Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express at KellyGang 19/4/1879
INSUBORDINATION AT THE ABORIGINAL STATION
A disturbance which took place between some of the aboriginals quartered at the aboriginal station at Coranderrk, on the 19th ult., formed the subject of investigation before the Healesville Court of Petty Sessions on Thursday, the magistrates on the bench being Messrs Geo. Harker (chairman), E H Cameron and Thomas Armstrong. The first case entered upon was a charge preferred by the police against two blackfellows named respectively Alfred Morgan and Tommy Banfield, alias Punch, for creating a disturbance and fighting at the station. Constable Tevelin, the officer in charge of the police station at Healesville, stated that at ten o'clock on the evening of the 19th of March he received a message to go over to Coranderrk, as there was a row going on amongst soma of the blacks there. lie went over at once, and found the two prisoners and some of the other blacks the worse for liquor, and knocking about the place in a rowdy manner. He advised them to go to their huts, and in order to make sure that quietness was restored, he stayed a couple of hours, leaving at midnight. He had not, however, been home long before a second messenger came to him, and asked him to return, as the prisoners were fighting. When he arrived he found the whole place in a state of excitement - men, women and children being up, and behaving in a very disorderly manner. Banfield was greatly enraged, and had evidently just concluded a combat with Morgan, for the latter's face was cut about, and covered with blood. The two men were, however, at last pacified and induced to go into their huts, after which all became quite and the constable left.
A black man named Thomson Willams stated that he saw the two prisoners drunk on the occasion referred to. Banfield wanted to go home, but Morgan would not let him, as he said he wanted to show him how to fight. Morgan would not keep quiet, and at length ho and Banfield had a falling match, after which they sparred. Williams, when he saw them sparring, cried out "fight," in order to alarm the station, and he parted the combatants, who then stripped off their shirts and went at it again. Banfield sang out for his tomahawk, but witness had hid it, and he got hold of a stick; and after the fight was over a table-knife was taken from Banfield by a half-caste named William Parker. The Rev F P Strickland, the superintendent of that station, stated that the first he heard of the disturbance was from a messenger who went to him house and told him there was a noise in the street. He went out, and, finding the two men fighting and a number of women screaming, sent for the trooper, who came and frightened them by his presence, but when he left they became worse. The conduct of both the accused was very wild and dangerous, and calculated to exercise a most pernicious influence on the other blacks on the station With regard to Morgan's character, he could say that he was one of the best working men on the place, but when by any mischance he got drink, he became a perfect madman. The same would apply to Banfield. The latter went about looking for a tomahawk, and if he had found one witness believed there would have been lives lost. Mr Deane, the schoolmaster at the station, said he had known both prisoners three years, and had found them excellent workmen and well behaved, except when they managed to get liquor. The next case was that of the police against A G Leslie, a young man who stated that he had recently arrived in the colony in an American ship, who was charged with supplying Daniel Hall, an aboriginal, with intoxicating liquor, namely, a bottle of gin, contrary to the statute. The prisoner did not deny the offence, but pleaded ignorance of the law in extenuation. It appeared that on the 19th (the day of the disturbance) the prisoner was engaged with some forty or fifty other whites assisting to pick the hops. As he was going to Healesville Hall gave him 7s to get a bottle of gin; which he did, and gave it to Hall, who shared it with others, causing the drunkenness which led to the disturbance in which Banfield and Morgan figured most prominently. In cross-examination the prisoner elicited from Hall the fact that he (Hall) was not sober when he sent him for the gin, as he had got some liquor from Banfield previously. Also that a white man was in Hall's hut, who was pulled from under his bed by Mr Strickland and the constable.
The bench commented severely on the danger and even cruelty of giving intoxicating liquors to the aboriginal, but believing the prisoner's statement that he was ignorant of the law, they cautioned him to be more careful in future, and inflicted a fine of 5s, or twenty-four hours' imprisonment. Daniel, Hall who had been a witness in the last case, was then proceeded against for smashing a chain which was Government property. The chain was used to fasten a gate leading from the orchard towards the hop gardens, and on the recent occasion, when the drink was obtained, he wished to pass through, but finding the gate chained and padlocked, he got a tomahawk and cut it in two. Mr Strickland explained that it was not the value of the chain that was of any consequence, but the prisoner's conduct had an injurious effect on the other blacks; in fact, since the occurrence, one of the girls had tried to burst open a door that was always kept locked. Hall had been before the court on previous occasions, once for beating his wife in a cruel manner, for which he got three months ; and he was, although a good workman, a great annoyance to the others. The bench, in view of his bad character, ordered him to be imprisoned for seven days in the Melbourne gaol.-Age.
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