'Shot Like Kangaroos'

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 509, 12 November 1928, Page 9

'Shot Like Kangaroos'

AUSTRALIAN NATIVES CLERGYMAN'S PROTEST (United r.A. — By. Telegraph Copyright Reed. 9.5 a.m. DARWIN, To-day. The Rev. A. McGregor, commenting on the shooting of 17 aboriginals by the police, said: “It is an anomaly to shoot 17 natives like so many kangaroos, when you intend to spend thousands of pounds on a trial to givtwo others who survived the benetit of British justice. “I do not feel vindictive, but 1 intend to try to persuade the Australian public that this thing shall rot occur again. “The settlers and the police should be consistent in their indignation respecting the Brooks murder. Let settlers dispose of their coloured mistresses. so that the only trouble rankling in the native mind, besides a few kicks and curses, may be the question of hunger, owing to drought.” Two aboriginals, who wore charged with the murder of Frederick Brooks, a white man who was clubbed to death in Central Australia, were acquitted and discharged at Darwin on Friday. Constable Murray, in evidence, said that while in pursuit of the natives at least 17 aboriginals; including two Lubras, were killed. The natives threw boomerangs at the police. These were effective at 150yds. The constable added that the reason why the police did not shoot to wound, rather than to kill, was because they had no means for succouring those wounded. were hundreds, of miles from civilisation.