HORRIBLE MASSACRE

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 9822, 23 July 1900, Page 3

HORRIBLE MASSACRE

CABLE NEWS.

Attack by Blacks on a Selector’s Family. Four Bead. Others in a Critical Condition. The Murderers Pursued. United Press Association. By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. (Received July 21, 7.40 p.m.) Sydney, July 21. A terrible tragedy has occurred near Gilgandia. The, police report that two aboriginals, Jenny and Joe Governor, attacked the family of a selector named Mawbey, killing the son Percival, the daughter Hilda, and a boarder Miss Kerz, a school teacher, and dangerously wounding Mrs Mawbey, her daughter Grace, and her niece Elsie Clark. (Received July 22, 8.16 p.nf.) Other reports state that four abori-

ginals employed by Mr Mawbey committed the murder. They ascertained he was sleeping from home, when only the women and children were together. They attacked them after they had gone to bed. As they rose and attempted to escape the murderers battered in their heads and horribly mutilated them with a tomahawk. One little boy escaped, creeping under the bed. There is small hope of the wounded recovering from their injuries, so terrible are they. A strong force of mounted police and settlers are pursuing the murderers. (Received July 23, 1 a.m.) July 22. Grace Mawbey is dead. There are faint hopes for the mother and Miss Clark. One of the Mawbey boys who escaped states that he and his two brothers were sleeping in a skillion room adjoining the house. The blacks knocked at the door. Percy, aged 15, opened the door, and was at once knocked down and killed. They heard other blacks outside say, “ Sail into them ; kill them.” The second boy escaped, getting under the bed. The third managed to get out, and ran for his father. Mawbey found the body of Miss Kerz lying in her nightdress some distance from the house. Hilda’s body was a few yards away in a creek. He discovered both the front and back doors smashed in. Mawbey rushed round to the blacks’ camp, and found they bad all cleared out. (Received July 23, 1.25 a.m.) All the women were sleeping in one room. Hilda and Miss Kerz managed to escape, and were pursued and cut down with tomahawks Various reasons are given for the tragedy. One is that Mawbey owed a little money for work, another is that Mrs Mawbey tried to get Jimmy Governor’s wife, a white woman, to leave him. The woman was arrested, making across country. She told the police that only Johnny and Joe Governor were engaged in the tragedy. When they came back Johnny said they had killed all the Mawbeys. He told his wife to clear ont or he would kill her. Joe Porter, a black, and a boy belonging to the gang were arrested biding in the bush, They stated they had nothing to do with the murders. The murderers were seen and fired on to-day. They left a tomahawk and provisions which they had the previous day obtained from a settlor. They are making towards the rough country at the bead of the Goulburn river, and are known to have a rifle with them.