More Murders at Kimberley.

Auckland Star, Volume XVIII, Issue 25, 31 January 1887, Page 4

More Murders at Kimberley.

Particulars have bean published of more terrible murders on the north west coast of Western Australia recently. On January 1 a man who had been mates with a certain Uaptain I'yton arrived at Derby from the Robinson Kiver, and informed tho police authorities that the captain had been foully murdered by blacks belonging to ono of the coast tribes. A police party nt onca proceeded to tho place whsio tho outrage was said to have been committed for tho purpose of making an investigation, but on doing this they failed to discover any traces of Pyton's remains. Signs of blacks and ttacka of blood were met with in the search, and

that was all. There was something very suspicious about the story told to the police, and in consequence of this the dead man's mato was arrested and charged with the wilful murder of Captain Pyton.

Information has reached Adelaide relating to tho death of tha two Northern Territory pro?pectors, Fogan and Ahearne,' in tha Kimberley. This couple, after doing o good sp3ll of prospecting in the Northern; Territory, moved out towards Kimberley,leaving Pino Creek juet about the time* that Phil Saunders and Adam Johns had turned round to come back from Western1 Australia. Thoy had four horses when' they started, but added some more to the number on tho way cut. Saunders and Johns, on thoir homeward trip, somehow or other coined them, and, as no tidings were ever heard of thoir having arrived at any settlement within rtoonablo time, it, vrus concluded that they had perished. It rem'iiiied for Phil Suunders's party to obtain verification of thia conclusion, aod to find cut that tho men had been moat crasily murdered. While Saunders and bis male? were at one place in the St. George Range 3 they were interviewed by some blacks, a few of whom could speak a little English, and these savages confessed to having murdered Fogan and Ahearne, the identity of the vicims being further assisted by a tree discovered by the party, which was. maikod with the unfortunate men's initials. The natives explained that the prospectors had started to go to the De Grey River,:but were unable to force their horses through thei long doaert stretch which existed on tho route, and eventually returned to a point on the Fitzroy about 80. miles from Derby, with only one horse left.. While camped here, tho blacks came upon them, and one evening when the whiteswere having supper the niggere threw a shower of spears at them. Unfortunately for themselves, the two prospectors had made their camp in a uarrow gorge between two precipitous cliffy, so that while tho natives could get at them easily they were unable to retaliate by using their firearms with any effect. Alter throwing tho epearp, which did no harm, the blacks began to roll great stones down on the white men, and they continued this until both the Foor unlucky fellows were killed. The blacks promised to show Saimders the spot where the bones of the murdered men are lying, and he haß determined to make all necessary enquires in order to fully satisfy himself as to the identity of the men.