William Carter

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 9th January 2025

Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828 - 1857) Wed 25 May 1831 Page 4. Coroner's Inquest. CORONER'S INQUEST. Before the witnesses were examined, the Coroner and Jury, in the presence of a large concourse of people, took a view of the bodies of the two murdered men, Moses Boss, and William Carter. When seen in a mutilated and emaciated state, a glance of indiscribable emotion passed over the features of every person present. A feeling of indignation, mingled with horror, was visible in every countenance. Carter had three spear wounds in the back, three in the breast, and one from a bayonet in the belly. His head was beat to a mumshy by waddies and weighty stones, his nose and whole face dis- figured ; and when the bandage about his head was removed. the gore, in pure colour, flowed from the gashes inflicted. Boss's head was emaciated in a similar manner ; a spear had been thrust in his neck and another into his breast, and the whole of his back shewed the blows he had received. The most hard-hearted could not behold the mournful spectacle without inwardly cursing the perpetrators of murders so foul and barbarous. On Monday, the 9th inst., two soldiers who had the pre- vious evening, arrived at Mr. Kemp's hut on the Sorell Lake, took their departure early in the morning. About 10 o'clock in the forenoon, Joseph Barlow, (Mr. Kemp's overseer,) Jenks, and Evesy left on horseback, in search of cattle. The witness, Daniel Flinn, had by this time got in all the water required for the hut, as there is great danger for one man, when by himself, to leave huts to go for water. The two deceased men, William Carter, and James Boss, were employed in a field about 300 yards distant from the hut. These two men had often been cautioned to take their fire- arms with them, when in the field, but they always neglected it. - About half-past 10, Daniel Flinn went into the barn to bring a piece of salt beef out of a cask for dinner, and placed his gun against the door-post outside, as he could reach the meat from the door. The barn and stable are under one roof, and a loft above the stable containing oats and straw - there were two dogs kept in the barn, that had been kangaroo hunting the day before - they attempted to get out, bristling their hair at the same time, and seemed very uneasy, Flinn therefore shut the door. - He then heard a sort of galloping noise outside, which he at first imagined proceeded from a foal in the paddock. - He, however, put down the beef again, and opened the door, when to his great surprise, he saw his gun in the hand of a black man, who had two others under his arm. He observed seven blacks between the barn and the hut. One of them, a tall man, who had some shells round the crown of his head, walked up and down leisurely, seeming to be a chief, having a spear in his hand, and was directing the movements of the others. Flinn now got up in the loft, where he could have secreted himself, but being certain that the Aborigines had seen him, he seized hold of an adze, putting himself in a posture of de- fence. All this, time, none of the dogs made the slightest noise, the black took away five of them and two puppies with the greatest ease. A black man entered the stable, and asked Flinn to come down and tie the dogs ; he spoke good English. Flinn flourished his adze, and the black said " No good, no good, come down." Shortly after there came in more blacks, with a woman, endeavouring to persuade Flinn to come down, one of them had four waddies in his hand, watching to have a fair throw at Flinn, who piled up some oats and straw to ward off the waddies. - The men now appeared to leave the hut, and the woman called to Flinn saying " pretty white man, pretty white man, come down to tie the dogs - we no hurt you - me give you a kiss." - She then to induce him further, exhibited the most lascivious gestures. He looked down from the loft, and saw two or three blacks concealed underneath. One attempted to get up into the loft through the manger, but was beaten down by Flinn. They then went out, and presently the woman returned by herself. To in- timidate Flinn, she told him, "damn soldiers go away this morning," and she made some signs, indicating that the blacks were aware that Barlow and the other two men were away on horseback. - When she found she could make no im- pression on Flinn, she began to chatter, grin, and threaten. Flinn seeing the barn clear, descended, and placed some bags of oats, and some logs, against the door, to prevent the Abo- rigines entering again. He then got on the loft, and made all the noise he could, to give notice to Carter and Boss to be on their guard, but unfortunately he was not heard. - Looking through the shingles, he saw the blacks coming out of the hut with wearing apparel, flour, and sugar. A red night-cap, belonging to Mr. George Kemp, and which the witness stated that the young gentleman set great store by, was converted into a sugar bag. Shortly after Flinn saw Carter near the garden fence ; he had been wounded by the blacks, and nearly murdered. The chief, walking with a spear in his hand, made a motion to the others, and instantly as Carter endeavoured to rise, his head was crushed with large weighty stones, and in a few minutes he was motionless. Boss was killed about four yards from Carter, but Flinn did not see him at the time, as he was covered by a tree. Flinn's situation now became truly alarming. The Abori- gines attempted to make their way into the barn through a window abour four feet above the ground. Two of them rai- sed a black up to enter, but Flinn cut him across the head with the adze, when the blacks all set up a howl and desisted. Eleven were now seen, but some more were evidently con- cealed in an adjoining scrub. Being foiled they returned to the hut, from whence they brought out some fire-sticks, which with brush-wood they pushed through the window, but Flinn succeeded in defeating their object at that time. They again returned to the hut, and having provided themselves with four or five fire-sticks and brush-wood, they again went to the barn, pushing the sticks and brush-wood through the logs, when in a moment the barn was in a blaze of fire. Flinn's jacket and waistcoat and trowsers caught fire. He quickly pulled off his jacket and waistcoat, and extinguished the fire in his trowsers ; the burning shingles were falling down upon him. In this distress he forced a log away at the back part, and happily got about 100 yards away before he was seen by the blacks, who were all in front of the place, rejoicing at their own handy work. A race now began, and speedily Flinn was overtaken. A spear was darted at him, which he caught and broke in two. A second spear was thrown, which took be- tween his shirt and body, and this he kept, making with his adze, a defence for him. The stones now came flying about him, but one of the blacks coming within some yards of him, received a stone from Flinn in his stomach with such force as to make him bend double. Flinn then made for a scrubby hill, and when on the highest elevation, the Aborigines ceased the pursuit. The blacks carried away from Mr. Kemp's hut, four mus- kets, two pistols, one bayonet, seven pounds of tobacco, about two hundred and sixty weight of flour, and seventy pounds of sugar. Barlow and Flinn positively refused to re- turn to the hut, as nothing can remove from their mind the sense of horror they naturally felt on the occasion. Mr. An- stey, as Coroner, has held twenty-four Inquests, but the mu- tilated and emaciated state of Carter and Boss exceeded any thing he had seen before. Verdict - Wilful Murder against some of the Aboriginal tribes whose names are unknown, by certain spears and wad- dies made of wood, and a bayonet made of iron. We have been very minute in our statement of the above affair, so as to render the public fully acquainted with the practices of our sable enemies. A few days previously, Mr. Alwright's hut in Patrick's Plains was burned to the ground, with a large quantity of provisions belonging to Government. Forty of the Aborigines made their appearance on the Sa- turday before, at Mr. Howell's on the Shannon. Mr. Willowson's shepherd was run by them a few days ago. Mr. Franks's man, at the Crescent Lake, narrowly escaped their hands a few days back, and the following day two other of his men came up with the tribe, which was immediately after pursued by Mr. Anstey's splitters and fencers. https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/8645874?searchTerm=William%20Carter

338

Penny-Lyn Beale on 9th January 2025

CON23-1-1/CON23-1-1-P084 No; 802. Height; 5 ft 6. Brown Hair & grey eyes Aged; 34 years old Trial; 12 March 1827 KILLED BY NATIVES on 9 May 1831 ***

William Carter was transported for stealing hay. He was 34 years old, married, protestant, brown hair, grey eyes, 5'6" tall, and last worked for a Mr Martin, a farmer, near Rumford. William was killed by natives in 9/5/1837 in Tasmania.