the eureka stockade-第21节

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ong；　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。

…

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　the　hill　on　which　the　stockade　was　situated。　　As　some　desultory　firing　was　still　going　on；　I　advanced　about　fifty　yards　down　the　gully；　in　order　to　insure　safety　by　getting　upon　lower　ground；　by　this　time；　with　the　exception　of　an　occasional　cheer　from　the　military　or　police；　everything　was　perfectly　quiet；　and　from　where　I　stood　neither　soldier　nor　trooper　was　to　be　seen。　A　few　minutes　after　a　small　detachment　of　mounted　police　made　its　appearance　on　the　hill；　and　drew　up　in　a　line　on　the　either　side　of　the　stockade；　the　officer　in　command　appeared　to　be　haranguing　them。　　I　was　standing　about　three　hundred　yards　from　them；　several　other　people　being　near　at　hand。　I　saw　three　troopers　leave　the　ranks　and　advance　towards　me；　when　one　of　them　who　rode　considerably　ahead　of　the　other　two　arrived　within　hailing　distance；　he　hailed　me　as　a　friend。　　Having　no　reason　to　think　otherwise　of　him；　I　walked　forward　to　meet　him。　　After　he　had　lured　me　within　safe　distance；　namely　about　four　paces；　he　levelled　his　holster　pistol　at　my　breast　and　shot　me。　　Previous　to　this；　and　while　advancing　towards　each　other；　he　asked　me　if　I　wished　to　join　his　force；　I　told　him　I　was　unarmed；　and　in　a　weak　state　of　health；　which　must　have　been　plain　to　him　at　the　time；　but　added　that　I　hoped　this　madness　on　the　part　of　the　diggers　would　soon　be　over；　upon　that　he　fired。〃

…

The　trooper　be　dd；　but　I　congratulate　poor　Frank；　of　the　good　town　of　Bedford；　for　'this　madness　on　the　part　of　the　diggers'　procuring　him　400　pounds　sterling　from　Toorak；　so　that　he　can　afford　to　spare　me　the　trouble　of　encroaching　any　further　into　his　'statement。'　　Great　works！


III。　　Document　more　important；　by　far。

On　the　28th　November；　when　some　military　and　ammunition　came　on　the　ground；　the　detachment　was　set　on　at　Eureka；　near　the　site　of　the　stockade；　and　in　the　hubbub　consequent　the　troops　were　somewhat　at　fault；　and　the　officer　in　command　called　at　the　London　Hotel　to　inquire　the　way　to　the　Camp。　　The　owner　of　the　hotel；　Mr。　Hassall；　on　being　asked；　came　out　of　his　establishment　to　point　out　the　way　to　the　officer　in　command　of　the　detachment；　while　so　doing　he　received　a　ball　in　his　leg；　and　was　for　a　while　laid　up　by　the　wound。　　After　a　long　time　of　suffering；　and　a　great　loss　of　money　directly　and　indirectly；　he　applied　for　compensationwith　what　success　may　be　seen　from　the　following　letter　just　come　to　hand：…

…

Colonial　Secretary's　Office；　Melbourne；　26th　October；　1855。

Gentlemen。The　memorial　of　the　miners　on　behalf　of　Mr。　B。　S。　Hassall；　wounded　during　the　disturbances　at　Ballaarat；　having　been　by　the　governor's　directions　referred　to　the　board　appointed　to　investigate　such　claims；　the　board　reported；　that　from　the　evidence；　it　appears　impossible　Mr。　Hassall　could　have　received　his　wound　from　the　military；　and　that　they　could　not　see　anything　to　justify　their　recommending　any　compensation　for　him。　His　Excellency　cannot　therefore　entertain　the　petition　as　he　has　not　power　to　award　compensation　except　on　the　recommendation　of　the　board。

I　have　the　honour　to　be；　gentlemen；　Your　most　obedient　servant；　J。　　MOORE；　A。C。S。　（To）　SAMUEL　IRWIN；　and　A。　C。　BRUNNING；　Esqrs。


…

'Great　works'　this　time　at　Toorak；　eh！　oh！　dear。

So　far　so　good；　for　the　present；　because　spy　'Goodenough'　wants　me　in　the　next　chapter。




Chapter　LXIII。



Et　Scias　Quia　Nihil　Impium　Fecerim。


It　was　now　between　eight　and　nine　o'clock。　　A　patrol　of　troopers　and　traps　stopped　before　the　London　Hotel。

Spy　Goodenough；　entered　panting；　a　cocked　pistol　in　his　hand；　looking　as　wild　as　a　raven。　　He　instantly　pounced　on　me　as　his　prey；　and　poking　the　pistol　at　my　face；　said　in　his　rage；　〃I　want　you。〃

〃What　for？〃

〃None　of　your　dd　nonsense；　or　I　shoot　you　down　like　a　rat。〃

〃My　good　fellow　don't　you　see？　　I　am　assisting　Dr。　Carr　to　dress　the　wounds　of　my　friends！〃I　was　actually　helping　to　bandage　the　thigh　of　an　American　digger；　whose　name；　if　I　recollected　it；　I　should　now　write　down　with　pleasure；　because　he　was　a　brave　fellow。　　He　had　on　his　body　at　least　half…a…dozen　shots；　all　in　front；　an　evident　proof；　he　had　stood　his　ground　like　a　man。

Spy　Goodenough　would　not　listen　to　me。　　Dr。　Carr。　spoke　not　a　word　in　my　behalf；　though　I　naturally　enough　had　appealed　to　him；　who　knew　me　these　two　years；　to　do　so。　　This　circumstance；　and　his　being　the　very　first　to　enter　the　stockade；　after　the　military　job　was　over；　though　he　had　never　before　been　on　the　Eureka　during　the　agitation；　his　appointment　to　attend　the　wounded　diggers　that　were　brought　up　to　the　Camp；　and　especially　his　absence　at　my　trial；　were　and　are　still　a　mystery　to　me。

I　was　instantly　dragged　out；　and　hobbled　to　a　dozen　more　of　prisoners　outside；　and　we　were　marched　to　the　Camp。　　The　main　road　was　clear；　and　the　diggers　crawled　among　the　holes　at　the　simple　bidding　of　any　of　the　troopers　who　rode　at　our　side。




Chapter　LXIV。



Sic　Sinuerunt　Fata。


On　reaching　the　Camp；　I　recognized　there　the　identical　American　Kenworthy。　I　gave　him　a　fearful　look。　　I　suspected　my　doom　to　be　sealed。

The　soldiers　were　drinking　'ad　libitum'　from　a　pannikin　which　they　dipped　into　a　pail…bucket　full　of　brandy。　　I　shall　not　prostitute　my　hand；　and　write　down　the　vile　exultations　of　a　mob　of　drunkards。　　It　was　of　the　ordinary　colonial　sort；　whenever　in　a　fight　the　'ring'　is　over。

Inspector　Foster；　commanded　us　to　strip　to　the　bare　shirt。　　They　did　not　know　how　to　spell　my　name。　　I　pulled　out　a　little　bag　containing　some　Eureka　gold…dust；　and　my　licence；　Mr。　Foster　took　care　of　my　bag；　and　just　as　my　name　was　copi