Waratah.
Mysterious stone-throwing.
For several nights past there has been considerable excitement at Georgetown in consequence of mysterious stone-throwing at the residence of Mr Benjamin Tonks, a well-known, peaceable, and law-abiding citizen of many years standing in the town. The building is one of two stories, weatherboard, and roofed with iron; and early last week, besides rattling missiles on the roof a pane of glass was broken, to the terror of the inmates.
Since that, night after night, the neighbours and police have mustered and ran a living barricade round the premises, but byond hearing the stones they have failed to mark the thrower. All sorts of theories have been raised on the subject but without a practical solution.
Mr Tonks and family having no known enemy in the neighbourhood. Meanwhile, a nightly watch will be kept in the hope of solving the mystery.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 7th August 1899.
Waratah.
Mysterious stone throwing.
The mysterious stone throwing at the dwelling of Mr Benjamin Tonks, at Georgetown, strange to say, continues nightly, and has now been going on for fifteen or sixteen nights in succession, notwithstanding strenuous efforts made to detect the culprit. Four panes of glass have been broken up to date, and in one instance a second stone was sent through the hole made in the same pane. The perpetrator of this villainous business has a certain amount of method about his madness, as invariably the stones are thrown between 6 and 7 in the evening, when it ceases for the night. The stones vary in size, but only in one instance has the missile been small enough to be fired by a catapult, so that the danger is increased to the inmates, who have narrowly escaped being hit several times by large stones coming through the windows and doorway.
Large numbers of people congregate nightly to await events, and if possible discover the thrower by surrounding the property. On Monday night last the police requested all watchers to stay away, and the resident families of Mr Tonks and his neighbours to remain indoors. This was done, but as usual the stone throwing continued without any discovery being made.
The subject is now the chief topic on every hand, and schemes are numerous for solving the mystery. Perhaps seeing a similar affair agitated the minds of our Adamstown neighbours some years ago they may be able to throw out a suggestion how to catch a stone-thrower of such persistency.
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate, 10th August 1899.
Mysterious stone-throwing.
After 15 nights the stone-throwing at Waratah continues, and still the offenders escape detection. The occupants of the house which is being made the target for these nocturnal attacks are greatly perturbed thereby. It appears that the throwing is carried on between the hours of 6 and 7 in the evening, and though on several occasions the neighbours have entirely surrounded the residence, they have not succeeded in locating the direction of the stones.
The Australian Star (Sydney), 11th August 1899.
The usual stone-throwing mystery is up to time. The place which has the honour of the visitation is Waratah, and the unwelcome bombardment regularly eventuates during the evening meal. The mysterious agency which hurls the projectiles has resisted every attempt at discovery. Neighbours surround the house, but without avail, as the strange noises continue, and the awe that is inspired by the uncanny proceedings is enough to cast the usual gloom over the neighbourhood.
One may anticipate a fruitful crop of theories. People are very prone to theorise in an alarm like this. There was the Enmore case. Wise men shock their severed heads and propounded learned theories about long-distance catapults, or ghostly visitants, while all the time a sweetly innocent little girl was surreptitiously hurling huge pieces of road metal through the windows. A policeman devoid of abstruse theories solved that puzzle. Waratah ought to send for him if he is still in the force.
The Australian Star, 12th August 1899.