They had a couple of rounds, and a " knock-down" gave the Scotchman the worst of it. Martin, w h o (with his wife) was a servant at the inn, was passing at the time, and told the prisoner he was a coyvard for knocking the youngster d o w n ; but before a quarrel could possibly c o m m e n c e Martin's wife forced her husband away. This happened shortly after noon, and matters were quiet until about 6 p.m., yvhen Martin was sitting in the kitchen reading a book. T h e prisoner and Cameron suddenly entered, and the former, without saying a word, struck Martin on the head with a poker. Martin cried " O h !" and, turning to look round, the prisoner repeated the blow with such effect that Martin fell in a heap on the floor. A n alarm was raised, and Connell attempted to get ayvay, but was overpowered by some m e n who were drinking in the house, and w h o would have lynched him on the spot but for the barman. Martin yvas removed to his bed, from which he never rose. T h e prisoner, w h o yvas without Counsel, alleged intoxication and excitement as his defence. T h e jury found him "Guilty," and Judge A'Beckett, in a feeling and eloquent address, passed the extreme sentence of the law. T h e prisoner heard his d o o m with a calm indifference, and walked out of the dock the least affected person in a densely-crowded Court. MURDER OF MR. BEVERIDGE BY BLACKS.—25TH FEBRUARY, 1847.
One day toyvards the end of August, 1846, Melbourne yvas shocked by the intelligence that Mr. Andrew Beveridge, jun, a settler on the Lower Murray, had been murdered in cold blood by three aborigines, to several of w h o m he had shoyvn many acts of kindness. For some time it yvas doubtful yvhether any effective attempt could be m a d e to capture the murderers; but it yvas done, nevertheless, bravely and skilfully by Corporal William Johnston, of the Western Port Border Police, and troopers Dollard and Farrell. They yvere patrolling at the Murray on the 30th October; and obtained from M r Brierly, overseer for Captain Coghill, a description of the desperadoes. Johnston yvas yvell acquainted yvith the country surrounding the Beveridge Station, as well as yvith a feyv friendly natives of the neighbouring tribes. S o m e of these he sought, and arrived at the conviction that the criminals were three ferocious savages of great muscular power, w h o yvent tinder the respective designations of " Ptolemy," " Booby," and " Bullet-Eye." They yvere personages of recognized power and influence amongst the most formidable tribes on the Murray, and it occurred to Johnston that success yvould be owing to stratagem rather than to open force. T o do something, however, he m a d e up his mind; and this is hoyv he performed a feat in the capture of the desperadoes, yvhich, for adroitness, pluck and gallantry, has never been equalled, or even approached, in all the raids ever m a d e after bushrangers or murderers in the colony. Doffing their troopers' trappings and apparel, the three m e n procured changes of the regular bush toggery at a settler's, and were speedily transformed into thorough bush hands, with h u m p e d swags, and forth they went as if the most veritable cadging pilgrims that ever wandered along a "yvallaby track " Tyvo or three friendly natives proved trusty and valuable allies, and through their means it yvas ascertained that the trio so m u c h in request were then with a large party of blacks sojourning on the opposite side of the river. It was an axiom of Johnston's fortified by a bush experience of several years, that there yvas no more effectual m o d e of circumventing a blackfelloyv, of inveigling him into the cobweb of the "White Spider," than through the stomach, and he accordingly caused it to be given out by the friendly natives that the " yvallaby trackers " yvould, on a certain evening, treat all the blacks that might cross the river to a big feast of " bubble-bubble " — a mess offlour,sugar and yvater, to yvhich, in the early days of colonization, the Port Phillipian Aborigines were even more partial than to the squatters' rum or beef. T h e invitation was accepted; and Johnston procured a quantity of ingredients for the feast, among them being three choice pieces of rope not likely to give at thefirstpull. Johnston and his comrades were yvell armed, and had plenty of ammunition stowed away in a bark hut not far off, which they had m a d e their headquarters. The three pieces of rope were looped into a kind of short lasso, to be worked at close quarters, and each m a n was supplied yvith one, which he was to secrete in his jumper. It was further arranged that if the three murderers (who by this time, from the full descriptions obtained, could be easily identified) put in an appearance, a trooper should contrive to stand behind each of them at the feed, yvith rope ready, and when Johnston sung out the yvord " Three," toflythe lasso over his head, and, so noosed, each trooper should stick to his game, and for what followed depend on the chapter of accidents. Tyvo shepherds, borrowed
