A Hideous Story.

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 39, 14 May 1907, Page 4

A Hideous Story.

Anderson Case Recalled. Flogged to Death. The most infamous case of outrages by squatters--although happily too extreme to be typical—was that of the Anderson murders. In this ease the viotime were five in number—a man, two women and two girls of ten or twelve years of age. They had been out shepherding some sheep to save the owners the oxpense of fencing, and having missed several of the animals they became scared and left the neighbourhood. They were followed, rounded up, and brought baek tied together, travelling without a drop of water during a long journey in a tropical climate. Their tormentors, after making a hearty meal, tied them to a tree and beat them so unmercifully with a knotted rope that the adults all died, and the children had their hacks reduced to such a condition than an eye-witness declared it made him sick tol ook at I hem. The bodies were quickly buried out of sight, after a sham inquest, but the thing having become pnblic, a summons followed, which reenlted in their being fined £2 and a caution by a sympathising justice. The Government, however, was approached, an exhumation was ordered, and it was fonnd that two of the victims had been struck so hard that their shoulder blades were broken to pieces. Hie result was a criminal charge, at. which the jury refused to oonvict on the charge of murderf bat gave the judge the op-