| Narrative | An early account said that eight Aboriginal people had died from poisoning (The West Australian, December 14, 1908, p 5) but a thorough police investigation found that the eight had been killed by a rival group from Darlot (West Australian, 6 Jan 1909, p5). The initial report of poisoning claimed, 'THE MOUNT IDA BLACKS. To the Editor. - Sir,-I see Mr. Nanson has asked the Premier certain questions re the finding of eight dead blacks a mile from the Ida H battery. I think the Minister should refer Mr. Nanson to reports of the Coroner, Mr. Campbell Shaw, who is one of the straightest men in the Commonwealth; Dr. Pritchard, one of the best surgeons living; and the police of Laverton, who are as good men as police can be. 'If those blacks have been poisoned it must have been accidentally. They have possibly raided some poor beggar's camp and got something more to eat than they bargained for. I have known one of those eight niggers for years, and a dirtier, begging, lazy, thieving, and would-be murdering lot never crawled Australia. If there is anybody in the country who should complain of them it is myself, as I have to live among them, and once a year about this time they always make their way to Cosmo Newbury Hills, where they cleared Mr. PD Nash, my partner, out last Christmas' (W. Carr-Boyd, The West Australian, December 14, 1908, p 5).
An investigation by Mr C F Gale found that circumstances related to the alleged poisoning could not be substantiated, but that there was evidence of attacks by spears and nullas. Aboriginal people questioned claimed the attack had been by a rival Aboriginal group and other witnesses had seen the rival group in the area. 'I examined the native woman who identified the bodies of the deceased, and other natives who were in town, and closely questioned them as to the cause of the death of their friends. They all unhesitatingly stated that some Darlot natives had killed them, although I tried to put their thoughts into a groove of suspicion that death was caused otherwise, they were all very positive that the natives were killed by spearing at the hands of some Darlot tribe, and I was absolutely unable to shake their statement.' (West Australian, 6 Jan 1909, p5) |
