1 9 2 0 . ▁His ▁son , ▁John ▁R hat igan , ▁became ▁a ▁long ▁serving ▁Labor ▁Party ▁politician ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁Australian ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly . ▁▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁▁▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁St urt ▁Creek ▁mass acre : ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁dozen ▁people ▁occurred ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁when ▁polic emen ▁were ▁sent ▁out ▁to ▁investigate ▁the ▁mur ders ▁of ▁two ▁white ▁stock men , ▁Joseph ▁Cond ren ▁and ▁Tim ▁O ' S ull ivan , ▁at ▁Bill il una ▁Station . ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁years ▁the ▁only ▁record ▁of ▁the ▁mass acre ▁was ▁the ▁or al ▁histor ies ▁of ▁local ▁Ab original ▁el ders ▁who ▁described ▁the ▁police ▁shooting ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Ab original ▁people ▁near ▁St urt ▁Creek , ▁but ▁for ens ic ▁evidence ▁has ▁confirmed ▁the ▁death s . ▁▁▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁Bed ford ▁Down s ▁mass acre : ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁G ija ▁and ▁Wor la ▁men ▁were ▁tried ▁in ▁Wy nd ham ▁for ▁spe aring ▁a ▁mil king ▁cow ▁on ▁the ▁Bed ford ▁Down s ▁Station . ▁When ▁released ▁from ▁the ▁court ▁they ▁were ▁given ▁dog ▁tags ▁to ▁wear ▁and ▁told ▁to ▁walk ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 ▁kilometres ▁back ▁to ▁Bed ford ▁Down s . ▁On ▁arrival ▁they ▁were ▁set ▁to ▁work ▁to ▁cut ▁the ▁wood ▁that ▁was ▁later ▁used ▁to ▁burn ▁their ▁bodies . ▁Once ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁finished ▁they ▁were ▁fed ▁food ▁la ced ▁with ▁st ry chn ine ▁by ▁white ▁station