GRIM PURSUIT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22102, 4 November 1933, Page 3

GRIM PURSUIT

ABORIGINAL MURDERER X AMAZING COURAGE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, October 26. Latest despatches from Darwin give details of the grim pursuit of Nemarluk, the aboriginal murderer, who escaped last week after a savage fight with a blacktracker—a member of a powerful police party which has been engaged in the manhunt for nearly a month. It is known now that Nemarluk was sadly wounded in his last encounter, and in these circumstances he is displaying amazing courage in eluding capture. He has probably killed more men than any other black in Australia, and the police are particularly anxious that he should not return to his own tribe at Caledon Bay, among whom he is regarded as a hero. He -would probably succeed in arousing the tribe to such a state that the blacks in the north would become even more dangerous than they are today. , Nemarluk, to reach Ins own people, has to travel 150 miles from Darwin, and unless he falls in with friendly natives on the way it is unlikely that even his superlative strength and stdraina will win through. _ As the result of the wounds, he received nearly a fortnight ago he is dragging one leg, has one arm out of action through a bullet wound, and has a long, gaping sore in his left side, where a bullet tore its way along a rib. Despite these injuries, and despite the severe shaking he received, when he was thrown over a cliff by the blacktracker, Smiler, Nemarluk pushed his way seven miles through mangrove and jungle before he allowed himself a spell. This information was gleaned by Constable M‘Nab when he raided Nemarluk’s old camp on Sunday last and rounded up tribesmen who had been sheltering their overlord for nearly a fortnight. The natives said that when Nemarluk recovered from his fall over the cliff he dragged himself through the mangroves, doubled back behind the police cordon, waded across a tidal creek, and then pushed into the jungle. He was bleeding from wounds, none of which was mortal. From Delissaville he decided to make for the Finnis River, 20 miles away, where he might meet some of the Daly River blacks, whose territory borders on that of his own tribe, and who are at present friendly with him. If he succeeded in this he would have a chance to rest and regain his strength before going on to his own country. Constable M'Nab, with four native police, has taken the trial* to Finnis River, and thinks they have a good chance of 'overtaking the wounded warrior. They will be aided by the fear ' which ’sail natives have of dying alone. Nemarluk, if wounded as severely as has been reported, will not be able to take the usual precautions, and will find it necessary to camp near water holes, and. to light fires at night. This will make the work of the police party easier.

From a police point of view the situation at Caledon Bay is grave, for the blacks there are in an ugly model. For that reason Nemarluk is not given any breathing space. It is recognised that the pursuit is a dangerous one, but the police party is well armed.