The Bushrangers - Part 9 - Sullivan's Gang

A party of bushrangers known as Sullivan's gang created a great stir in the Bathurst district for nearly six months, all attempts to capture them during that time proving futile, although reports of their raids on the stations around were frequently received. Their number was variously stated as anything from three to eight, but only five were taken by the authorities, who effected the capture through one member of the gang giving himself up and turning Queen's evidence. They were absconders from the mountain gang. The report of their trial makes interesting reading, and is so typical of the conduct of these escapee bushrangers that it may be given here in full. Three of them—James Moran, per ship "Isabella"; Matthew Craven, per ship "Guildford"; and Patrick Sullivan, per ship "Brampton"—were charged with being "at large in the bush, and for serious robberies and misdemeanours":–

Thomas Evernden, Lieutenant of the Buffs, being sworn, states that on the 2nd March, about 2 o'clock in the morning, Jeremiah Burns, a bushranger, was brought to deponent by the chief constable, and he said he had some information to give respecting the gang to which he belonged; deponent had Burns' depositions taken before him in consequence of this information, and then proceeded with Burns and a party of the mounted police into the mountains at the top of Windburndale Creek, where they succeeded in securing a quantity of property in a bark hut. Deponent produced the property there found.

Jeremiah Burns, the bushranger who had given himself up, was then sworn, and stated that when the prisoners escaped from the soldiers, between the weatherboarded hut and Springwood, he (Burns) lost his companions; he reached the top of Windburndale Creek on Christmas Day, and four or five days afterwards he joined the three prisoners—Sullivan, Craven and Moran; deponent went with them from the Windburndale to Mr. Lee's station, on the Turon River, from which place they took a fowling piece, a sheep, two old jackets, two blankets, and a pair of shoes; on last Thursday week they went to Hayes' station at the Fish River and took two sheep, a new great coat, 15 lb. or 16 lb. of flour, a gun and two pairs of half-boots; the following night they went to Andrew Gardiner's station and took a piece of linen, three or four pairs of shoes, two new Parramatta frocks, two guns and a bayonet, one brass-handled pistol, one common horse pistol, some fine white shirts, the woman's blue coat, a blue body coat, two blue jackets, one velveteen ditto, a suit of Tartan plaid, three white stockings, and four or five canisters, supposing them to contain powder, but it was only found in one of them; previous to entering the hut Moran set fire to the thatch above the kitchen window, while Craven made a hole in the window with his musket and fired in; deponent put out the fire on the thatch and Moran struck him for doing so; about the second Saturday after they drove Mr. Innis' bullocks up the creek, and Moran fired at one and struck him on the head, but he got away. About three weeks ago they went to Mr. Perrier's station, at Antonio's Creek, and took two sheep; they went to the door of the hut but did not go in; Sullivan and Moran told him that before he and Craven joined them they robbed Blackman's station and took two sheep, two pairs of half boots, a bag with a name which he believes was Mr. Blackman's, some ammunition and other things which deponent does not know; they also told him they had robbed Mr. Jones' station and took two lambs, two pairs of half boots, some powder and shot in a skin pouch, a small powder horn and some clothes; this robbery took place while deponent stayed behind in the bark hut on the Windburndale, being unwell at the time; last night the whole party went to Mr. Ranken's for the purpose of being joined by Maurice Council and another man at the creek side in a hut of Mr. Ranken's, below Mr. Thompson's farm; Sullivan told his party that he was told by one of Mr. Ranken's men that his (Sullivan's) brother and Maurice Council would join them at the hut, and it was the intention of the party to shoot a man of Mr. Lewis' and drive away the flock of sheep; Sullivan first asked deponent to shoot this man, and then Moran also asked him, but he refused to do so; Craven then said "Everyone of us will have a blow at him"; deponent told Sullivan that if he had any intention of committing murder he (Burns) would not be with him, and in consequence he made his escape, and as he was doing so one of the party snapped the gun at him, which burned priming; deponent then gave himself up; the three men placed at the bar were the identical men who committed the depredations with him.

Prisoner's Removal Warrant 1843
Prisoner's Remove Warrant

William Leister, servant to Mr. Marsden, states that on the 16th February last, about 1 o'clock in the morning, he saw four men come to Mr. Gardiner's house; before they came in a shot was fired in at the window and another at the door; they burst the door open and desired deponent to go up and down the house with them; they said they only wanted ammunition and muskets; they made deponent sit down and covered his head; they then took away a quantity of property; before they went they shut deponent and Mrs. Gardiner into a room and said if they made any alarm they would blow their brains out; before they entered the house he heard one of them say "Let's rob the place—take all they have." Craven was one of the men who came into the house; they took three canisters and a horse belonging to deponent, and blankets, jackets, trousers, boots, etc., belonging to Mr. Marsden.

Sarah Gardiner states that she was awakened by hearing a great noise and immediately called the man who lived in the house; he desired her not to be afraid, as nothing was the matter; a few minutes afterwards four men entered the house by forcibly bursting open the door and firing a shot through the window; when they came in one of them asked who was there and whose station it was; deponent said it was Mr. Marsden's; they then asked her where her husband was, and when she said he had gone to Bogie station they replied they knew that; they said they only wanted muskets and ammunition, and if they got these they would not take anything else; they went into the bedroom and opened the box, from which one of them took a black hat, saying it was a very good one; they made her sit down on the sofa, and when she complained of being cold, one of them brought her a shawl and made her cover her head and dared her to look up; they asked for tea and sugar; one man stood at the door with a musket in his hand; Craven was that man; they took of her property some blankets, sheets, riding habit, 27 balls of cotton, a hank of thread, a table cloth, five shirts, and other things.

The prisoners were fully committed for trial, but before being sent to the Criminal Court they were charged with other offences, and the following evidence was given:–

Sergeant Wilcox, being sworn, states that it having been reported that some of Mr. West's cattle had been stolen from the run, he took five men and started out for the station; they searched for the bushrangers for three days, following their tracks to the Abercrombie River, when they observed where the horses had crossed; they then came up with three men, who were in a temporary bark hut; the party rushed forward and captured the three, named Cavanagh, Moran, and Craven; there was a considerable quantity of property lying on the ground and three horses near, with saddles, bridles, three firelocks, two pistols and a sword; knowing that there were two others belonging to the gang deponent and three men went to watch for their return to the camp, leaving the other two guarding the three prisoners; deponent had some natives with him, and between 7 and 8 o'clock at night the natives said they could hear the cracking of whips; the party then planted themselves, and presently deponent heard the voices of two men driving cattle; he recognised one of them as Sullivan and heard him say to the other man, "Stay where you are and I will go up to the hut"; one of the party along with deponent then seized Sullivan, who was on horseback, and took him prisoner; on searching him they found a pistol stuck in a belt around his waist; the man that had been along with him made his escape; the party afterwards marched the prisoners to Bathurst; the prisoners said after their apprehension that if they had been all together they would have fired on the police, but being only three they considered it of no use.

Private George Ecleston deposed that he it was who had seized Sullivan; he had been planted behind a tree and as Sullivan passed him he sprang out and seized him by the breast, threatening to blow his brains out if he did not dismount; Sullivan then got off his horse and was secured.

Robert Fitzgerald deposed that when he was at Mr. Innes' station at Capertee about a month before two men came to the hut, the time being about midnight: one of them entered the hut and asked whose place it was, and if there were any strangers there; deponent said he was a stranger, and the man then went out to where his companion was standing; the blackboy, who was in the hut, told deponent that the men were loading their muskets, and shortly afterwards they both entered the hut; they asked who owned the horses outside and deponent said he did; they said they must' have two to go a piece of a journey, and they then took the saddles and bridles out of the hut and put them on the horses, saying that they would return the horses in two or three days if they would not report: deponent agreed not to report if they brought them back when promised; they then went away; deponent identified two of the horses taken with prisoners, also the saddles and bridles, as those which had been stolen; on the third day after the robbery deponent went to Bogie, and there again he fell in with the two bushrangers, Cavanagh and Craven, who were in the hut; deponent went into the hut, but shortly afterwards went back to his horse, when Cavanagh followed him and ordered him to return; the two men then took two guns from the hut, the property of Mr. Marsden, and when they left they also took two of Mr. Marsden's horses.

John Brown stated that a few days before Fitzgerald had been stuck up he was sitting in a room with his wife and child at William Brown's head station, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when five or six armed men suddenly entered the house; they ordered deponent out and he said he would go if they promised not to harm his wife and child; the men then ordered the three of them into the kitchen and shut the door upon them, posting a sentry at the door, while they ransacked the place; they gathered together the following articles:– 4 nightgowns, 2 shirts, 2 jackets, 1 silk waistcoat, 1 white waistcoat, 2 pairs of pantaloons, 1 velvet cap, 12 handkerchiefs, 5 pieces diaper, 1 tablecloth, 5 remnants of nankeen, 1 knife, 5 towels, 1 green cloth, 2 coats, 1 gown, razorstrop and shaving box, 1 chemise, a bundle of thread, a looking-glass, a ball mould, a pair of garters and a sword; they then went to the overseer's hut and burst open the door of his chest, taking a quantity of ammunition, lead, tobacco, cheese, and some wearing apparel; deponent identified Moran as one of the men and Cavanagh as another, the latter having said to him "Don't let anyone leave the place tonight, or he will be a dead man"; they then took a horse and left; the property which they took away with them deponent valued at between £300 and £400.

Richard Waits, prisoner per "Marquis of Hastings", and servant to Sir John Jamieson, deposed that the two men who had been identified by Fitzgerald came to his hut at Capertee and took away a brace of pistols, some gunpowder and a quantity of sugar, also a horse from the yard, all the property of his master.

Dalmahoy Campbell, on oath, states that he was at Capertee in the beginning of June on his way to Mr. Innes'; he stopped at Sir J. Jamieson's station between 2 and 3 o'clock in the morning, and while there some men rushed into the hut; they told him to cover his head and asked who he was and where he was going; they told deponent and the people in the hut to deliver up all the ammunition they had; deponent said he had no ammunition, and one of the men reached over his head and took down a fowling-piece; they then went to the dray and took 150 lb. flour, half a canister of gunpowder, saddle and bridle and other things; some of these things were among the property produced; after they had taken deponent's gun they went into the next room and asked the men what sort of a man he was, and when they said he was a good man they gave him back his fowling-piece; as they were going away one of the men said "I hope you won't take the horses," and they replied "the horses, we'll take them if we want them."

Another witness named William Kent identified Cavanagh and Craven as the men who had stolen the horses and property from Fitzgerald's.

The prisoners were committed on these charges also, and were placed in the lock-up, but by the aid of friends and sympathisers outside they managed to make a hole in the wall of their prison and escaped. Patrick Sullivan and Moran were, however, shortly afterwards recaptured, and John Sullivan, the bushranger who had escaped when his brother was first taken, gave himself up. The two former were transmitted to Sydney, tried, convicted, and hanged at Irishtown in October following, their bodies remaining suspended during the day. Craven and Cavanagh were executed two days before on the Western Road, as mentioned in the general order already given.

Source:  The Bushrangers (1915, March 12). The Farmer and Settler (Sydney, NSW : 1906 - 1955), p. 7.

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