Massacre at Biddle's Station

On March 29, 1842, Rolles Biddle, Fastins and Mrs. Tubbs were murdered at Mr. Biddle's station, which was situated a few (some say five) miles further from Port Lincoln, than that of Mr. Brown at Gawler Ponds. The husband of Mrs. Tubbs— Charles— as if by a miracle escaped ; although frightfully injured he recovered, and was able to give evidence at the Supreme Court trial. Subsequently he went to England.

Various dates are allotted as the days of the murder, but the 29th is the usually accepted one. Fastins is sometimes spelt "Fastings," and Tubbs as "Stubbs." Tubbs was taken into Port Lincoln there to recover from his wounds, and he narrated to Nathaniel Hailes the whole history. I am not sure when Hailes first wrote the account, but it was published in his reminiscences about 1876-1878, in the "Register."

Hailes's account is very like that of G. French Angas (1847) ; the supposition is that the latter got his information from Hailes. Hailes's story, as gathered from Tubbs, considerably condensed is as follows.

Natives had been seen loitering about the hut a day or two before. Reflection of fires and sounds of corroborees indicated that many natives were about. Hailes surmised that the attack on Brown's station encouraged them to the more formidable task of assaulting Biddle's homestead. The dinner hour was chosen for the assault, when all except the shepherds would be in the hut. Here let me say that nearly every account written varies in some details, more especially when narrating the movements of the white party. According to Hailes, Fastins, a powerful young man, went out to the assaulting natives hoping to conciliate them. He was received with a shower of spears, so he beat a hasty retirement. Going out again he gave them a loaf of bread and a quantity of potatoes, upon which the natives retired to eat the supplies given.

SURROUNDED BY NATIVES

After a lapse of an hour, 40 of them returned to the hut. The three men stationed themselves outside, upon which the natives surrounded the hut and threw a shower of spears, one penetrating the leg of Fastins, upon which Biddle fired a pistol shot at the assailant. The natives then drew closer to the hut, with loud yells of anger, forcing the defenders into the hut, a "frail fortress," barricading it as much as possible. Hailes does not tell us what the hut was constructed with, but Hawker said it was an excavation in the bank of the creek, covered with a tarpaulin. There were two huts, separated, about 60 yards apart — "Government House" and Tubbs's hut, where meals were evidently taken. To resume Hailes's tale :

The natives made a breach in the wall, through which, as well as through the window, they flung spears at those inside. Fastins's gun refused to fire. Biddle fired another shot from his pistol, upon which the natives rushed in and filled the hut, and the slaughter was on. Mrs. Tubbs (aged 69 years) crept under a bed, just as a spear entered Biddle's breast. According to Tubbs, "the hut appeared filled with spears." Biddle's death was almost instantaneous. A native got possession of a pitch fork and attacked Fastins with it. His injuries were so many and severe that he requested Tubbs to shoot him. He died in great torture. The blacks then removed the bed and attacked Mrs. Tubbs with the pitch-fork and a pair of sheep shears. The natives then retired from the hut.

Mr. and Mrs. Tubbs were still alive. The latter, feeling her case was hopeless, and seeing her husband, although he had withdrawn no fewer than six spears from his body, appeared to have escaped a mortal wound, counselled him, under an extorted promise, to return to England. This promise was fulfilled later on, and Hailes said the relatives of Mr. Biddle franked him home and no doubt provided sustenance for the short remainder of his life. Just after the conversation between Tubbs and his wife, a spear was flung through the window and struck Tubbs in the eye, causing him to fall into a state of insensibility. The blacks, believing the tragedy was complete, departed.

HUT BURNT

A little before sundown Tubbs revived sufficiently to take stock. Biddle and Fastins were both dead, but life still lingered in his wife. His recovery at that time was fortunate, for the natives had set fire to the fence, and the fire had just caught the roof. Wounded as he was, Tubbs tackled the fence, pulling down a portion, and then tried to quench the flames in the hut, without avail. He then drew the three bodies out of the hut, laying them side by side, withdrawing the spears from the lifeless bodies, and then laid down by his wife. The shepherds, returning with their flocks at sunset, found this awful picture. By this time Tubbs was so exhausted that he could not give any coherent particulars, his only wish being to be left entirely alone.

From G. French Angas we get a few additional details, for he said Tubbs fired his double-barrelled gun and he thought two of the blacks fell, otherwise his account written in 1847 or earlier agrees fairly well with Hailes's version. Hailes said that Tubbs was of considerable interest to him. His left eye was destroyed, and by sympathetic action the other was almost blind. It is said he must have been a calm, brave old man. When visiting Hailes, Tubbs related again and again the particulars of the tragedy, in a stream of pathos, unaffectedly, copiously and without reserve.

James C. Hawker, mentioned above, who accompanied the volunteer party in search of Dutton, arrived, in Port Lincoln about six months after these atrocious murders. He said that Biddle was a Quaker gentleman. He stated that "Stubbs" (Tubbs) crawled to the nearest station (Mr. White's) for assistance. C. Driver, the Government Resident was there, and Immediately organised a party. According to Hawker, Tubbs shot one native dead and Driver's party also killed one man by a long shot. Tubbs' crawl seems almost incredible, and will be discussed later on.

MELANCHOLY SIGHT

Hawker records that the overland volunteer party "passed poor Brown's and Biddle's deserted stations — flowers in full bloom in the garden, shattered furniture strewed about, one table standing with the top full of nails driven in. It was a melancholy sight. At three miles from Port Lincoln they came to Hawson's station, the only one then occupied."

Hawker's version is somewhat different from that of Hailes. He says, "In a conversation with 'Stubbs'," the only individual who escaped, though badly speared, he said, "Some days previous to the attack, Mr. Biddle was told by a native that his tribe intended to do so. Mr. Biddle was a Quaker gentleman and therefore a man of peace. He had a positive dislike to using a gun, and, although he had an excellent double one in a case, refused to load it. 'Stubbs' was the only man armed. Mr. Biddle could not believe that the warning given to him was true, as the natives, who frequently visited his station, never showed any signs of hostility."

Following Hawker's account of the scene of desolation, it may not be inappropriate to quote Hailes' view of his trip from Port Lincoln towards Pillaworta, shortly after the murders, which he recorded in a picturesque way, but running all through it is a very melancholy note. "The dray track, which, for the most part, winds through a succession of grassy vallies, was here possessed of much melancholy interest," he said. " A mile or two on our left lay the scene of young Hawson's murder ; a few miles further in to the right stood the deserted station of Mr. Brown, and shortly after, we arrived at the spot where Mr. Biddle and his people had so recently been massacred. The ashes of the hut were still fresh, mignonette, stocks and many other European flowers, yet triumphed over the trampled wreck of property, and bade fair to weave a flowery, covering above broken ware, old rusty implements and a variety of shreds and patches, that were profusely scattered amongst their roots. There was also a field of self sown wheat ; and a variety of small birds darted to and fro in the sunshine, and, with their simple and cheerful music, seemed to rejoice in the prospect of a harvest all their own. Yet these natural blandishments had but the effect which the sound of boisterous mirth has on the ears of the bereaved mourner."

GALLOWS ERECTED

A short time after Hailes's trip a gallows was erected, and either one or two of the murderers were executed there. J. W. Bull, in his reminiscences published in 1878, with a second edition in 1884, differs in several instances from Hailes. He says when the natives were approaching Fastins was passing from a fowl shed, spears were thrown, one entering his leg, and he entered the hut. The blacks surrounded the hut, pulling up some of the paling fence, and then retired. Fastins went out to release the dog and encountered another shower of spears and received one in his arm. Again he retired to the hut. The natives then set fire to the tarpaulin. Biddle fired two pistol shots, while Tubbs fired a double-barrelled gun killing one and wounding another native. Tubbs fell to the floor and Fastins fell dead on top of him. Mrs. Tubbs, who was 69 years of age, was wounded with the shears. The natives went outside and procured hatchets, with which they shattered those already killed.

Bull says, " It is quite evident that the white men deferred action until the natives had approached the premises too near, and had become the actual assailants. It is safe for persons who never expose themselves to be attacked by wild natives to say they must not have shots fired at them until they actually cast their spears, but here is an example of the consequence of such forbearance." This is no doubt casting reflections on the wisdom of Governor Gawler's proclamation.

PLUNDER RECOVERED

Bull also says that Tubbs crawled to Mr. White's station. Mr. Driver started off after the depredators and overtook them about four miles from the hut. Seeing such a strong party approaching, the natives bolted, leaving one shot, and also leaving all their plunder — flour, silver, spoons and so on. For what it is worth, the following is part of McLean's version. Please reject what we know is wrong, and take the balance as a possibility, remembering that McLean arrived at Port Lincoln less than three weeks after the murders at Biddle's station, and probably wrote his article 60 years afterwards.

He said the natives "had murdered a sheep farmer name Brown and his cook and his housekeeper, who was wife to the overseer named 'Stubbs.' 'Stubbs' escaped after they had left him for dead, and whom I afterwards saw when a piece of a spear was extracted from his eye, the eye coming away with it. The leader of this murderous gang was a fellow who was always kindly treated at the station by Mrs. 'Stubbs,' who daily dressed a badly burnt foot he had until it was cured, and this is how he paid for her kindness — by murdering her. On hearing the sheep coming home at sundown the rascals retreated, and it was then that poor 'Stubbs' made his escape, and went to Mr. White's at Talala, and reported the whole affair."

The pertinent question may be asked, do sheep of their own volition return to the fold at night? If no, were shepherds driving them ? Then if shepherds accompanied the sheep is it likely they would allow a dangerously wounded man to walk several miles for help ?

(Another installment Next Week.)