MISSING ABORIGINES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 9 March 1927, Page 9

MISSING ABORIGINES

• : KILLING ALLEGED.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY. A MISSIONARY’S EVIDENCE. BY CABLE- -PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYBIGHT Received 12.10 p.m. to-day. PERTH’, March 9. The Rev. E. R. Gribble, head of the Forrest Riyer mission, when giving evidence before the Royal Commission which is inquiring into the alleged killing of aborigines by the police in the country north and west of the Forrest River district, said that sixteen men and thirteen women who were reported missing in September last were frequent visitors to the mission, but they had not been since July last. Witness said that in August, accompanied by Inspector Mitchell and several natives, he left to investigate the reports, which had become very persistent. They found a camp where the police had evidently been for some time. There were unmistakable signs of natives having been present, but there was no trace of their leaving. He was confident that there had been a tragedy, but Inspector Mitchell seemed to think otherwise.

Mr. Gribble alleged that where the men had been done to death there was a small tree, to which the prisoners had evidently been fastened. Dark stains were still visible, though efforts had been made to clean them up. They *f>llowed the tracks of three native women and three shod horses for about six miles up the Forrest River, until they discovered the remains of a large fire at the foot of a tree. Among the ashes were found a quantity of teeth and fragments ox charred bones. The track of the women led right to the spot, and although they followed the horses’ tracks further, there were no signs of women’s tracks.

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