GERMAN CREEK TRAGEDY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 177, 26 July 1906, Page 4

GERMAN CREEK TRAGEDY.

A SteffSAliGlfAL Bn&*X .':- "RESULT OF A SEOR?T B©CIETY. 'I'H'B. WHITE AUSTRALIA vfe/SBBe?** *■**■• , BATJJNA Vs.B.W.),;svfy p. Young Brown tells a remarkable riory of the origin of the murders at German , Creek. "The whole thing/ , he the result of a secret eocieiy fonttw,',' here to keep up a White Australia. ("Wf plan was to have a revolution against the blacks and the Chinee*, and to kail them on. . ■ -,* ~, ■-. v n "There are a number of v* in the society, but we have kept it T*iy ..°$^ * until we got some money to buy afinl We have had some drills, and also practice at bayonet work. We used to t~"jT,,\ our hands on pumpkins with the bayo-, ■.;■. net, stabbing them and slicing them tip.* Brown mentioned the names of two of three local boye of hia own age, wh"o>, i|. said, were associated with him in the NO INTENTION TO MUEDEB. \"I agreed," he continued, "to try t* get some money for arms, and for tfcat. ■'■ ■ purpose I went to the O'Keefee. "I :***£ % thought of killing them. They ***. my best friends. They were *lwaj» kind to mc and treated mc like one ti the family. Mrs. O'Keefe seemed fond of mc, and so t was of her; It never entered my head to murd'r.tliea.,-.. But our revolutionary society winttd arms, and so I went up to OTSeefe'f on Sunday nigbi. I got near the houtt early in the evening with my' stndbif and bayonet, but did not like to go tote the house. I was nearly giving thi game up, and going back to a hut on Powell's selection. "At about half-past 8 o'clock I w*** tothe door of the house. The old pe* pie were very glad to see mc, and I) went inside. The sand was in a floor bag, and I thought that if 1 gay* tliini a hit on the head with it they wottM be stunned. That was all I wanted to do, so that I could get away with the money. Well, I struck the old lady on the head, but the sandbag was no good, and broke. She screamed. .-Then th* old man rushed in, and I took to-the ■ bayonet. While we were fighting Gfllick ran up, and I went for him toe. As soon as I knew what I had was terribly afraid, and after VTbb O'Keefe and his sister went inside I rae for the river. "I left Powell's camp dressed in, ; uidK v .••-_ form. Under the ttniform trousers, 1. • wore a serge pair, in which I was caught Passing the cow bails, I threw away the uniform, and carried nothing but the_ bayonet." The etory of the "sscret society" will ■ be well sifted by the police. Brown's sissotiatee are well known here as very respectable lads. He says that some of those pledged to the society are of the y beat families in the district. His etory appears incredible, but it is quite probable that a set of lads would indulge, in heroics abont revolution, and get » , lot of fun put of fanciful pictures. That Brown's mind has run on bustrangißg feats and-encounters with authority is shown by his readiness with many melodramatic stock phrases. For instance, he declares that as he aimed the first "blow with his sandbag at Mrs. O"Bjeefe ac cried: "Surrender, in the name?*,; the Australian revolution." That **^> , his opening. His close was equally suggestive of rehearsal: The game if UP» j I surrender," he remarked as he held out hie hands to Sergeant Kane. This morning Constable Ryan proceed- ~ ed to Tintenbar, and arrested a man i> connection with the attack made on Brown after his* arrest. The , whose name is Jack O'Baie, was brought.. into Ballina and charged with aienalt He will appear before the Court tomorrow, tad a remand will be ftppu*