42 A HISTORY OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



he sank to the ground and told them to leave him. As he could not 

 move, and they would not abandon him to be trampled to death, 

 the lowered him into a shallow hole, covered it with slabs and fled. 

 The German blacksmith, armed with one of his own pikes, fought 

 with exemplary courage, and spoiled a good many bayonets during 

 the melee. Singling out Lieutenant Eichards of the 40th, he charged 

 him fiercely as he sprang into the stockade. But that officer suc- 

 ceeded in parrying the thrust, and with a rapid swinging blow of his 

 sword literally sliced off the top of his opponent's skull. The two 

 lieutenants of Lalor's staff, Thonen, a Prussian, and Boss, a Canadian, 

 were both killed, having apparently made it an issue of life or death 

 to maintain their posts. Black did not figure in the fight, and he 

 was not among the prisoners, though he was certainly in conference 

 with Lalor up to a late hour on Saturday night. The " long-legged 

 Vern," whose verbal military ardour had been excessive, was one of 

 the first to take Lalor's advice and save himself. While most of 

 the diggers when surrounded threw down their arms and surrendered, 

 Vern, with a few companions, cleared the stockade at the opposite 

 end and scuttled for Warrenheip, through the bush. 



The testimony of many witnesses, confirmed by subsequent 

 official investigations, proved that while the military did their duty 

 with steadiness and courage and under excellent discipline, the 

 police, exasperated by their long-standing feud with the diggers, 

 got quite out of hand, committing many acts of wanton cruelty in 

 the hour of their triumph. Mr. John Lynch, of Smythesdale, who 

 with a small company was trying to stem the inrush of the troops 

 when the barriers fell, says that finding themselves confronted with 

 a line of advancing bayonets, they were rather relieved to hear the 

 officer call upon them to surrender, and throw down their arms, 

 which they promptly did on his promising them protection. Five 

 minutes later, as they stood unarmed and huddled together, a body 

 of police charged straight at them with drawn swords, and would 

 have made short work of them but for the intervention of the 

 officer, who warned the police that these men were his prisoners, 

 and under his protection. In all cases the military accepted sur- 

 render when arms were thrown down, and by six o'clock a miserable 

 procession of 125 prisoners set out for the Camp, leaving a blood- 



