The Eureka Stockade [45]
Clerk of the Peace. He was of a light, fair complexion, with reddish hair. He told me to "stand in the Queen's name! You are my prisoner." I said "Very good, Sir." Up came more troopers. I cannot say how many. Believe about twenty or thirty. I said, "Very well, gentlemen (!) don't be in a hurry, there are plenty of you," and then the young man struck me on the head with a crooked knife, about three feet and a half long, in a sheath. I fell to the ground. They then fired at me, and rode over me several times. I never had any hand in the disturbance. There, that's all.
Ballaarat, Dec. 11, 1854.
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FIRST CASE of an inquest which has taken place since the massacre of the memorable 3rd. The evidence as to the murder of Powell (writes 'The Argus' express correspondent) is but a specimen of the recitals heard on every hand of the reckless brutality of the troopers that morning.
VERDICT OF THE JURY.
The death of deceased, Henry Powell, gold-digger, was caused by sabre cuts and gun shot wounds, wilfully and feloniously, and of their malice aforethought inflicted and fired by ARTHUR PURCELL AKEHURST, Clerk of the Peace, Ballaarat bench, and other persons unknown.
The jury return a verdict of Wilful Murder against A. P. Akehurst and other persons unknown.
The jury express their condemnation of the conduct of Captain Evans, in not swearing deceased at the time of taking his statement after having been cautioned by Dr. Wills of his immediate danger. The jury view with extreme horror the brutal conduct of the mounted police in firing at and cutting down unarmed and innocent persons of both sexes, at a distance from the scene of disturbance, on December 3rd, 1854.
WILLIAMS, Coroner.
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Mind, good reader, the above is a legal document.
After my trial, on my way to Ballaarat, I met in Geelong the identical Akehurst, cracking some nuts with (I mean, speaking to) some young ladies.
I DESPAIR OF THIS COLONY.
May it please HER MAJESTY to cause inquiry to be made into the character of such that have branded the miners of Ballaarat as disloyal to their QUEEN.
Chapter LXII.
Tempora Nostra.
The following documents are put in here as evidence of 'our times.'
II. Document.
BALLAARAT. THE STATEMENT OF FRANK ARTHUR HASLEHAM. (Now lying wounded at Ballaarat.)
"Whereas I, Frank Arthur Hasleham, a native of the good town of Bedford, and son of a military officer, to wit, William Gale Hasleham, who bore His Majesty's commission in the 48th Foot at Talavera, and afterwards retired from the 6th veteran battallion:
"Whereas I, the aforesaid, having, in my capacity of newspaper correspondent at Ballaarat, shown, on all proper occasions in general, so especially during the late insurrectionary movement here, a strong instinctive leaning to the side of law, authority, and loyalty, was, on the morning of the 3rd instant, fired at and wounded at a time when the affray was over, and the forces with their prisoners were on the point of returning to the camp, and in a place whence the scene of action was invisible, and when no other bloodshed had taken place;
"On these considerations I desire to make on oath the following statements of facts as they occurred, and as witnessed by others:-
"Shortly after daybreak in the morning mentioned, my three mates and myself were aroused from sleep by the fire of musketry, a great proportion of the balls whistling over our tents. The tent is pitched on a rising ground about 500 yards south of the stockade; the tent and stockade, each situated on an eminence, are separated by a large gully running east and west, and comprising in its breadth nearly the whole of the distance above specified. Considerably alarmed at the continuance of the firing, we at last got up and went outside, thinking to find a place of shelter of comparative security. After I had gone outside the firing gradually fell off, the stockade was unoccupied, the insurgents' flag was struck, and whatever fighting was then going on was confined to the further slope of
Ballaarat, Dec. 11, 1854.
-----
FIRST CASE of an inquest which has taken place since the massacre of the memorable 3rd. The evidence as to the murder of Powell (writes 'The Argus' express correspondent) is but a specimen of the recitals heard on every hand of the reckless brutality of the troopers that morning.
VERDICT OF THE JURY.
The death of deceased, Henry Powell, gold-digger, was caused by sabre cuts and gun shot wounds, wilfully and feloniously, and of their malice aforethought inflicted and fired by ARTHUR PURCELL AKEHURST, Clerk of the Peace, Ballaarat bench, and other persons unknown.
The jury return a verdict of Wilful Murder against A. P. Akehurst and other persons unknown.
The jury express their condemnation of the conduct of Captain Evans, in not swearing deceased at the time of taking his statement after having been cautioned by Dr. Wills of his immediate danger. The jury view with extreme horror the brutal conduct of the mounted police in firing at and cutting down unarmed and innocent persons of both sexes, at a distance from the scene of disturbance, on December 3rd, 1854.
WILLIAMS, Coroner.
-----
Mind, good reader, the above is a legal document.
After my trial, on my way to Ballaarat, I met in Geelong the identical Akehurst, cracking some nuts with (I mean, speaking to) some young ladies.
I DESPAIR OF THIS COLONY.
May it please HER MAJESTY to cause inquiry to be made into the character of such that have branded the miners of Ballaarat as disloyal to their QUEEN.
Chapter LXII.
Tempora Nostra.
The following documents are put in here as evidence of 'our times.'
II. Document.
BALLAARAT. THE STATEMENT OF FRANK ARTHUR HASLEHAM. (Now lying wounded at Ballaarat.)
"Whereas I, Frank Arthur Hasleham, a native of the good town of Bedford, and son of a military officer, to wit, William Gale Hasleham, who bore His Majesty's commission in the 48th Foot at Talavera, and afterwards retired from the 6th veteran battallion:
"Whereas I, the aforesaid, having, in my capacity of newspaper correspondent at Ballaarat, shown, on all proper occasions in general, so especially during the late insurrectionary movement here, a strong instinctive leaning to the side of law, authority, and loyalty, was, on the morning of the 3rd instant, fired at and wounded at a time when the affray was over, and the forces with their prisoners were on the point of returning to the camp, and in a place whence the scene of action was invisible, and when no other bloodshed had taken place;
"On these considerations I desire to make on oath the following statements of facts as they occurred, and as witnessed by others:-
"Shortly after daybreak in the morning mentioned, my three mates and myself were aroused from sleep by the fire of musketry, a great proportion of the balls whistling over our tents. The tent is pitched on a rising ground about 500 yards south of the stockade; the tent and stockade, each situated on an eminence, are separated by a large gully running east and west, and comprising in its breadth nearly the whole of the distance above specified. Considerably alarmed at the continuance of the firing, we at last got up and went outside, thinking to find a place of shelter of comparative security. After I had gone outside the firing gradually fell off, the stockade was unoccupied, the insurgents' flag was struck, and whatever fighting was then going on was confined to the further slope of