Murders of Brown, Biddle and Servants

After the murder of Frank Hawson, the natives were quiet for about 18 months. Possibly the lesson taught them by the avenging party curbed their spirits. As only one tribe was concerned in that murder, it is possible that the adjacent tribes did not realise the penalty to be incurred if they took the life of a white man.

If they remained quiescent for that period, when the storm burst, it did so with a vengeance, resulting in five white people being killed at stations in the Tod Valley. In his quarterly report for March 1842, the Commissioner of Police wrote under the heading "Aborigines": —

"Within the last three months, I have received a greater number of reports from settlers (especially sheep farmers) complaining of the blacks, than during any other quarter at Port Lincoln. They have been dangerously troublesome and have successfully attacked almost every station on that side and have killed Mr. Brown and his hut keeper of Mount Gawler and plundered his hut of its contents. They have likewise attacked the stations of Messrs. White, Dutton and McEllister and carried away or destroyed everything belonging to the latter."

This was written on April 6, 1842, before news of the greater calamity had reached Adelaide. This article of the "murder series" deals with the murders of Brown and Lovelock, and Biddle, Fastins and Mrs. Tubbs. Brown's station is known to us, for it will be remembered that E. B. Scott, on behalf of Eyre had a short time previously visited that station to procure sheep for the western trip; some of these were lost, necessitating a second trip three weeks later to get some to replace those missing.

There appears to be no official report of these murders. Mr. Pitt has made a thorough search at the Archives without result. The Deputy Protector of Aborigines wrote two letters in May and one in July. The earlier one in May is lost, and the other two only deal with the search for the murderers. As there is no official report, we have to rely on private advices.

The first is a letter dated March 3 (and published in the "Register" on April 2, 1842) from C. C. Dutton, who had just arrived in Adelaide from Port Lincoln, and his graphic account of the episode will be followed closely. He said that about two months prior to the murder of John Brown and his hut keeper, Joseph Lovelock, the natives had become very troublesome, stealing everything they could, spearing sheep and cattle, burning fences and committing various acts of aggression. The settlers overlooking these repeated outrages, gave the natives the impression that the newcomers were afraid to retaliate. It may be that Dutton's statement is somewhat biased, for he tells us that he arrested two natives at his station, Pillaworta, one for setting fire to the station fence and another for pointing a spear at him. The latter was one of the suspected murderers of Brown. Dutton relates that the day before the murder, the natives raided Mr. White's hut at Gawler Ponds station. (There were two Whites, and to me it would appear they had two stations, one at Talala and the other at or near Gawler Ponds. — J.D.S.) There, the hut keeper Cartwright, was alert, and when the natives came up, he was ready for them, and by dodging among the trees and breaking the native spears, until the supply was exhausted, he was enabled to escape.

Two days after the murder of Brown, two natives went into Port Lincoln and reported the occurrence to Mr. Schumann, the missionary. Their version, converted into forcible English by Mr. Dutton was that "The tribe had watched Mr. Brown away from the hut and had then murdered the hut keeper, for the purpose of robbing the place and that Mr. Brown returning immediately after they had effected their barbarous purpose, fell a victim also to the ruthless savages, in spite of a desperate resistance against numbers, for, having discharged his rifle without effect, he had used the butt end, one of the murderers being taken away for dead."

It is quite evident that Brown fought desperately for his life, the stock and barrel of his rifle being "shattered to pieces, lying by his side." The natives ran riot, the injuries inflicted on Brown consisting of seven spear wounds, one of which had passed through the thick leather belt, the back of his head was knocked in and his two hands were cut to pieces. Lovelock was also mutilated. The condition of both, when found, was shocking in the extreme. The "Register," in publishing Dutton's letter, remarked that they had just received two letters from Port Lincoln, stating that Mr. McEllister's place, two miles from the town, had been attacked by about 40 natives, and after driving off the hut-keeper and two masons, who were building a house, robbed it of pork, flour, tea, sugar and other articles.

Nathaniel Hailes, arriving at Port Lincoln in March, 1842, was met by the retiring Government Resident (Mr. McDonald) who informed him that on March 2, 1842, the natives had murdered John Brown, one time in the service of the South Australian Company and latterly a sheep owner in the Port Lincoln district, and also his hut-keeper, Joseph Lovelock. On that day, the shepherd, towards sundown, was bringing home the sheep. When approaching the hut, which was situated in a small valley, first the sheep dog showed signs of fear, and then the sheep, instead of going direct into the yard, halted on the edge of a small watercourse. A pool of blood was discovered, further search revealing Mr. Brown's body, his head beaten with "wirries" and his body covered with spear wounds. A book thrust into his shirt indicated that he was reading when attacked. The shepherd left his sheep in charge of his dog and proceeded to the hut, only to find it ransacked. Some things had been removed, while others were strewn on the floor. He could get no response to his calls for the hut-keeper, so he made for the nearest station for help. The hut-keeper there returned with him, but Lovelock could not be found. The watch dog had been imprisoned, presumably by the blacks, by inverting the dog's kennel. The body of Lovelock was found by the police four days later, in a creek about 100 yards from the hut. The boy, for that was all he was had fought valiantly for his life. He apparently left by the back door of the hut. Five yards from the hut there was found a broken spear, 20 yards further on was Lovelock's discharged gun, with the stock broken, and where the body was found was a pistol with the cap snapped but undischarged.

Hailes had been on a visit of inspection to Port Lincoln, before taking his family over, and on returning to Adelaide, he took with him this awful story of murder. Possibly this verbal report was thought to do away with the necessity of a written statement. Hailes' account to the authorities was shortly afterwards augmented by that of the Government Resident, for we are advised that on March 31, there arrived from Port Lincoln the cutter "Governor Gawler" (Capt. Underwood), the passengers being Messrs. McDonald, Barnard and four natives. One of these natives was supposed to be implicated in the murder of Brown, and the other fired Dutton's station fence and tried to spear him. (Probably the two prisoners would be "Moorpa" and "Nante."). The other two natives were brought, so that they could see for themselves how friendly the blacks and the whites lived together at Adelaide.

James C. Hawker, who arrived in Port Lincoln about October, 1842, gives a few additional details. It is said, that John Brown, who had a station a short distance to the north of Port Lincoln, on which were a large number of sheep, went one morning to see how they were getting on, leaving in his hut a young lad named Lovelock, who acted as his hut-keeper. Mr. Brown had not proceeded far when he was speared by natives concealed behind a fallen tree. He fired at them, but they closed with him. He fought hard for his life, for the gun which had a "twist" barrel was partly untwisted.

Towards the end of March, McDonald and Barnard left Port Lincoln, and were replaced by C. Driver as Government Resident, and Nathaniel Hailes as the clerk of the peace. The farewell of the two departing officials was clouded by the murder of Brown, and the arrival of the new officials was heralded by the news of the awful catastrophe at Biddle's station.

The "Register's" account, in the issue of April 16, is very meagre. "It is with deep sorrow," it states, "we announce the death of Mr. Biddle of Port Lincoln, one of the most esteemed stockholders of that place. Mr. Biddle, with two of his servants, was murdered by the natives at his station, under circumstances of truly appalling ferocity. The most energetic means were immediately adopted by the Government Resident at Port Lincoln (Mr. Driver) and a party of inhabitants to identify and secure the murderers.

(Another Instalment Next Week.)