cricket, had jolly time and started
off with light heart and laden with pres
ents for home. We had got within about
% miles from home when something
came over me. 1 cannot explain 1t. 1t
seemed as If the life had gone out of me,
or rather not from me, but from some one
dear to me. felt so sick that got OF
the pony and told the drivers we would
camp for time. We had good drink,
but that did me no good. o God, the
agony suffered during that 20 mile ride,
fearful of going too fast, yet wishing to
be rid of the awful suspense. At last we
got Just to the edge of the bush, and In
two minutes more l knew my fears would
be verified. Old chap, If ever l offered up
an honest prayer did that moment, and
then we came within sight OF tho house.
l cannot understand it. / had become
quite calm, and tho sight which met my
gaze did not seem to surprise me In the
least. In fact, believe I had cynical
smile ON my face to think how clever
was in divining that something was
wrong. And, my God, there was some
thing wrong for there, old man, before
the very door, were the heads of mother,
father and three sisters stuck on sticks
placed in a rowl All, didn't blubber like
this then. / seemed to have turned to
stone l turned to the drovers, who were
crying like children, and ordered them to
gallop to the neighboring runs to spread
the news. Before morning 80 good men
and true were at the door, among them
two native crackers who were friendly to
us, who said there were about 40 in the
gang. If you ever saw men set out to KILL
it was these There was death to the
devils written on every face.
After eight hours galloping we came
up with the band about o'clock In the
afternoon. What a shout went up as we
sighted theml How we galloped down
upon them! 1 cannot tell all that hap
pened, but know we killed all In sight.
Just rs we thought they were all settled
happened to see a dirty, shrinking, greasy
brute with my Zingari jacket on sneakinR
off. Oh, the Dissertation of It'll Fancy my
Zingari jacket! Oh, didn't gallop after
him, and when got alongside emptied
the whole six barrels of my revolver into
him, the brute"
Such was poor old Tommy Wills tale,
but the pathos with which he surrounded
it and the Indignation expressed at the
fellow who dared to wear his Zingari jack,
ct cannot be portrayed in cold print.
Tommy, poor fellow, took to drink and
became a perfect wreck, and If any one
ever had an excuse for doing SO surely he
had. 1t was woe betide any native thai
came across Tommy Wills, for he was al
lowed to have sort of general prescrip
tive right to rid the country of what he
called id vermin.
But then all this was In the good ole
daV9. -Chicapo Trihuna