From Western Post, 7 August 1861: MERRIWA From our Correspondent. FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE MURDER BY A BLACKFELLOW. On the 16th July, a dreadful murder was committed by a blackfellow named Harry, who for three months past was engaged by the Messrs HALL as a stockman. On the morning of the day he committed the murder he sharpened a large American tomahawk, and said he was going to get opossums; but went direct to the hut of a shepherd named MILLS, and enticed a boy (nine years old) to go with, as he said, to kill opossums. No objection was made by the boy's mother, as the blackfellow was well known to the family, being in the same employ. The black filled four opossums, and, having made a fire, roasted and ate one. Then he struck the poor little fellow three times on the head with the back of the tomahawk and left him for dead. The boy lay there insensible till Thursday morning (18th ), when he was found by a shepherd quite blind. The little boy is now quite sensible, and his sight has returned. After murderously assaulting the little boy, the inhuman wretch must have returned to th! e mother in the hut, murdered her, and stolen away a female child four and a half years old, a double-barrelled gun, powder, and shot, and some percussion caps. Some few trinkets were found about 50 yards from the hut, but nothing beyond what is above enumerated was missed from the hut. A sad spectacle presented itself to poor MILLS when he returned with his sheep at sundown Wondering why his children did not run to meet him as usual, he went into his hut and found the corpse of his wife, the head lying in a large pool of blood, three fractures in the skull, and a large cut about 6 inches long and 5 deep, given from behind, almost severing the head at the base of the skull from the body. Of course death was instantaneous. The children were nowhere to be found. Three boxes outside the hut and their contents scattered all about. Poor MILLS stopped in the dwelling that was lately to him a happy home, while his fellow shepherd carried the horrid tidings to the head station, about three miles off. News of the outrage having been conveyed to Merriwa (six miles) with all haste, the constables and a large party of the male inhabitants, well armed and mounted, with J P BETTINGTON, Esq., JP at their head, proceeded in search of the fiend. The whole party, in! sections of three or four, with a thorough bushman of great local knowledge at the head of each, scoured the country in all directions. Every individual determined to risk his own life, if necessary, so that the foul fiend might meet the end his awful deed demanded. The morning after the murder, the blackfellow having the poor little girl with him, called at a Chinaman's hut six miles from the scene of the butcheries. He had the double barreled gun and a small bundle in a handkerchief, but nothing else. He then appeared as if making for Miller's Gap, in the Liverpool Range. His object seems to be to get the child with him to his tribe on the McIntyre. The scoundrel must have concealed himself in the mountains during the day and traveled at night, else he never could have escaped from the numbers who were searching for him. Mr BETTINGTON discharged his duty nobly, and inspired the whole party with the same energetic spirit he displayed himself. For five days and five nights this young gentleman and his party never ceased their exertions to rescue a human being from a life worse than death, and to bring to justice a villain who life is a curse to the earth. Mr BETTINGTON's first step was a most judicious one, viz., to ride fast ahead and give notice to the stations on the other side of the Range. I am told the people there are all on the look out for the murderer. I hope their exertions will be more successful than were those of the people in this neighbourhood. Last Friday, a station of Mr MARLAY's was robbed, at the foot of the Range. Many suppose this was done by the blackfellow. But tracks of a man and child were discovered on Miller's Gap the day before the robbery. Many think these were the footprints of the blackfellow and child, and if so, the robbery must have been committed by someone else. I am told those tracks were not more than half a day old when Mr BELL with a blackfellow, a good tracker, were put upon them; also that the whole people on Liverpool side were out on the search for the foul murderer. And lest there might have been a chance of his robbing the hut, and lying to on the Range till his pursuers lost hope in the search, the Cassilis and Merriwa constables are out on the Ranges. It is to be hoped he will yet be taken. The people have contributed liberally towards a reward for his apprehension, and the Messrs HALL and the Government are expected to double the amount. The love of money it is hoped will induce the blacks to fetch him out of his own tribe, should he unfortunately get there. But was is already the fate of the poor child? Many fear that when she is no longer able to travel, he will murder and perhaps eat her. It is shocking to relate, that a catalogue of crimes such as these, murder, rape, robbery and kidnapping could be perpetrated in the very heart of the settled districts, and yet the foul perpetrator escape even so long as this. ***END*** N.B. All care has been taken to transcribe the above accurately, however errors may have been inadvertently made. Spelling of names/places should be as appears in original. Transcribed from microfilm available from the State Library. Annette Piper Coolah NSW