…… After the fierce fire all that they found were the brass eyelets of his boots and fragments of human bone ……
Walter George Benton was born on 7 February 1858 in England. Around 1902 Benton selected 100 acres of land, Portion 64V Pinelands Scrub outside Crows Nest. After making improvements to the land he listed it for sale. A local man called James Ryan had wanted to buy the selection from Walter whose asking price of £125 was beyond Ryan's means.
On 4th February 1905 Walter George Benton went missing; and after 10 days, was presumed dead. A tracker and police found the remains of a fierce fire in the scrub on Benton’s property. The remains were sent to Brisbane for analysis. Trousers' buttons and brass eyelets from boots wore found amongst the ashes as well as human bones fragments
It is alleged that Ryan killed Benton on this same day with the intention of stealing his land and horse. James Ryan was tried and convicted of the Murder of Walter George Benton and sentenced to be hung by the neck. He appealed for mercy on the account that no body was found and was later commuted to penal servitude for life on St Helena Island.
The cache is located on the perimeter of Benton’s land. The cache is not located at the listed coordinates. The listed coordinates are the location of the street sign which Benton’s land was located.
Listed coordinates are for the road sign which marks Benton’s land. The cache is located at the below coordinates.
S 27 15.17A E 152.0.570
Where
A = Number of letters in the name of the road where Benton’s land is located + 3
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IN LOVING MEMORY OF
WALTER GEORGE BENTON
BORN FEB 7, 1858
AT CURDWORTH WARWICKSHIRE ENGLAND
DIED FEB 4, 1905
Dearest brother thou hast left me
Thou dost dwell with the angels now
Good and gentle was thy welcome
Christ has died and set thee free
Wait a little dearest brother
And I soon shall follow you
INSERTED BY
HIS SORROWING SISTER
Your end came sudden uncle dear
It makes us weep and sigh
And also it was so hard to think
You could not say good bye
INSERTED BY HIS LOVING
NEPHEWS AND NIECES.11,10