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Depositions
taken in
Magisterial Inquiry
touching the
Murder of
Sydney Algernon Barnard
21.3.85
151 151
WC.
(Official Stamp: POLICE OFFICE PORT DOUGLAS)
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Murder by Aboriginals not yet in custody
The blacks who committed this murder are not known
[signed] DT Seymour
CP
4.5.85
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Police Court Port Douglas
March 18th 1885
Present The Police Magistrate J. Fraser Esqr. J.P.
Magisterial Inquiry touching the cause of death of one Sydney Algernon Barnard
Tommy Goon Hin sworn in as interpreter
This deponent on his oath by blowing out a match through the interpreter Tommy Goon Hin states as follows: My name is Ah Yow, I am a labourer and was engaged to work for deceased on the Mosman [sic] River. I was working for deceased on Friday the thirteenth instant at the Mosman [sic] River. After dinner the deceased (Mr. Barnard) a Kanaka and myself were cutting scrub. I don't know the Kanaka's name When we were cutting the scrub the Kanaka sung [sic] out "See the black fellow" I did not see the black fellow. Mr. Barnard took his axe and ran towards the house. I looked and saw some black fellows who threw their spears at me and I then ran away along the track to Mr. Johnstone's
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Johnstone's camp and two wild black fellows followed me and called out but they did not throw any more spears at me. The Kanaka went along a track to Dan Hart's place. When I arrived at Mr. Johnstone's camp he was out but there were some Chinamen there and I asked for a gun but they had not got one.
When first I ran away from Mr. Barnard I met Mr. Johnstone on the road and told him that wild fellow black tried to spear me.
I afterwards went to Mrs. Jones' place and told her that wild blacks tried to spear me and that I thought they had speared Mr. Barnard.
The distance from the place at which deceased, Kanaka and myself were working was about a quarter of a mile from the house. I saw Mr. Barnard again on Saturday the fourteenth instant, in the river about a quarter of a mile from the house, he was dead I did not see any spears in deceased's body. Deceased was wearing moleskin trousers and a singlet, the last time I saw him alive. I can't say what was on deceased's body when I saw it. I have been working with deceased since October 20th (twentieth) 1884. I have never seen any of the wild blacks about before
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By Bench
When I was running away from the blacks I took off my boots
Ah (his mark [Chinese characters]) Yow
Witness F.W. Galloway
CPS
Taken and sworn before me at Port Douglas this sixteenth day of March 1885 [signed] M.P.B. Fanning PM