At Wortappa, John Hallett’s sheep station near Mt Bryan, a group of five Europeans led by William Moore Carter made a dawn raid on a group of Aboriginal people who had taken some sheep. Two Aboriginal people were killed, and another two injured. On hearing of the confrontation Governor Grey ordered an investigation. Spratt, Smith and Pritt were committed on the charge of feloniously killing Ngunnirri Burka and Mary Ann. Despite the determined efforts of government officials, Carter escaped arrest, aided by Edward Leake, a pastoralist stationed at Mt Gambier.
(See 'The South Australian Frontier and its Legacies' for more details.)