Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

KILLED BY ALLIGATOR
VICTIM ASSISTED STRANGER,
TO CROSS WALCOTT INLET
A little more than a week ago Frederick Spencer Easton, who had a cattle ranch about 200 miles from Derby, on the north-west coast of West Australia, was killed by an alligator while helping a man to cross Walcott inlet, a large tidal indentation (says the Adelaide "News"). The tragedy was the outcome of a wager made by a Frenchman named Deutncourt, the conditions being that he was to walk round Australia, keeping within 10 miles of the coast. Mr. W. Steele, who has a large cattle run adjoining the property formerly held by the unfortunate man, is at present on a holiday in Adelaide, and he stated that he had received a telegram giving a brief description 0f the tragedy. Easton, he said, was assisting Dolencourt to negotiate a stretch of water 50 yards across when he suddenly disappeared and was not seen again.
"Easton seems to have been dogged by ill luck," said Mr. Steele. He was a returned soldier and was gassed in the war. He took up his holding about five years ago. lt is in the most isolated portion of the Common wealth and he had no end of trouble with the natives. His nearest neighbor was 80 miles distant. Recently, during his temporary absence, natives raided his homestead and practically looted everything he had. Mr. Steele said that he had heard of natives and dogs being claimed as victims by alligators, but Easton was the first white man who had suffered that fate during the three years he had been in the north-west. Alligators are plentiful in the rivers and tidal estuaries, but the natives and even some white men took reckless risks by swimming in such places. Some men had been known to get away after being caught in the merciless jaws of the loathsome monster, but their mutilation bad been so serious as to greatly handicap them in life.
Mr. Steele added that he had since heard that it was the intention of the Government to convert the leasehold formerly held by Easton into a run for the natives. He would be glad to obtain confirmation of this, as it would mean that if the natives had such a large area for a hunting ground they would probably be less trouble to white people in that part of tho country. The property consisted of 300,000
acres.