Chapter I: Preface

In this story of the bushrangers I do not pretend to have included the names of all those who have at various times been called bushrangers in Australia. That, as will be seen from what I have said in the earlier chapters, would be not merely impossible but useless. I believe, however, that I have collected some particulars about all those who succeeded in winning even a local notoriety, and I have also endeavoured to supply such personal characteristics of the leaders in the movement as may throw some light on the causes which induced them to "take to the bush." My principal object, however, has been to make the picture as complete as possible, so that the magnitude of the social evil which the Australians set themselves to cure may be realised; and it is generally believed in Australia that this cure has been so complete that bushranging will never again become epidemic.

The story is a terrible one. Some of the incidents related are no doubt revolting, but it is necessary that even these should be told to show how civilised man may be degraded by unjust and oppressive laws. We are all creatures of the educational influences to which we are subjected in our youth, and therefore it is unfair to blame the earlier bushrangers; because they were the products of the civilisation of their day, and were not themselves responsible. But sensational as the story is, its tendency is rather to depress than to exhilarate the reader, for the story is a sad one, in that it shows a deplorable waste of what under happier conditions might have been useful lives. As a rule I have adhered very closely to the newspaper reports of the time, but to make the story (which naturally tends to be scrappy and disconnected) as homogeneous and continuous as possible, I have followed one gang to the close of its career, and then returned to take up the history of another gang. I have paid special attention to the geography of the country, and the reader who possesses a fairly good map of each of the colonies should have no difficulty in following the movements of each of the gangs, and may thus obtain an idea of the extent of the area over which it operated.

Hitherto the histories of Australia have passed very lightly over the bushrangers, but there can be no doubt that they exercised some influence, and not always for evil, for to their influence is due some of the sturdy Republicanism of the modern Australians. The publication of this story may perhaps assist the future historian in tracing the growth of public opinion in Australia, and will therefore not be without its use. It is in this hope that I submit it to the public.

G.E.B.

AUTHORITIES QUOTED.

Reports of the Select Committees of the House of Commons on
Transportation, Sessions 1837 and 1838: Chapters I., II., III., IV.

Report of the Special Commission of Enquiry into the state of the
Colony of New South Wales. By John Thomas Bigge, 1822 and 1823:
Chapters I., II., IV.

Despatches of Governors Macquarie, Bourke, Sorell, Arthur, Franklin,
Denison, Latrobe, &c., to the Colonial Office: Chapters I., II.,
III., IV., XII.

History of Van Diemen's Land, from 1820 to 1835. Anonymous. Chapters
I., II.

History of Bendigo. By George Mackay. Chapter XII.

The Last of the Tasmanians. By James Bonwick, F.R.G.S. Chapter II.

_The Spectator._ Chapter IX.

_Hobart Town Gazette._ Chapters I., II., III.

_Hobart Town Courier_ and _Murray's Review_. Chapters I., II., VI.,
X., XI., XV.

_Colonial Times._ Chapters X., XI., XV.

_Cornwall Chronicle._ Chapters I., II., III., VI., IX., X., XI.

_Launceston Advertiser._ Chapters I., II., VI., IX., X.

_Launceston Examiner._ Chapters VI., IX., XI.

_Sydney Gazette._ Chapters I., IV., VI., VII.

_Sydney Monitor._ Chapters I., IV.

_Sydney Australian._ Chapters I., IV.

_Sydney Morning Herald._ Chapters V., VI., VII., VIII., IX., XV.,
XVI., XVII., XVIII., XIX., XX., XXI., XXII., XXIII., XXIV., XXVIII.

_Melbourne Argus._ Chapters IV., XIII., XIV., XV., XXI., XXV.,
XXVIII., XXIX., XXX., XXXI.

_Port Phillip Herald._ Chapters VI., VII., VIII.

_Geelong Advertiser._ Chapters XII., XIII., XIV., XV.

_Melbourne Herald._ Chapters XII., XIV., XV.

_Melbourne Age._ Chapters XXIX., XXX., XXXI.

_South Australian Register._ Chapters VIII., XXIV.

_Brisbane Courier._ Chapter XXVII.

_New Zealand Herald._ Chapter XXVI.

The quotations from numerous provincial papers acknowledged in the text have been taken at second hand, principally from the metropolitan papers of the colony referred to, and which are included in this list.

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

Chapter I.--Characteristics of the Convicts sent to
Australia; Bushranging; Origin and Meaning of
the Term; The Cat and the Double Cat; Condition
of the Prisoners; Some Terrible Revelations; The
Desperation of Despair; Some Flogging Stories;
The Bushranging Act and its Abuses; Some
Opinions of the Magistrates; Savage Treatment of
Criminals Continued to the Present Time; Brutality
not Cured by Brutal Punishment; When Bushranging
First Began 1

Chapter II.--Van Diemen's Land; The First Bushranger;
Mike Howe, the King of the Ranges; The
Raid on the Blacks; The Black War; Musquito;
Outrages by the Blacks; Brutal Treatment of the
Blacks by Bushrangers; A War of Reprisals;
Gigantic Scheme to Capture the Blacks; A Cordon
Drawn Round the Disaffected District; Details
of the Scheme; Its Failure; Only Two Blacks
Captured; Estimated Cost; Fate of the Blacks 17

Chapter III.--Pierce the Cannibal; A Terrible Journey;
A Shocking Confession; Escapes from the Western
Hell; The Ruffian Jefferies; Brady the Bushranger;
Escapes from Macquarie Harbour; Sticks
up the Town of Sorell; The Governor's Proclamation;
Brady Laughs at it; The Fight with Captain
Balfour; Betrayed by a Comrade; Captured by
John Batman; Sympathy at his Trial; End of the
Epoch 33

Chapter IV.--Bushranging in New South Wales; Manufacturing
Bushrangers; Employing Bushrangers;
The First Bank Robbery in Australia; Major Mudie
and his Assigned Servants; Terrible Hollow;
Murder of Dr. Wardell; The Story of Jack the
Rammer; Hall, Mayne and Others 48

Chapter V.--John Lynch; Murder of Kearns Landregan;
Lynch's Trial and Sentence; His Terrible
Confession; Murder of the Frazers, Father and
Son; Murder and Cremation of the Mulligans;
His Appeals to Almighty God 60

Chapter VI.--Jackey Jackey, the Gentleman Bushranger;
His Dispute with Paddy Curran; Some
Legends About Him; Jackey Jackey Always Well
Dressed and Mounted; His Capture at Bungendore;
His Escape at Bargo Brush; Jackey Jackey visits
Sydney; His Capture by Miss Gray; Paddy
Curran's Fight with the Police; Recaptured and
Hung; John Wright Threatens to Make a Clean
Sweep 71

Chapter VII.--The Jewboy Gang; "Come and Shoot
the Bushrangers;" Constable Refuses to Leave
his Work to Hunt Bushrangers; Saved by his
Wife; Robberies in Maitland; Bushrangers in
High Hats; The Bullock-driver Captures the
Bushrangers; An Attempt to Reach the Dutch
Settlements; Mr. E.D. Day Captures the Gang;
Assigned Servants' Attempt at Bushranging; Some
Other Gangs 82

Chapter VIII.--Bushranging in South Australia; The
Robbers Captured in Melbourne; A Remarkable
Raid in Port Phillip; Going Out for a Fight with
the Bushrangers; A Bloody Battle; Cashan and
McIntyre; The Fight with the Mail Passengers;
Cashan Escapes from the Lock-up; Is Recaptured;
McIntyre Caught at Gammon Plains 95

Chapter IX.--Bushrangers and Pirates; Capture of
H.M. Brig _Cyprus_ by Bushrangers; A Piratical
Voyage; Stealing the Schooners _Edward_ and
_Waterwitch_; Mutiny of Prisoners on H.M. Brig
_Governor Phillip_ at Norfolk Island; The Trial of
the Mutineers at Sydney; How Captain Boyle
Recaptured the Vessel 103

Chapter X.--Van Diemen's Land Again; A Hunt for
Bushrangers in the Mountains; Some Brutal
Attacks; "Stand!" "No, thanks, I'm very Comfortable
Sitting;" A Degrading Exhibition; A
Determined Judge; Cash, Kavanagh, and Jones,
an Enterprising Firm; The Art of Politeness as
Exhibited by Bushrangers; A Bushranger Hunt
in the Streets of Hobart Town; The Capture of
Cash; Break Up of the Gang; a Doubtful Mercy 111

Chapter XI.--Norfolk Island; Its Founding as a Penal
Station; The Terrible Discipline in Norfolk Island;
An Attempt to Ameliorate it; Its Failure; The
Rigorous Treatment Restored; The Consequent
Riot; Jackey Jackey's Revenge; An Unparalleled
Tale of Ferocity; The Soldiers Overawe the
Rioters; Thirteen Condemned to the Gallows;
Jackey Jackey's Remarkable Letter; The End of
Several Notorious Bushrangers 124

Chapter XII.--The Third Epoch of Bushranging;
The Gold Digging Era; Influx of Convicts from
Van Diemen's Land; Passing of the Criminals'
Influx Prevention Act; Attitude of the Diggers
Towards the Bushrangers and other Thieves; The
Nelson Gold Robbery; Some Pitiful Stories; A
Rapid Raid; Insecurity of the Melbourne Streets 134

Chapter XIII.--Captain Melville Takes to the Road;
He Ties and Robs Eighteen Men; He Goes to
Geelong for a Spree and Boasts of his Exploits; His
Sensational Capture; Sent to the Hulks; Murder of
Corporal Owens; Melville Removed from the Hulk
_Success_ to the Gaol; Murder of Mr. John Price,
and Mutiny of the Convicts; Melville Attacks Mr.
Wintle; Death of the Noted Bushranger 148

Chapter XIV.--Murder of a Bullock-driver; Sticking
Up in the Melbourne Streets; Stealing £100,000 in
Bank Notes; Want of Efficient Police Protection;
Murders and Robberies at Ballarat, Bendigo, Mount
Alexander, and other Diggings; The Robbery of
the McIvor Gold Escort; A Bushranger Intimidated
by a Bottle of Brandy; Robbery of the Bank of
Victoria at Ballarat; Capture of Garrett in London;
Prevalence of Horse Stealing; The Doctor's
"Creamy" 158

Chapter XV.--An Escape from Norfolk Island; Stealing
a Government Boat; The Convicts of New South
Wales; A Terrible Indictment; Thomas Willmore;
Murder of Philip Alger; Murder of Malachi Daly;
Fight Between Two Bushrangers; Hunting Down
Willmore; His Capture While Asleep; The Last of
the Van Diemen's Land Bushrangers; Wilson and
Dido; Some Minor Offenders; An Unfounded
Charge; A Change of Name to Rid the Island of
Evil Associations 173

Chapter XVI.--The New Bushranging Era; Fallacy
of the Belief that Highwaymen Rob the Rich to
Enrich the Poor; The Cattle Duffers and Horse
Planters; The Riot at Lambing Flat; Frank
Gardiner, the Butcher; Charged with Obtaining
Beasts "On the Cross," He Abandons His
Butcher's Shop; Efforts to Establish a Reign of
Terror in the District; A Letter from Gardiner;
The Great Escort Robbery 188

Chapter XVII.--Johnny Gilbert; His First Appearance
in Australia; Miscellaneous Bushranging Exploits;
Mr. Robert Lowe Makes a Stand; Mr. Inspector
Norton Captured by the Bushrangers; A Plucky
Black Boy; "Mine Know it, Patsy Daly Like it,
Brudder;" A Brave Boy; O'Meally Shoots Mr.
Barnes; A Bootless Bushranger; Capture of John
Foley; Something about the Foley Family; Ben
Hall 205

Chapter XVIII.--Racers as Mounts for the Bushrangers;
The Shooting of Lowry; The Bushrangers
Visit Bathurst; They Hold the Town
of Canowindra for Three Days; Burke Shot by
Mr. Keightley; Female Bushrangers; Death of
O'Meally at Goimbla; A Newspaper Man and
His Wife Stuck up; Lively Times During the
Christmas Holidays 218

Chapter XIX.--A Heavy Sessions at Goulburn; Ben
Hall Hard Pushed; An Amateur Mail Robber;
Discovery of Frank Gardiner; His Trial and
Sentence; The Old Man; A Brush with the Police;
The Chinkies Show Fight; Messrs. Hall & Co. Take
a Lease of the Main Southern Road; Capture of
Mount and Dunleavy; Johnny Dunn; A Desperate
Duel and Death of Sergeant Parry; A Country Ball
and Its Sequel 232

Chapter XX.--Meeting the Gold Escort; Murder of
Constable Nelson; A Brush with the Police;
Attempt to Stick up the Araluen Escort; Death
of Constable Kelly, and Pluck of Constable Burns;
Sir Frederick Pottinger Resigns; Death of Ben
Hall; A Sketch of His Life; Death of Johnny
Gilbert; Record of Johnny Dunn and the Gang;
Capture and Trial of Dunn; His Execution; Fate
of the Chief Members of the Gang 246

Chapter XXI.--Bloodthirsty Morgan; Morgan's
Opinion of the Police; Murder of Sergeant
McGinnerty; Murder at the Round Hill Station;
A Pseudo Morgan; Morgan Threatens to Brand
All Hands; He Shoots Sergeant Smyth; Challenged
to Visit Victoria; He Accepts the
Challenge; His Death at Peechelba 258

Chapter XXII.--The Brothers Clarke; The Raid at
Nerigundah; Deaths of William Fletcher and
Constable O'Grady; Murder of Four Special
Constables at Jinden; Annie Clarke at Goulburn;
Capture of Thomas and John Clarke; A Terrible
Record; A Plucky Woman; An Attempt to
Escape Custody; "Shoot Away I Can't Stop
You"; Some Daring Robberies; Murder and
Cremation of the Brothers Pohlmann; Blue Cap 269

Chapter XXIII.--Bushranging in the Northern District
of New South Wales; Captain Thunderbolt Robs
the Tollbar; A Chinaman Bushranger; A Long
Chase; A Fight with the Police; "Next, Please";
The Bushranger Rutherford; Captain Thunderbolt
and the German Band; Desperate Duel
between Captain Thunderbolt and Constable
Walker; Thunderbolt's Death 287

Chapter XXIV.--Bushranging in the Wild Paroo;
A Raid into South Australia; A Relic of the
Bushranging Era; Agitation for the Release of
Gardiner; Official Reports as to Twenty-four
Bushrangers Still in Gaol; The Cases of Gardiner
and William Brookman; Gardiner and the other
Bushrangers Released; Gardiner leaves the
Country 304

Chapter XXV.--Bushranging in Victoria; Robert
Bourke; Harry Power; He Escapes from Pentridge
Gaol and Sticks up the Mail; An Amateur Bushranger;
The Police Hunt Power Down and Capture
Him Asleep; A Peacock as "Watch Dog;" The
Power Procession at Beechworth; The Trial of
Power; His Sentence; Engaged to Lecture on
Board the _Success_; His Death 315

Chapter XXVI.--Bushranging in New Zealand; Alleged
Fears of the Escort being Robbed; The First Bushranger;
Henry Beresford Garrett; The Maungapatau
Murders; Arrest of Sullivan, Kelly, Burgess,
and Levy in Nelson; Sullivan's Confession; The
Discovery of the Bodies; Sullivan's Release 326

Chapter XXVII.--Bushranging in Queensland; Some
Bushrangers from Over the Southern Border; A
Bogus Ben Hall; The Wild Scotchman; Queensland's
Only Bushranger; A Man of Many Aliases;
He Goes to Fight a Duel with Sir Frederick
Pottinger; He Escapes from the Steamer; Recaptured
and Tried 335

Chapter XXVIII.--Captain Moonlite; The "Reverend
Gentleman" Robs the Bank and Nearly Makes His
Escape; He Breaks Out of Ballarat Gaol; He
Becomes a Reformed Character; He Sticks up the
Wantabadgery Station; A Desperate Battle with
the Police; His Young Companions in Crime;
Sentenced to Death; The Wild Horse Hunters
Turn Bushrangers; An Abortive Attempt to Rob
a Bank 341

Chapter XXIX.--The Kelly Gang; Horse-Stealing a
Great Industry of the District; Faking the Brands;
Assault on Constable Fitzpatrick; The Bush
Telegraphs; Murder of Sergeant Kennedy and
Constables Scanlan and Lonergan; Sticking Up
of the Faithfull Creek Station; Robbery of the
National Bank at Euroa; A Big Haul 353

Chapter XXX.--The Kellys Stick op the Town of
Jerilderie; Robbery of the Bank of New South
Wales; A Symposium in the Royal Hotel; A Three-days'
Spree; "Hurrah for the Good Old Times of
Morgan and Ben Hall"; The Robbers take a Rest
for a Year; The Kelly Sympathisers Again; The
Kellys Reappear; Murder of Aaron Sherritt 365

Chapter XXXI.--Fight between the Police and the
Bushrangers at Glenrowan; The Railway Torn
Up; Attempt to Wreck the Police Train; The
Glenrowan Inn Besieged; Ned Kelly in Armour;
His Capture; The Burning of the Inn; Death
of Dan Kelly, Steve Hart, and Joe Byrnes; Trial
and Conviction of Ned Kelly; His Death; The
Kelly Show; Decrease of Crime in the Colonies 377

Index 386