SHORT-LIVED BUSHRANGERS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2722, 29 January 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

SHORT-LIVED BUSHRANGERS

SERIES OF SENSATIONAL STORIES (By Charles White, Author of “Australian Bushrangers,” “Old Convict Days,” etc.) (Published by Special Arrangement.) XXI—AN UNRESISTING VICTIM.

Perhaps one of the strangest cases of “sticking-up” recorded, occurred in May, 1866, near Gundagai; and, as the reader will see, the bushranger in this case was as big a crank as his victim was a meekly subservient fool. On the night of the 11th May of the year named, a farmer named Scanlan, living at Nagus Creek, some thirteen miles from Gundagai, was aroused from •his slumbers by a loud knocking. Unsuspicious of danger, he 'arose and opened the door, when he was confronted by two men, who, without ceremony, pushed past him into the house. One <j r the men was not altogether unknown to the farmer, but the other was a stranger. This man held what Scanlan believed to be a revolver in his hand, ..vail, having entered, he at once aswaned command of thy proceedings, which the reader must admit were most peculiar. The story is as follows, as told by Scanlan when giving evidence some days afterwards at the court before which the principal actor was called to answer the charge of felonious assault and robbery, the accused having given his name as Giles Tatlock Chippendale:— “The accused told me to get him w-me tea and bread and meat. I brought a loaf of bread, and he tokl •me xo cut some oft' it. I did so. He -old me- to bring some water. I brought a pannikin, but he told me to bring a rum bier; I did so. He ordered me to - wink some; I did so. He then produced small bottle with brandy in it, and ordered me to drink some. I drank r me and he drank some himself. He :• -kod me if Inspector Morrow was not s!roping in my bedroom. I said no, and 1: - asked who was there. He then asked the name of a person sleeping near by the fire. J told him dir. Close, of Gundagai, who was a friend of mine, i w then caught hold of Close by the a hr of. the head and put him in a rifting posture on the bed. He then re some oaths, and said to Close: ••.'ll give you five minutes to pray for y.-ur soul!’ He then told me to carry Close to the nearest water-hole and drown him. His words were: ‘Take mi up and drown him in the nearest v. iter-hole.’ I carried Close to the bunk of a water-hole, but there was ry little water in it. When accused r. ,v this he said: ‘Yo'u dog, your i\:rn will come next; carry him back to t e house.’ There was a- ten gallon 1..-s standing at the corner outside t'he '..use, with a hand-basin full of water v'i the top. He ordered me to put Close on it. I did so. "We then went inside again, and he r; ked me if I had any firearms. I wwl. ‘Yes, I have/ and ho ordered me to bring them to him. 1 brought him a double-barrel and a single-barrel gun. Me asked me where the double-barrel gun was kept to shoot Gilbert. I told ■wo that I kept no gun for that purp. ve. He asked me if I had any more firearms. I said yes, that the ones lie had were borrowed, but that I had a b ruble-barrel gun of my own, which I gave him. It was not loaded. He handed the guns back, making me put cups on them to see that they were not loaded. I snapped one cap, and Close another, the guns being pointed upward. He then asked, me if I had anything to drink in the house, and I said y s, some brandy. He ordered me to bring it out. I did so; it was in a ivpmre bottle. I brought it under comp lisjon, as I was of opinion that he s armed. He kept his hand under i s poucho, as if he had arms: He threatened to shoot me several times, au:t ordered me to go on my knees and" p uy for iny soul, when .1 refused to get a rope to hang Close. “Between 12 and 1 o’clock in the morning he ordered me to make some tea, and I said I would as soon as I con[d make a fire. . I went out to bring I Vi ud wood, and when returning with it Ju ordered me to throw it down and -Si: in front of him. He then said, U . is reported that Ben Hall is dead, btf he is not; I’m Ben Hall, and I’m n -t dead yet.’ I said: ‘I don’t think you are, as from descriptions published y-< are not li'ke Hall.’ He then said: M Ml Gilbert’s mate, and you must obey o') ilers.’ I said: ‘l’lldo anything I can bid don’t use any ’firearms.’ “A lad named Allen, who lives with Xu.-, was present, and the accused ordered him to get a fresh horse for him in ten minutes, saying: ‘Come, my joker, go, get a horse; you will have to vide fifty miles with me to-night be. fore you sleep.’ The boy replied that he had no horse, and accused said: ‘lf you don’t get! one, I’ll blow your • brains out.’ This occurred outside ; Close’s horse was near with a b6li on, and accused caught the lad by The collar and dragged him about twenty-five yards towards it, and told him to bring it. The lad went away, and did not come back till next morning. “When.accused re-entered the house, ho ordered me down on my knees be3iiud his grey mare.- I said : ‘She might .kick me/, when he replied: ‘lt will make ho difference.’ . I remained on my Alices for five or six minutes, when he told me to get up and' go inside and serve more brandy. I did so. He then asked me if I knew him, and I said: ‘Ho/ when he 'fiyade me light two caudles and hold them close to his face to see if I would know him. He ihen told me to hold a candle to his fine to light it, and I did' so, when jfe said: ‘lt’s a- fine consolation that a

bushranger can make a man light his pipe , or do anything he wants.’ He then ordered me to bed, and when I got there he ordered me out, saying 1 might shoot him through the door. I gave him more brandy, and he then told me again to go to bed. He came to tlie bedroom window, and tokl my servant to go to bed, as he would not hurt any female. “I really thought he was a bushranger, and that if I did everything lie told me he would not shoot me. After a while he said: ‘I have been frightening you with a pipe-case all night/ He stayed all night in the house, and left at six o’clock next morning. When he was going away I asked him what he had to say for his conduct, and he said nothing. I did not really 'know he was not really a bushranger until after lie went away.”

It is very clear that in this case the man’s daring and the ridiculous programme of performances which lie imposed upon Scanlan was largely tlie outcome of Seanlan’s childlike submission. Had he shown one spark of courage, and made but the slightest show of resistance, the probabilities are that he would have completely turned the tables upon this amateur bushranger. On his own showing, several opportunities presented themselves for effective action in this direction, but all the farmer’s wit and courage, if lie possessed a grain of either, appear to have evaporated as soon as the harmless pipe-case was presented and the half-lunatic visitor issued bis first order.

Chippendale was arrested shortly after the mad freak recorded, and was sent- up for a term long enough to cure him of any desire again ten try his ’prentice hand at bushranging."''

XXII. —A BIG HALL AND A SMART CAPTURE. In September. 1860, a sensational sticking-up case occurred on tlie Binalong road, in the Yass district. The victim was a dealer named John Hurley, whose home was in Beech worth, Victoria, but who was travelling through the southern district on the outlook for bargains in the shape of store cattle. He bad a lad travelling with him, and the pair bestrode two good roadsters, and were well-equipped with well-filled saddle-bags and valises, it being their custom to travel from one place to another by easy stages, camping cut when sundown found them at some distance from a township or roadside - inn. For two or three days previous to that on which the event now recorded took place, Hurley had been in the neighborhood of. Burrowa, wliitber he had gone with a view to the purchase of some sixty head of cattle. But the sale did net come off, and on his way from the township lie made a deal with a publican for seven pigs, knowing that he could dispose of them at a profit along the road. But when paying for them/ he did a most foolish thing. He exposed in tlie bar a large sum of money—not with any idea of making a parade of his wealth, but from sheer ihoughlcssness.. He and his boy had driven the pigs slowly about seven miies along the road leading to Binalong, and as the sun was about dipping behind the western hills, were begining to think of camping for the night, when they there overtaken by a man on foot. The usual courtesies of the road having been exchanged, a conversation ensued, during which- the man said he was out of work, and offered his services to Hurley at a nominal wage. As Hurley 'knew he would require assistance with, the stock he intended buying, he eventually agreed to give tlie man employment at £1 per week. At this the man expressed his delight, and, saying he must go and tell his mate, who was close by, of his good fortune, he retraced his. steps for a short distance, and shortly thereafter returned with two mates' instead of one. The fact that- the men did not carry swags does not appear to have aroused any suspicion in Hurley’s mind concerning their bona fides as honest travellers, and he was fairly taken aback at seeing; a gun suddenly presented at him, and hearing a- voice sav, “No — — nonsense, now; out with' your money, o.r I’ll.put a hole through you.” At the same time, another of the trio covered the lad with a It- was in vain for Hurley to attempt to escape, and equally vain for him to protest that he had no money, for the muzzle of the gun was within a short distance of Ills chest, and the men had seen him produce the money at the bar of the -roadside pub. that afternoon. Still, lie hesitated to comply with tlie demand until the man said: “By — —, I mean it. Get down off that horse straight, or I’ll fire.” Then Hurley dismounted, and, with the lad, who had also been made to leave the saddle, was marched into the busli, a short distance from the road, one of ‘the men taking charge of the horses While the other two conducted tlie other part of the “business.” A stout cord was produced, and Hurley and the boy were securely tied to a tree, after which they were both thoroughly searched by one man, while liis companion stood over them with revolver at full cock. Poor Hurley ground liis teeth with rage as he-saw his 1 money pass from his pocket into the pocket of the bushranger, who said, as hei counted- it, “My word, old man, you deserve to lose this for -carrying so much- about with you and showing it off.” It was certainly a good “haul” that the bushrangers had made. In the little, bundle were ten £lO notes, and one £1 note, and mi open cheque on the Commercial Banking Company’s branch at Yass for £225. The robbers didn’t even leave their victim the few loose shillings he had in his pocket, giving as their

reason for taking them t-hat they might experience a little difficulty in changing the bloomin’ big money, and would, in that case, require the silver to carry them along. The bushrangers then took possession of the horses, but one of them nearly came, to grief in the act of mounting, through one of the barrels of the revolver he held in his hand going off, the bullet striking the ground near where one of his companions were standing, preparatory to mounting the same horse, which, he said, would carry double for a short distance. The men then rode off, leaving Hurley and the boy still tied to the tree. Fortunately, however, tho ‘thongs that bound them wore not fastened very tightly, and, after a short struggle, the two victims got free, and made their way with all haste to Binalong, where they reported the occurrence to the police, subsequently proceeding to Yass, and acquainting the police tlxore also.

The whole of the mounted constabulary of the district were soon in the saddle scouring the country, the searching force being subsequently supplemented by members of the mounted patrol under Sergeant Brennan. But the bushrangers had so cleverly covered up their tracks that not the slightest clue to their whereabouts could be obtained any where in flic neighborhood. Several days after the robbery, however, three men answering the description of the bushrangers appeared on the Lachlan River, where they posed as- stock-buyers, freely spending money, and it was subsequently proved that they were the men for whom the Yass police had been vainly searching. It appeared that they had ridden fast and long immediately after leaving Hur. ley and the boy, and had crossed the boundaries of the district before the hue and cry had been raised. Reaching the Lachlan River, they called at the Jema. long public-house, kept by A. Law, where they remained all night, and passed two £lO notes, upon the back of each of which was written ‘ ‘Hurley, dealer.” They were careful; however, not to drink to exc-ess, and after a short stay they proceeded to Finn’s public-house, some twelve miles higher up the river, and here they remained during the day and night-, passing four'more of the notes, each for £lO, and bearing the words “Hurley, dealer/’ on the back. On the following day they Tode out to Mr. Thomas Higgins’, at Bundaburra, where they represented themselves as horse-buyers on the lookout for superior stork. One of the men, who acted as chief spokesman and transae/tecl the business, told Mr. Higgins that his name was John Hurley, and he at once negotiated for the purchase of three fine horses when the same were submitted for his approval. The price fixed for the animals was high, £llO for the throe, but the money appeared to the cheque for £225 bearing bis assumed name. Tlie cheque was genuine, looking enough, and as Higgins had no suspicion that there was anything “cronk” about either the cheque or its holder he consented to take it. As a mere matter of form, apparently, Higgins asked the man to put his name on the back of the cheque, it being made in favor of “John Hurley,” hut as lie said he. could not write, lie put his mark, which Higgins witnessed, and then handed over the three horses and £2l in notes and a note-of-liand for £94 as the balance of the change. The dea] having been effected, the men returned the same night to Finn’s pub-lic-house at Wowingragong. On the day following, the leader of the gang gave out that lie had bought two 'horses- at Jemalong, and would' go for them, ancl the trio departed; but they did not return when expected, and as Mrs. Finn persisted that there was something wrong about the men, Higgins having in the meantime called at the place and told of the sale he had effected, at Mrs Finn’s instigation lie proceeded to Jemalong fo r the purpose of ascertaining whether they had also purchased horses there. At Jenialong Higgins learned that the inen had simply called there, on their way to and from Wowingragong,. and that, they had had drinks, but had not purchased any horses, although they harl left their poor animals in the bush about 2£ miles from the plaoe, together with an old saddle, some wearing apparel, and two old blankets, one of Law’s men having seen the abandoned horses and articles in the hush. The liorsc-seller then realised that he had been properly taken down, and, being a man of action, at once set about attempting to recover some of liis property. First sending one of the men to bring in the abandoned horses, ho started in pursuit of the “dealers,” accompanied by a man from Law’s and two aboriginal blacks as trackers. The trades made by the three bushrangers wore still fresh, and the pursuers followed them at a band-gallop for about fifty miles .before nightfall, and then they discovered that they were not more than eighteen miles from tlie starting point, the bushrangers having ridden almost in a circle for the purpose of throwing any person who might follow them off tho scent. They made no fire the first night, although the weather was very cold, but walked about on a bald bill, holding their horses. On the second night the pur-* suers, who still kept following the tracks, discovered the remains of a fire which the men -had lighted, but they had evidently only remained in camp until tlie moon rose, when they resumed their flight. Reaching Woods’ station at Bruiidalh, Mt. Higgins ascertained that the leader of the gang had called there and purchased some bread and meat, saying lie had a number of men with him, and that they were going to bring store cattle. Unfortunately heavy rain set in next, morning and the tracks were lost between B mind ah and Bumbaldry, and tlie chase had to he abandoned.

Meanwhile the Southern and Western police had been scouring tho country for bushrangers, ancl when news of their do. ings on the Lachlan reached Bathurst, the headquarters of the Western police, a sharp look-out was kept, as it was expected they would make for Sydney, either by way of Gouldburn or across the Blue Mountains. The latter surmise proved correct, and the three men, with Higgins’ horses in their possession, were subsequently arrested near Hartley when endeavoring to make their way over the mountains. Trial, conviction, and long-term sentences followed. Hurley recovered his horses, and the cheque, and most of the £lO notes that had been stolen from him, but, unfortunately, poor Higgins lost the cash ho had given as change. The horses came back into his possession, however, although they had been greatly knocked about by the hard riding and rough usage to which they had been subjected at the hands of the trio who had so effectually “taken him down.”

XIXII.—SHOT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY. In April, 1863, a case occured in the Mudgee district which caused a great sensation amongst the residents; and which showed how swift sometimes punishment runs upon tho heels of crime. A man named Heather, a comparative stranger to the district, whose antecedents were unknown, but who, for some time, had been working in the neighborhood of Mudgee as a sawyer, “took to tlie bush.” He evidently adopted the “Profession” from a desire to obtain money without the trouble of working for it, and, having induced a young man of his acquaintance, over whose head twenty summers had not passed, to enter into partnership with him, the pair started out in tho direction of Talbragar, each well-mounted and equipped with a pair of new revolvers. They had not long to search before they fell in with prey, in the person of Mr. A. Brown, J.P., who, with his servant, had that morning started for Mudgee from a place called Slapdash, driving in a gig. Mr. Brown had not proceeded for more than five miles on his journey when he observed two men coming out of the bush some distance ahead, and riding towards him. On coming level with the vehicle the men turned on the occupants, taking up their position one one each side of the gig, and Heather called upon Mr. Brown to stop and turn off the road. As the order was accompanied by the presentation of two revolvers in close proximity to their heads, both master and servant saw that resistance would be useless, and the command was at once obeyed. Having driven into the bush beyond the line of vision of .anyone passing along the road, Mr. Brown and bis servant were ordered t-o alight, and hand over any money they had ou their persons, the robbers still keeping the revolvers presented at their heads. That ordor was also complied with, Mr. Brown promptly emptying his pockets, and giving up four £1 notes and two half-sovereigns. The bushrangers then examined his watch, but declined to take it, and told him to replace it :u his pocket, which ho did, with thanks. Heather ransacked the luggage in the vehicle, his companion keeping guard, and, having appropriated Mr. Brown’s change of linen and some fruit, the two again mounted and rode along the road towards Barney’s reef, the way they had come, leaving Mr. Brown to rearrange his' traps and proceed at his leisure. While preparing to resume fiis journey, however, Brown heard the report of firearms coining from the direction the men had taken, and hurried forward to ascertain the cause of the firing, as he judged from the report being that of a gun that someone had attacked the bushrangers. lie had no.t gone far when he met Mr. Robert Lowe, of Mudgee, who, had been driving along the road with his servant, and then he learned that' the firing which he had heard had been effective as against the men who had robbed him just viously.It appeared that Heather and his mate had cantered down the road after leaving Mr. Brown, and had met Mr. Lowe driving leisurely along. Mr. Lowe’s story of what transpired ran as follows:—“This forenoon, about 10 o’clock, I was travelling on the road from the Talbragar towards Mudgee, and at a place known as Barney’s Reef, my servant, Hugh McKenzie, who was riding on horseback a few yards in front of me, said:—‘There are two men riding out of the bush coming in front of us; I don’t know whether they are going to stick us up.’ A moment or two elapsed, when the two men rode,up in front of us, each presenting a revolver, one saying to McKenzie, ‘Dismount—dismount!’ directly keeping his revolver levelled at me, but a little further away. McKenzie got off at once, but I took up a double-barrelled piece I had with me, and fired at the man nearest me, as lie sat on his horse. They both immediately turned their horses’ heads from us and rode off, and I saw one fall off his horse in about twenty yards or so in the middle of the road; tho. second, a young-looking man of middle size, looked round, and seeing liis companion on the ground, apparently wounded, mado off at a brisk pace, the wounded man’s horse starting aff along the road away from us. I immediately jumped out of my buggy, to be in readiness for further attack, and, finding none attempted, in a few minutes went towards the wounded man, whom I found lying on his face- in the agonies of death. A foot traveller named George Ross coming up at tho time, I demanded his

assistance, and while Ave Avere examining tlio body, Mr. BroAvn and his servant came np, and told me he had just been robbed of various articles and four £1 notes, together Avith two and a-half sovereigns, tAVO silk handkerchiefs and other articles, Avliidh Mr. JBroAvn identified as his property.”

The party then returned t> Slapdash, and Avord. Avas sent to Mr. Warburton, Police Magistrate, of Mudgee, apprising him of the occurrence. The police were immediately despatched to the scene Avith a conveyance, and the body Avas takeii to Mudgee, Avhcire an inquest was held on the follOAving Monday. AY hen giving liis evidence, Mr. Loavc said in addition to Svliat lias already been quoted, that as soon as he jumped out of the buggy, after firing at the bushranger, he reloaded his gun, and then Avent towards the fallen man, and when about ten yards from him he picked up a sih'er-mounted revolver, loaded in four chambers, capped and cocked all ready for firing. Upon reaching the man, and finding him in the agonies of death, he cut off his belt, Avhich contained a pouch, in which there Avere several bullets and a gold Avatch. Air. Loavc declared that the revolver Avas deliberately pointed at him Avhen the man tohl him to dismount, Heather sitting at the time on his horse in the roadAvay. He belio\-ed his life was in danger, and fired his gun very quickly. Hugh McKenzie, Air LoAve’s servant, informed the jury that ho distinctly heard Heather sob out, after the gun Avas fired, “O God, I am shot dead.”

The coroner’s jury returned a virdict of justifiable homicide, and Air. Loavb told the court that, liOAvever hurtful it was to his feelings as a man and a Christian, a sense of duty not only to himself, but likeAvise to his country, compelled him to act as he had done. Air. Palmer, of Sydney, avlio acted as foreman, oil behalf of himself and 'brother jurymen, said that Air. Lowe Avas deserving of the thanks of the community for the important service he had rendered td the colony at large. Subsequently the residents of Mudgee district testified their appreciation, of Air. Lowe’s bravery in a substantial manner, and CA'erj'one joined in the declaration that if there Avere a fcAV more men like him in the robber-infested districts, the race of the bushraugers Avould prove both short andl unprofitable.

Heather’s companion got clean away, and as he Avas not subsequently brought to account for this or any other act of bushiranging, it is more than probable that the tragical ending of liis first exploit cured liim of any further aspirations in that direction. The death of liis companion and leader may have proved a better corrective in his case than any personal chastisement in the shape of imprisonment. It Avould have been Avell if other young men of that day had received a similar check when starting on a career of crime—well for them, Avell for their victims, well for those related to them, and well for the communities whoso peace they disturbed by actions of an exceptionally vicious character.