OUTRAGE BY BLACKS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 7415, 16 May 1891, Page 2

OUTRAGE BY BLACKS.

A Settler Speared.

Sjtdkby, May 4. A man named Mursczkavitz, a Russian Pole, was Bpeared by Blacks on his selection, Basin Creek, at Dora Dora, forty-fcwo miles from Albury on Saturday morning. Mureczkavitz was gathering wood a few yards from his house when ho was suddenly speared by a black who had come up unperceived behind him. The man fell to the ground, and then saw that his assailant was accompanied by anothor aboriginal, iiieono thatstruck him had three spears and a tomahawk, but tho other was unarmed. The first black then udvanced with his tomahawk uplifted, and demanded money from the injured man, The latter had ±'15 in his pocket, nod thiß they took. He asked them for somo money bacfc, and one of the aboriginals proposed that they should give him £2 each, but the armed man said £lwas enough. They ultimately gave him £8, and then went round to th» back of his house. Mursozkavitz had by this time regained power in his legs.and be went to his woolshed, where he had a loaded gnn. Ho took the gun, and followed the blacks round the house, whore he saw them disappearing oror some rising ground. He then started for assistance, and with difficulty reached the home of a selector named Bourko, who lived some distance away. It was there seen that the' spear had inflicted a dangerous wound in his back, the point bung embedded in his " e3 "> An attempt to extract this proved unsuccessful, and Mursczkavitz started by coach for Albury. At the hospital D«. Woods and Kennedy succeeded, after a long and dangerous operation, m extracting the spear head ; the piece that was taken from tho injured man's back being fully sia in length, as hard as tempered steel. It was not barbed, but had evidently piercod^ the spinal canal,' rendering (he patient liable to pwalysis. As tbe doctors had surmised, soon after tho operation paraplegia set in, and Muwczkavitz is now in an extremely critical condition. The lower portion of his body is eoinpletoly parslyaed and not the slightest hope of his recovery is entertained. Itis supposed by the police here that tho aboriginals are identical with, the black trackers who absconded from Benalla recently, and who are suspected of having murdered a Mrs Smith there.

Colonel if uuie arrived by Hawera train this morning, and loft for Pttlmcrston at 1,5 o clock,