The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1841-02-12 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

SYDNEY.—MURDER BY THE LACKS.—In June Mr. Stapleton and seven men were detached from Mr. Dixton s party, for the purpose of surveying the land from Limestone to Richmond, southward to Moreton Bay ; one day, as Mr. Stapleton, with the cook and one of the party, who was sick, were in the tent, Mr. Stapleton being in the act of pricking off his work, they were suddenly attacked by a large party of blacks, who appeared to be aware that they had not much ammunition. Mr. Stapleton and the cook were murdered and partially roasted, and the, sick man severely wounded and left for dead. Next day the blacks returned, and finding he was not dead, gave him something to eat, and told him one of the white men would not burn. When the blacks left he crawled away, and was met next day by a party headed by Lieutenant Gorman, seven miles from the spot where the attack took place, the mangled remains of Mr. Stapleton and the other unfortunate victim found and buried, and five of the blacks concerned in the murder have been captured. The survivor in this horrible tragedy is insane, owing to the fright and ill-usage he received, and is likely to remain an idiot all the days of his life. There does not appear to have been the slightest provocation for this cruel and cold-blooded deed. How long shall the people of New South %Vales have to endure such atrocious and bloody outrages by these fiend-like wretches—besides paying for protectors for them, and having no protection ourselves from their inhuman barbarity.— Australian, Aug. 25.  An inquest of a somewhat extraordinary nature was held at Barton on Friday last, by Mr. Marris, coroner. In a garden occupied by Mr. Hedges, the ground was observed to have sunk, giving rise to the suspicion that there was an old and ill-protected well underneath, Mr. Hedges accordingly removed the soil carefully from the spot, and discovered to his dismay, riot a well, but a coffin rudely constructed of window shutters, at about eighteen inches below the surface, containing the mouldering remains of what appeared to have been a young female. On the inquest the mystery was speedily and satisfactorily solved by the frank and voluntary confession of Mr. Cuckson, who about ten years ago occupied the premises, and who was guard of the Express coach from Hull to London. At the time above referred to great excitement prevailed on account of the frequency of body snatching. Cuckson well knew the prevalence of the crime, and declared that he seldom went up without dead as well as living passengers ; and further, knowing that two notorious resurrectionists were actually in the town at the time of his daughter's death, he hit upon the expedient of burying her in his own garden, and having a mock procession to church ! He afterwards was satisfied that the grave in the churchyard had been attempted, fully justifying his somewhat unusual procedure. The coroner ordered the sham grave in the churchyard to be opened, and no appearance of a skeleton was to be found, fully corroborating Cuckson's statement. The mouldering remains were deposited in " consecrated ground " after all.—Stamford Mercury.