THE MURDER OF AN OLD THAMESITE.

Thames Star, Volume XXV, Issue 4667, 22 February 1894, Page 2

THE MURDER OF AN OLD THAMESITE.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.

The following 1 letters have been received by Mr Roe, of Kopu, regarding the murder of his brother and partner at Thursday Island by natives :—

" Thursday Island, " January 2,1894. I received your letter to-day, and I am sorry to say that it is true enough that your brother Sam has been murdered by his own crew of mainland natives, in November last. He was in partnership with Bruce at the time. Bruce owned the boat and Sam knew the natives \ and they had them only at work about a week. I enclose full particulars from the E.G.S., and I can alaq inform you that the natives have been severely punished—the whole tribe of them. I do not think that they will trouble any white man for sq!u.q time to come.—Gbo. Cockbuen."

" Court House, £tHft Kennedy. "Memo for Mr Oftckhurn re murder Chas. Bruce, and Samuel Roe.—l very mucb regret to state that there is little doubt but that Bruce and Roe were brutally murdered by their nativo eiew, (seven mainland natives) oa haard the lugger "Wren," between JJadeu aud the coast, on or about the 20th of November lest, The members of the crew W\.re iv cruited by Brace from a. notoriously treacherous tribe, but Hoe especially had been very successful iv managing all sorts of natives, and was well-known a oil trusted among them. You are r?w;ire that a police search party patrolled the mainland, where the crew bad be^i n j-

I cruited, aa soon as the lugger was brought in after being looted and abandoned. I may tell yon that the natives of the locality mentioned were then interviewed, who gave information of the murders, accounts of which they had received direct from the murderers themselves. Poor Bruce and Roe were killed on board and their bodies thrown overboard."