LUBRA’S DEATH

Waipa Post, Volume 48, Issue 3471, 26 May 1934, Page 11

LUBRA’S DEATH

A GROUNDLESS CHARGE. Constable Gordon Heaslop Scott, who appeared iii the Darwin Court to-day, on a charge of having at the Wearyan River on February 4, 1933, asaulted a lubra, Dolly, denied all the allegations made by 16 aboriginal witnesses for the Crown that he had ill-treated the dead lubra, was acquitted. Judge Wells said that there was nO justification for the charge which should never have been laid and that the Crown was seriously at fault for not satisfying itself that there was any truth in the aborigines’ story. The judge said that the aborigines' story was ridiculous and unbelievable. and he was convinced, even before Scott denied the assault on oath, that there" was no truth in the allegations. Scott swore he had not chained her to a tree and rubbed dirt on her face, thrashed her, or laid hands on her, until shortly before she died, when he wrapped her in a blanket to keep her warm. After Scott had denied separately every detail of the assault, he said that Dolly was suffering from a disease when he detained her at Robinson River. He allowed her to ride a horse all the way to Wearyan. At the Wearyan camp she appeared to he worse, and when he questioned her she told him all her symptoms, and that she was in pain.

He permitted her to shelter in his tent from the rain that night, hut next day she was worse. She sat with her legs doubled up underneath her and pressing her hands to her abdomen.

That evening she showed outward symptoms of her disease, so at her request he told her two sisters to cover her with hot sand to relieve the condition.

After they did so he wrapped Dolly in a blanket and placed her in a bough shed near the lire. About an hour afterwards Dolly died, and she was buried next morning.