The men that were accused of killing the milking cow were given a ticket necklace. This was a sign used by gardiya (white people) who marked Aboriginal people who were to be killed for the crime.

A large number of men were taken at least 20 km away from the station homestead. They had been ordered to start chopping firewood as their punishment.

When the accused had gathered enough firewood, the station owners told them to rest and come and have some dinner. The food was full of a lethal poison known as strychnine. The men soon fell in agony, slowly dying.