Old Australian Crime Records - Remarkable Crimes and Criminals - Part 2

Funeral of Policeman, Murdered by Bushrangers 1867
Funeral of Policeman, Murdered by Bushrangers 1867

The Newsletter: An Australian Paper for Australian People
Saturday 20 January 1917
  • John Woods, alias Young, was transported for 15 years-for a serious offence from England; also sentenced afterwards to seven years on the roads at Norfolk Island, and arrested by J. Dowling, Esq., while attempting to rob the English, Scottish and Australian Charted Bank, Fitzroy, June 12, 1864.
  • William Carver, alias Foster, alias Thornley, convicted at home, and sentenced to seven years transportation to Van Dienman's Land. Eight years for horse-stealing at Castlemaine, Victoria; and two years for beastiality at Ballarat. Arrested for shooting at Percy de Jersey Grut, Esq. with intent to murder him and rob the English, Scotish and Australian Chartered Bank, Fitzroy, Melbourne. This man was arrested June 15, 1864, by Detectives Williams and Berliner, who also afterwards captured his companions, Jeremiah Phillips and James Anderson.
  • Desperate conflict between four police and eleven prisoners at Bargo Brush N.S.W.; Constable Raymond shot dead by a prisoner named James Crookwell, April 15, 1866.
  • Series of murders committed by Thomas Kelly alias Noon, Richard Burgess alias Hill, and Philip Levy, who with John Joseph Sullivan, were known as the New Zealand murderers. The latter turned Queen's evidence, he proved how they planned the murder of Mathieu, Kempthorn, Dudley (store-keeper), and De Pontius (a miner), who, on June 12, 1866, left Deep Creek for Nelson, and were murdered the following day whilst crossing the Maungatapu Mountain. Three of the party were shot by the murderers, and the fourth strangled with Sullivan's scarf. They also murdered poor "Old Jamie" in a manner even more horrible than that of the above four men, and took from him £3. Besides Mr. G. Dobson, surveyor, whom they strangled, and left at the foot of a tree in a sitting position (as if he had died from exhaustion), but whom they afterwards buried, these fiends are supposed to have committed more than thirty murders in New Zealand alone. They carried with them a bottle containing strychnine, having resolved that if any party they encountered were too strong for them, they would make friends, and whilst drinking with them administer the poison, and rob them. Burgess stated that he began his criminal career at the age of eight. He had been a lawyer's clerk, and was the chief of the band. June 1, 1866.
  • Murder of four constables at Jindera Mountains, January 9, 1867.
  • Andrew Anderson and Thomas Campbell tried before Mr. Justice Cheeke, and found guilty of conspiring to blow-up a portion of the outer wall of Darlinghurst, February 13, 1867.
  • William Henry Scott, tried at the Central Criminal Court, before Mr. Justice Cheeke, for the murder of his wife Annie, and sentenced to death, February 22, 1867. Scott after murdering his wife cut up the body and placed it in a box, and with the assistance of a boy carried it from his house in Sussex street. The body was subsequently found by a lad named James Kirkpatrick, at the back of Barker's Hills.
  • Fifteen prisoners sentenced at Bathurst Assizes, 1867, on their way to Sydney, made a desperate attempt to escape, two got away — (one Rutherford, afterwards captured), Constable Holmes being shot dead, April 23, 1867.
  • T. J. Griffin, Police Magistrate at Clermont, Queensland, tried at the Police Court, Rockhampton, and committed for trial, November 21, 1867.
  • Henry Garrett alias Rouse, robbed the Bank of Victoria at Ballarat in 1855, and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment; in 1861 was granted a ticket-of-leave; he then went to New Zealand, commenced bushranging and stuck up 23 persons in one day on the Maungatua Ranges, was captured and sentenced to eight years imprisonment; after serving six years was again liberated and sent over to Melbourne, were he was brought before the magistrates under the Influx of Criminals Act; he complained bitterly of not being allowed to settle anywhere, and threatened to commit a murder, in order that his life might ended. 1851-1867.
  • The remains of two German hawkers named Pohlman, were found in the ashes of a fire on the Yanko Creek, near Narranderra. April 1, 1868.
  • A ticket-of-leave man named William Munday or Collins, committed five brutal murders at Conroy's Gap, sixteen miles from Yass. He got up in the night and killed with an axe a shepherd, who was sleeping alongside of him. Smith, a man who was sleeping in a room on the opposite side, hearing a noise, got up, but Munday quickly quickly killed him with a shears. Conroy and Mrs. Conroy also hearing the struggle ran into the murderer's room, when he killed them both with the sheep-shears. Next morning a shepherd named White, who slept in a detached hut, came over to Conroy's house; he was met by Munday, who first disabled him with the shears and then struck him down with the axe. Munday said he intended murdering Conroys son, but fortunately he was absent on the fatal night. The reason assigned by Muuday for the murders, was that he was badly treated whilst in Conroy's employ, and that he could only obtain £1 for six months service as a shepherd. He was tried at Goulburn for murder, found guilty and sentenced to death.). April 8, 1868.
  • Rev. W. Hill murdered at Pentridge Gaol, Victoria, by a prisoner named Riston, May 13, 1869.
  • Scott, alias Captain Moonlight, tried at Ballarat for the Egerton (Victoria) bank robbery in 1870, found guilty of the offence, sentenced to ten years imprisonment, 1872.
  • Triple murder committed at Forest Reefs, in the Orange district, by a man named Martin. His wife and his wife's father and mother killed. January 3, 1871.
  • Martha Elizabeth Rumph, wife of a shepherd near Bombala, cut the throats of several of her children, two of whose heads were nearly severed from their bodies by a knife, and then attempted to kill herself. January 11, 1871. She was tried at the Central Court, Sydney, and acquitted on the ground of her being insane at the time of the murders. February 16, 1871.
  • A threatening letter sent the Governor of N.S.W., stated in the Assembly to have been the work of a boy of thirteen years. June 1, 1871.
  • A man named Savage found murdered in a hut on his own property, about three miles from Parramatta, and on Kissing Point Road, near Sydney, June 27, 1871.
  • William Hartley, alias George Cox, sentenced to death at the Bathurst Assizes for the Wren's Neat murder. October 28, 1871.
  • Mail coach stuck up near Merriwa by two armed men. November, 1871.
  • Arrival of the "Jessie Kelly," schooner, from. Noumea, bringing intelligence of the massacre of Bishop Patterson, of the Melanesian Mission and the Rev. Mr. Atkin. November 4, 1871.
  • Keropa tried at Napier, New Zealand, for the murder of Rev. Mr. Volkner; found guilty and sentenced to death, December 21, 1871.
  • James Stewart, murdered with a knife, at Campden Park, New South Wales, by Robt. Boyd, who committed suicide same day. January 5, 1872.
  • G. R. Nicholls and Alfred Lyster, tried before Mr. Justice Hargrave, for the murder on Parramatta River, New South Wales, of William Percy Walker, March 13, 1872; they were convicted and sentenced to death, May 22, 1872.
  • "Carl" murders and kidnapping investigation commenced, Water Police Court, Sydney, July 27, 1872.
  • Captain Joseph Armstrong and the mate of the "Carl," convicted on the (Queen's) evidence of Dr. James Patrick Murray, of kidnapping Polynesians were sentenced to death, but the sentence was afterwards commuted; five of the crew were also tried, and received two years imprisonment, for assault on the high seas. November 19, 1872.
  • Release of Mount and Morris (of the "Carl" kidnapping expedition), who had been sentenced at the Melbourne Criminal Sessions some time before to fifteen years imprisonment; grounds of release being that it was not shown that they were detained for their crimes in some place appointed by the Secretary of State. September 18, 1873.
  • Extensive forgeries of Bank notes discovered in Parramatta Gaol, October 1, 1873.
  • H. J. O'Ferrell, a clerk in the Lands Office, Melbourne, absconded; £14,000 deficient in his accounts, November, 1873; was arrested in Singapore in 1874, brought back to Melbourne, tried convicted and sentenced to fourteen years imprisonment, 1874.
  • A girl named Mary Buchan foully murdered at Mount Gambier by a married man named William Page alias Walker, who was executed for the crime, July 11, 1875.
  • Case of attempt to bribe a member of the New South Wales Parliament. A sentence of three years imprisonment with hard labour was passed, which however, was quashed on appeal to the full Court, August 17, 1875.
  • Richard W. Sawers, teller, Bank of Victoria, arrested Melbourne, embezzling £1400, October 27, 1875.
  • Attempt was made to upset the up-train from Ballarat and Geelong to Melbourne by placing three iron rails and a sleeper across the line; the train cut through the rails. December 9, 1875. £200 Reward was offered for the conviction of the perpetrator.
  • Commercial Bank at Cannonbar, New South Wales, broken into, and the manager bailed up at night and robbed of £1500. January 1, 1876. The robbers were subsequently captured, and a large amount of the money recovered.
  • Bank of New South Wales, Brisbane, robbed of £1300 by a clerk. December 5, 1877.
  • A box, the property Of the Oriental Bank, containing £5000, extracted from the mail room of the "Avoca," during the passage from Sydney to Melbourne, August 4, 1877. Twelve months afterwards the carpenter of the vessel, Martin Wieberg was captured and confessed to the robbery, implicating Ellison, the first officer. Wieberg escaped from the Victorian police when pretending to lead them where the hidden treasure was, October, 28, 1878. Ellison was arrested in England, but acquitted. Nov. 1878.
  • A messenger at the Sydney Observatory, arrested on suspicion of having attempted to destroy Mr. Russell, the Government Astronomer, by an infernal machine, September 8, 1877.
  • Mr. and Mrs. Askell murdered at Booral, Raymond Terrace, New South Wales, February 1, 1878.
  • Senior Sergeant Wallings shot whilst after bushrangers, September 20, 1878. is murderer, Gibson, was shot by Sub-inspector Duffy and party; on the Queensland border, October 6, 1878.
  • The private escort between Mclvor and Castlemaine attacked and the gold stolen, July 20, 1853. The robbers of the Mclvor escort captured three weeks after the robbery, August 11, 1853. Trial and conviction of the Mclvor escort robbers, September 18, 1853.
  • Donohoe, John, a native of Dublin, arrived a prisoner, in the colony by the 'Ann and Amelia,' 1825. Soon afterwards escaped, and took to the bush; depredations committed chiefly in the vicinity of Liverpool, Penrith, and Windsor; was joined by ten or twelve others, forming a band that carried terror through all the more populous parts of the interior during 1828 and 1829; shot dead, in a skirmish, by a soldier named Maggleton, at Raby, September 1, 1830; several of his companions afterwards caught and executed, Donohoe was 5 feet 4 inches in height, and had flaxen hair and blue eyes.
  • Dunn, John. One of the Gardiner gang of bushrangers, captured on the Marthaguy Creek, below Dubbo, by Constable James A. G. M'Hale, assisted by Senior-Constable Elliot and Constable Hawthorn; Dunn shot M'Hale in the leg, and was himself wounded and afterwards tried and executed at Darlinghurst,. December 24, 1865.
  • Gardiner, Francis. Commonly known as 'Frank Gardiner,' alias Christie, alias Clarke; born at Boroo Creek, near Goulburn, New South Wales, in 1830, height 5 feet 8¼ inches, brown hair, sallow complexion, hazel eyes; was first tried on the 21st and 22nd October 1850, at the Gellong (sic) [Geelong] Circuit Court Victoria, on a charge of horse-stealing, for which he received a sentence of five years imprisonment with hard labour. On the 26th March, 1851, he escaped from Pentridge prison, Victoria, and was next convicted at the Goulburn Circuit Court, New South Wales, on 17 March, 1854, on two charges of horse stealing, for which he received two sentences of seven years each on the roads. He obtained a ticket-of-leave for Carcoar on the 31st December, 1859, but it was cancelled on 5th May, 1861, for absence from district and being suspected of cattle stealing. For several years he kept a great part of the country in terror by his lawless deeds, aided by a gang of ruffians that he got together, the names of the principal ones being O'Malley, Gilbert, Hall, and Dunn. No less than six mail robberies under arms were committed by him, and scores of persons were bailed up and plundered. The most memorable crimes were the robbery of the gold escort from the Lachlan at Eugowra, in 1862, when the three police were overpowered by a large number of ruffians, several thousands of ounces of gold stolen; and the shooting and wounding of Troopers Middleton and Hosie in a desperate encounter with the gang. Notwithstanding the efforts of the New South Wales Police, Gardiner escaped out of the country into the neighbouring colony of Queensland, and he set up business as a storekeeper, and successfully carried it on for two years at a place called Apis Creek, on the road from Rockhampton to the Peak Downs, where he was captured by Constables Pye, McGlone, and Wells, in February, 1864. He was brought to Sydney, and tried and convicted before Sir Alfred Stephen on the 8th July of that year for the wounding of Trooper Hosie and the robbery of Messrs. Hewett and Horsington. For these offences he received sentences amounting to 32 years' hard labour. In consequence of strong pressure being brought to bear upon the Executive and the Governor, Gardiner was released from prison in July, 1874, on condition that he left the colony, and accordingly he went to America. Mrs. Brown, Gardner's paramour, was the wife of a respectable settler; having been seduced by Gardiner, she left her husband and family, breaking up a comfortable home, and lived with the outlaw until he was captured. Soon afterwards went to New Zealand, and died a violet death by her own hands on the Thames gold-fields in 1868.
  • Gilbert, John, a native of Canada, and the son of an old soldier, came when a boy to New South Wates with his father. He was engaged as stockman on a station near Marengo, from which place, lured by the false colouring given to bushranging in the neighbourhood, he, in 1862, joined Gardiner's gang; he was present at the sticking up of the gold escort in June of that year, and subsequently when Gardiner had left the gang, he, in company with Ben Hall and John Dunn, made their names a terror to the country; he with his own hand shot Sergeant Parry, who, deserted by his comrades, attempted to defend the Gundagai mail of November 16, 1863; on May 13, 1865, being betrayed by the farmer in whose house he and his comrade John Dunn had taken shelter for the night, he was shot in an encounter by a constable named John Bright, who, in company with Senior-Constable Hales and Constable King, were brought to the spot by the informer. John Gilbert at the time of his death was about 22 or 23 years of age.
  • Hall, Benjamin, was for some years a small squatter in the Lachlan district, when he made the acquaintance of Francis Gardiner, then a ticket-of-leave man who was engaged in the occupation of a butcher. He was for a long time suspected by the police as being an accomplice of this man and his gang and the close supervision under which he was kept, together with the alleged misconduct of his wife, at length drove him to desperation, and he openly joined Gardiner. On the retirement of the latter from his lawless career, Hall assumed command, and in company with Gillbert and Dunn, became the terror of the Goulburn and Lachlan districts. At length he determined to relinquish his desperate life, and leaving Dunn and Gilbert, applied to a connection, in whose hands he had placed some money for safe keeping, for the amount. This man, under pretence of going into Forbes to obtain the money from the bank, revealed to the police Hall's hiding place which they, under Sub-Inspector Davidson, closely surrounded at night, and as Hall arose next morning, May 5th, 1865, his body was riddled with slugs, as many as thirty-four wounds being counted. £1000 reward had been offered for his capture, £500 of which his betrayer received, the other half being divided amongst the police present at his death.
  • Howe, Michael. Notorious bushranger in Van Diemen's Land, shot by Private W. Pugh, and captured October 21, 1818.

  1. Old Australian Crime Records. Remarkable Crimes and Criminals. (1917, January 20). The Newsletter: an Australian Paper for Australian People (Sydney, NSW : 1900 - 1919), p. 7.
  2. Funeral of Policeman, Murdered by Bushrangers 1867; Artist, Field; Engraver, C. Winter: Publisher: Ebenezer and David Syme: Australian News for Home Readers; Courtesy: State Library of Victoria
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