A QUEENSLAND TERROR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8162, 25 January 1890, Page 2 (Supplement)

A QUEENSLAND TERROR.

TliK Brisbane Courier gives, under date of December I*2, tho following particulars of the desperate encounter with the " Bunya Terror":—

The South Sea Islander who, during the past three years established what seems to have been little less than a reign of terror in the Bunya district, was captured yesterday morning, and brought into Brisbane and lodged in tiie lock-up. The Kanaka made a desperate resistance, and was considerably knocked about before he was handcuffed and subdued. The news of his capture excited considerable interest, anil a largo number of people, seeing the police bringing in their prisoner, followed the cart to the gates, anxious to obtain 11 glimpse of the " Bunya Terror" —a sobriquet recently conferred on the Islander.

The prisoner, who gives the name of Johnny, was first noticed in the Bunyu district some three years ago, and many complaints were made of his preditory visits to settlers' houses, particularly during the absence of the owners. Of late he has become more troublesome, and on more than one occasion violence has been shown to settlers. The uneasy feeling in the district grew into one of absoluluto terror on the pirt of women and children. This was augmented by the suggestion that the black may have been the murderer of a little girl named Raker, who about eighteen months ago was killed in the district, and whose slayer has not yet been brought to justice. Three months ago the frequency of robberies and the excitement in the district led to the despatch of a few policemen to the Bunya, but, owing to the nature of the country, the Islander was able to avoid capture without difficulty. The residents of the Bunya represented the condition of affairs to the Colonial Secretary, and additional police and trackers were sent out, but the latter proved incompetent, and .Mr. A. Meston then volunteered to try and effect a capture, but, after four days' hard work in the mountains, was forced to the conclusion that the black was not to be caught by any systematic search, but that with patient patrolling lie would probably be found and captured by surprise or run down. On Mr. Motion's return, six weeks ago, the trackers were recalled, and .SubInspector White, who has had eight years of native police service north of Cook town, and is one of the smartest officers in the force, was sent out to conduct the search. Mr. White took with him a couple of native troopers, whose qualifications as trackers he had often tested, and with the white police made a regular patrol of the district. Mr. White soon arrived at the same conclusion as Mr. Meston —that patience was necessary in the undertaking. He found the country very rough and scrubby, and the ticks and leeches very bad. It was advisable, he thought, to have a couple of Kanakas with his troopers, and for the last fortnight he has had two good boys ou\ All search seemed futile, however, until Tuesday, when the troopers found what was evidently the camp of the man they were after. It was between Cedar Creek and Branch Creek, in an unsheltered place, with a (ire on each sido. Mr. White laid his plans carefully to make a capture. The locality was abandoned until night, but when the moon rose he and his troopers wont quietly back, and at daylight crept up to the camp and rushed it. The camp was empty ; the fires were out. The Islander had not slept there that night. Disappointed, Mr. White returned to camp, about two miles distant, Bonding the troopers round by another route. He was, surprised and pleased to find that the troopers and the two Kanakas had in returning found the object of the search and made a capture.

The captors state that some time after leaving Mr. White they saw the Islander camped under a log, and evidently asleep. They crept up to him, but before ho could be secured lie heard his pursuers, and sprang to his feet. In an instaut a rush was made for him, and he was caught. He had a knife and tomahawk in his belt, and drew the knife; but before ho could use it one of the boys hit him over the hand, and the weapon dropped to the ground. He then tried to draw the tomahawk, but could not got at it. A desperate struggle followed, the Islander fighting fiercoly for freedom, biting, kicking, and scratching his asoailants. One trooper was knocked down with a stick, and a Kanaka had a piece bitten out of his arm. After some time the handcuffs were slipped on to the wrists of the Islander, and he was unable to do further damage. As the boys returned to camp, they were shouting out to warn Mr. White, when Detective Johnson and Constables M'Carty and Twomey, hearing the noise, hastened to the spot and helped to take the prisoner into camp. There he was securely chained, and preparations at once made for getting him into town. The news of the capture soon spread, and people from all parts of the district gathered at the camp to have a look at the man who for so long had disturbed their minds and despoiled their larders.