NRS-297 1841 Letter from Roger Therry to Owen Gorman 23 December, Copies of Letters Sent to Magistrates, 4/6658

[top right] 4/8 Attorney General's Office 23^rd December 1841

Sir,

I send back the depositions taken before yourself and M^r Hodgson relative to the occurrences of the 21^st of October last, and the first remark that suggests itself to my mind on the subject is, that it is manifest these depositions do not disclose the whole of what took place on that occasion ~

The expression in M^r Rogers' deposition that "He regrets to add that he has reason to believe that several men were severely wounded" falls very short indeed of what might be disclosed as to the Effect of the firing that took place ~ The wounds inflicted on the members of his party are detailed with great minuteness, but a general and vague expression is deemed sufficient to describe and compre-hend the extent of the injury done to the party which M^r Rogers and his armed assistants endeavoured to capture. -

It is right I should apprize you that other Accounts have reached me of this transaction some of them indeed of so different a complexion that it is not easy to suppose that these depositions and the accounts I have received relate to the same transaction - If none of M^r Rogers' party are more communicative than M^r Rogers

[written in left margin] THERRY TO GORMAN 23. 12. 41

Geo: Brown

[written in red ink, in left margin] NSW State Records [to the right] (4/6658) ATT. GENERAL [to the right] TO MAGISTRATES Pges 478 - 480

[top left] 479

himself, it is a difficult thing to know in what way we are to arrive at a true and full knowledge of the whole transaction. ~ Has Brown, I beg to inquire, made no disclosure on the subject? or has nothing trans-pired from any of the party beyond that "He had reason to believe &c"?

As to bringing Brown to trial, I require to have some more satisfactory and full account of the conduct of the parties who seem to be very indignant at his conduct, and apparently conscious that they themselves acted with great propriety and forbearance ~ I have therefore to request that further inquiry into this matter be prosecuted - the mode of doing so I must leave to your wise discretion - but whether or not you will avail yourself of the testimony of any of the party who accompanied M^r Rogers - I venture to suggest these questions as requiring satis-factory answers - How many Shots were fired? How many (if any) of the Native Tribe were Killed? Of how many did M^r Rogers' party consist and of them how many were armed? Was the Gun found with Brown loaded or did it appear to have been fired off recently? Did any person in M^r Rogers' party, either see Brown fire a gun or see him at all until he was apprehended in the Camp? How long had Brown been with the Native Tribe? When

[top right] 480

and where had Brown been last seen before he was apprehended at the Native Camp?

These are a few of the questions which it occurs to me it would be proper to have satisfactorily solved - I have only further to request the earnest attention of yourself and M^r Hodgson to the subject, with the fullest confidence that you will sift to the bottom a transaction that has justly excited much painful interest, and which it is equally your duty and mine to fully investigate

The depositions of Foster and Bennett being taken in the absence of George Brown, could not be properly viewed in Evidence against him, as he should be allowed an opportunity of cross= =examining them - Their depositions therefore for this purpose should be resworn in his presence

I have the Honor to be

[signed] R Therry Attorney General

P.S. I annex to the Depositions an Anonymous letter sent to me on the subject.

Owen Gorman Esq^r. J. P. Brisbane Town Moreton Bay }