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| Portrait of Gardiner, The Bushranger, 25 April, 1864 |
Gardiner and his Disciples.
THOSE who were not in the colony during the bushranging era can hardly be in a position to comprehend the consequences and understand the wide ramifications of the system introduced by Gardiner, and carried out by his disciples. It is thought, therefore, that a narrative of the principal events which took place during the period when he and his successors were most active in crime, will be useful at the present time.
The system of bushranging by organised gangs was originated by Gardiner in 1860, shortly after he was released from Cockatoo, on a ticket-of-leave for the district of Carcoar. At that time there had been nothing like the mounted and armed bands of bushrangers, such as those organised by Gardiner, ever heard of in the colony; indeed, no very serious cases of crimes of that kind had occurred for more than twenty years, and outrages by individual desperadoes were of comparatively rare occurrence.
In June, 1860, Gardiner's gang comprised Peisley and three or four others, and they attacked and robbed with impunity mail coaches and travellers during several months, until Gardiner was captured. Peisley thereupon procured more assistance, and succeeded in rescuing his leader and companion in crime from the police. They committed several daring robberies soon afterwards, particularly from September to December, 1861.
At the latter date Peisley most deliberately, in cold blood, murdered a man named William Benyon. Peisley was captured in 1862. He was convicted, and his career was brought to a close by hanging at Bathurst gaol.
Gardiner, on losing his chief mate, organised another gang; on this occasion his associates were mostly young fellows under twenty years of age. The gang had their headquarters in the Pinnacle Mountain neighbourhood. A young man named John Gilbert was appointed a sort of lieutenant to Gardiner, who acted as commander-in-chief. The band were armed with Minie rifles and Colt's revolvers, wore a kind of uniform - red shirts, tight buckskin breeches, and caps - and did not conceal their faces. They had some of the best horses in the country, and a regular system of "bush telegraphs" - mounted boys - in their pay.
As soon as their organisation was complete, Gardiner and his lieutenant, Gilbert, arranged and successfully carried out the robbery of the Western gold escort. They placed themselves in ambuscade behind some rocks in a narrow pass known as Eugowra Rocks, and fired a volley into the midst of the men composing the escort, so suddenly and unexpectedly that little resistance was offered; the whole of the escort men were paralysed for the moment, and the bushrangers got clear off with their booty - consisting of gold and cash to the amount of nearly £14,000. Several of the men composing the escort were wounded, but none of them fatally; although one of their number met his death immediately afterwards - by his own hand, either by accident, or, as it was supposed, prompted by the shame and disgrace he and his companions in the escort had experienced in permitting the property entrusted to their charge to be taken by the bushrangers.
In 1863, three of the band, all mere youths - Bow, Fordyce, and Manns - were captured and tried for the escort robbery. Manns was hanged; the others were reprieved, and their sentences commuted to long periods of imprisonment. This capture of three of their number, and the dispersion of others, caused a great breach in the band, and for a short time the country remained comparatively quiet.
Near the close of 1863, however, five or six of the more daring of the lot - Lowry, Daley, Vane, two Burkes, and O'Meally - reappeared and commenced a series of bolder depredations than ever. In the meantime Gardiner, who had fled to Queensland after the capture and execution of Manns, was apprehended there by detective M'Glone; and soon afterwards a new leader, Ben Hall, appeared on the scene amd joined Gilbert and the others. They enlisted new recruits - one named Mount, alias Gordon; and another Dunleavy. The latter was soon afterwards shot. The gang was afterwards joined by others of greater or less notoriety, notably Morgan and the two Clarkes.
The spirit of lawless adventure and crime generated by the deeds of Gardiner and his disciples, and the great amount of booty they secured, although at first confined to the Western districts, soon spread to other parts of the colony; and in the eyes of many ignorant and uncontrolled boys and young men, not only in remote parts of the interior, but even in the principal centres of population, the bushrangers soon began to be regarded as heroes whose exploits were worthy of imitation.
It was probably a love of daring and a spirit of adventure acting upon ignorant minds, as much as a desire to share in the large quantity of plunder obtainable that led many youths into crime. It is certain that from the time the robbery of the gold escort was successfully achieved, Gardiner began to be regarded with admiration by a certain class of people, and his baneful example was speedily followed by scores of disciples and admirers, who continued their career of crime for several years after he himself had been captured and tried.
We give below, in chronological order, a list of the most remarkable of the crimes perpetrated by Gardiner and his disciples, by offshoots from his gang, or by young men who were led into crime by the examples of daring villainy and easily acquired plunder which the career of a bushranger presented. The list is necessarily imperfect, because, in a great number of cases, the bushrangers were not recognised by their victims. There were also many cases of bushranging on a small scale, and by men not organised in gangs, and who were either soon captured or not again heard of, which the subjoined list does not include.
We shall begin with 1862, because prior to that date, although Gardiner and his gang had committed a large number of robberies, no capture of the perpetrators had been effected, and their names and haunts were comparatively unknown.
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| Bushranger's Flight, 1856 |
1862.
January 31. — Gardiner and Peisley having for more than twelve months previously carried on a career of bushranging with impunity, on the above date Peisley was captured at Boote's Inn, at Mundarlow, by Mr. M'Kenzie (the landlord). Mr. Stapleton, of Tarcutta, and Mr. Beveridge of Wantabadgery. When placed on his trial, at Bathurst, he was charged with rescuing Gardiner from the custody of sergeant Middleton and trooper Hosie, on the 16th July, 1861, and sentenced to fourteen years' imprisonment. While under escort to Sydney he escaped, and was at large for some time, during which he shot and killed William Benyon, and attempted to kill his brother Stephen. Previous to his arrest at Mundarlow he encountered Middleton and Hosie, and dangerously wounded both of them. He was tried, convicted of nine robberies under arms and wounding with intent, and was executed at Darlinghurst. He was stated to be, with the exception of Gardiner himself, who was about thirty-four, the oldest member of the gang, being at the time he was hanged twenty-eight years of age.
February 6. — Gardiner and his mates stuck up the Lachlan coach at Lambing Flat, and robbed two passengers, Messrs. Greig and Torpy.
February 21. — Gardiner and mate stuck up and robbed Alfred Stokes, near Dacey's station, on the Levels.
March 18. — Alexander Ross, for robbery under arms, on 9th February, was executed. Charles Ross also hanged at same time.
April 12. — Constables Sanderson, Lyons, and Kennedy, coming down to Yass from the Lachlan, found three bushrangers at Mr. Brewster's station. Both parties fought with revolvers. Mr. Brewster and Lyons were wounded, and Davis, a mate of Gardiner's, was shot in four places and captured. He was afterwards tried and sentenced to imprisonment for life.
June 16. — The gold escort robbery, one of the most daring and extensive robberies in the annals of bushranging. As the escort, with the mails, containing several money-letters, and about 3000 ounces of gold, was passing along the Eugowra Creek, it was attacked by eleven men, who suddenly made their appearance from behind the rocks, and fired volley after volley with great deliberation, and at the word of command from Gardiner. The police returned the fire; but so sudden was the attack, that they were powerless from the first, and the robbers decamped with the whole of the gold and money. Sergeant Condell was wounded in four places; corporal Moran, two bullets near the groin; and Fagan, the driver, also received two shots. The police proceeded to Orange, and on nearing the town, constable Haviland was shot dead, but whether by accident or design, could not be ascertained. The Government offered a reward of £1000 and free pardon to any accomplice who should first inform. On the 23rd of the same month, sergeant Sanderson and his men returned from their pursuit of the robbers in the Weddin Mountains, where they recovered about 1500 oz's of the gold, but did not succeed in capturing any of the men. On the 7th of July Sir F. Pottinger, with Mr. B. Mitchell and detective Lyons, arrested two men near Merool, named Turner and Darcey, suspected of being concerned in the robbery of the escort. Turner had £135 in cash, and 110 one-pound notes, and Darcey had 213ozs of gold. While conveying the prisoners to the lock-up, the police were attacked by
seven men, and a desperate fight ensued. Turner and Darcey escaped during the affray. Lyons's horse was shot dead. Sir F. Pottinger succeeded in escaping with the gold to Beckham's station. Inspector Flannagan recaptured Darcey a few days afterwards, and he was sentenced to death. Three of the others were afterwards captured, and imprisoned for long terms.
August 2. — The Appin and Wollongong mail was attacked and robbed by two mounted men, believed to be Gardiner and Gilbert, when James Campany, mailman, was shot in the shoulder.
August 17. — Daniel Crotty, Burowa mailman, found shot dead on the road, and the mails plundered.
September 4. — Gardiner stopped the Windeyer mail, and took £100 in gold and several money letters.
Septembers 17. — Forbes to Carcoar coach stopped by five men, who bailed up eighteen passengers, and robbed them of over £150.
October 14. — Carcoar mail stuck up by one of Gardiner's disciples, a boy only sixteen years of age, who was afterwards apprehended.
October 18. — Gardiner and Gilbert robbed the Burrowa to Marengo mail.
October 20. — Two bushrangers, believed to belong to Gardiner's gang, stuck up both the up and down mails near Wallabadah.
November 4. — The down mail to Sydney from Mudgee, with four passengers, stuck up by one man, supposed to be Gardiner. He afterwards stuck up two travellers, and Mr. John Smith, of Apple-tree Flat, and tied them to a tree. Five more travellers came by, all of whom the bushranger stuck up and tied to trees. He then waited for the up-mail, which he bailed up and took a quantity of gold and notes.
November 7. — Bathurst down-mail stuck up by three armed men, who robbed the mail-bags of £600 in notes.
November 8. — Mr. Avery and another gentleman stuck up near Wascoe's Inn, on the Bathurst Road, by. two men, and robbed of their gold watches and £30 in cash.
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| John Gilbert, The Bushranger, 24 June 1865 |
1863.
March 1. — Sub-inspector Norton stuck up at Wheogo by Daley, O'Meally, and Ben Hall. Shots exchanged. The inspector's arms and horse were taken from him, and he was, after some time, allowed to go.
April 4. — The Sydney mail robbed at Cherry-tree Hill by two men.
April 7. — Mr. R. Lowe stuck up by two men near Slapdash. Shots were exchanged, and Mr. Lowe shot one of the men, named Heather, dead.
April 9. — Peter Clarke, a drover, shot dead at Warlands Range by a bushranger named Wilson.
May 13. — Charles Robardy, murderer of Daniel Crotty, Marengo mailman, 16th August, 1862, was hanged at Goulburn.
May 10. — Three men stuck up Mr. Barnes's store, twenty-five miles from Young, on the Wagga road, and took money and goods of the value of £200.
May 20. — Gardiner, Gilbert, Lowry, and O'Meally stuck up and robbed the Cooma and Goulburn mail at Sandhills.
May 30. — Gardiner and Lowry stuck up, at a place two and half miles from Carcoar, ten men and a woman, and kept possession of the highway from half past 8 in the morning to 5 in the evening. The money they obtained on this occasion amounted to £120.
June 8. — Gardiner, Gilbert, and Lowry stuck up Connell's, O'Brien's, and McCarthy's stores near Young; Regan's public-house ten miles, and Heffernan's public-house five miles from Young. Took a considerable amount of money.
June 9. — Three troopers encountered three bushrangers twenty miles from Goulburn. Senior constable Hughes was wounded in the right arm; but bushrangers escaped uninjured.
June 20. — Sergeant McGinnerty and a trooper encountered Morgan, who escaped after shooting the sergeant dead.
June 21. — Gilbert and Lowry shot and killed a miner at Duffer Gully, near Burrangong, named John McBride.
June 29. — Gllbert and O'Meally robbed the passengers of the Forbes and Young coach, near Bogolong.
June 30. — Gilbert and O'Meally stuck up Messrs. Coupland and Howard at the Main Creek. Two troopers gave chase and overtook them at Stony Creek. Bushrangers fired and fled.
July 2. — Gilbert and O'Meally robbed Mr. Emanuel near Young, while travelling in his buggy. Took watch, gold chain and pin, and £2 in money.
July 4. — Gilbert and O'Meally bailed up and robbed the Sydney mail about a mile and half from Goulburn.
July 8. — Gilbert and O'Meally stuck np a store and public-houses at Junee.
July 14. — Two men (supposed to be Gilbert and O'Meally) stuck up Felix Murphy at Young.
July 13. — Lowry and Foley stuck up Mudgee mall near Bowenfells, and took therefrom £6000, the property of the Joint Stock Bank, in charge of Mr. Kater, who was the only passenger.
July 28. — One man stuck up and robbed Mr. Chauncey, ten miles from Goulburn, on the Sydney road. Afterwards robbed Miller's public-house, and
took £30 in cash and notes.
July 30. — Mr. Chauncey, road superintendent, again stuck up on the Sydney road by one man, about eight miles from Goulburn. Hosie's store at Caloola robbed by two men, who took £25 in money and £250 worth of goods.
July 30. — Gilbert and O'Meally attempted to rob the clerk of the Carcoar Bank. The clerk fired, and succeeded in getting off without being plundered. The same men afterwards took £2 from a man they met on the road.
August 4. — O'Meally and young Vane took two valuable horses from Mr. Icely's stable at Carcoar. One of the scoundrels shot the groom because he refused to bring the horses out.
August 6. — Superintendent Morrisset and other members of the police force, while going to Bathurst by coach, in charge of three prisoners, were attacked by Gilbert, O'Meally, and Vane, three miles from Carcoar. Morrisset fired. The bushrangers returned the fire, and a fight ensued, in which mounted trooper Sutton was shot through the chest, and Inspector Davidson was shot in the foot; but the bushrangers were finally driven off. O'Meally and Vane were riding the horses they took from Mr. Icely's stable.
August 6. — On the same day, at Campbell's River, near Bathurst, Foley, the mate of Lowry, was captured by mounted troopers Macdonald, Lee, and Nichols, accompanied by a black tracker. The police found on Foley two revolvers, loaded and capped, and £60 in notes - part of the money taken from Mr, Kater, the property of the Joint Stock Bank. Prisoner was afterwards found guilty of the Mudgee mail robbery, and sentenced to 15 years hard labour - the first three years in irons.
August 6. — On the same day two Binda policemen apprehended one of the gang, named Johnny Cummings, in a hut 60 miles from Goulburn. Cummings fired twice, and was captured; but, when near Thalaba, a rescue was attempted: and a shot fired at Sergeant Murphy, who was leading the prisoner's horse, missed Murphy, and entered the head of the prisoner, killing him on the spot.
August 12. — McCarthy's store, at Jugiong, stuck up by two men, who took £18 in cash.
August 20. — Senior-sergeant Stevenson, trooper Godfrey, and detectives Sanderson and Camphin went to Vardy's public-house, Crooksvale, 40 miles from Goulburn. On knocking at the door Lowry (Thomas Frederick) came out with a revolver in one hand, and fired three shots at Stevenson, who returned the fire. The first bullet from Lowry struck Stevenson's revolver, the second passed through his coat, between his right arm and side, and the third missed. Stephenson's third ball entered Lowry' throat, when he dropped and died soon after. The other inmates surrendered. They were Lawrence Cummings (brother of the Cummings who was shot a few days before), Thomas Vardy, Jamieson, Daley, and three others. Jamieson, Cummings, and Daley received a sentence of 15 years each. Daley was known to have committed twenty-three robberies under arms. £200, part of the notes taken from the Mudgee mail, were found on Lowry, and a few on Cummings.
August 24. — Gilbert, O'Meally, Ben Hall, and two others not known, stuck up and robbed Messrs. T. Watson, John Murphy, T. Coupland, and B. Emanuel, of Burrangong, at Duffer Gully.
August 31. — O'Meally stuck up Mr. Barnes, storekeeper of Murrumburrah. He resisted, and O'Meally fired four shots, three of which took fatal effect on Mr Barnes.
September 1. — Two men stuck up Smith's public house, 10 miles from Mudgee, and robbed him of £20. They afterwards robbed Alfred Neale of £5, his horse, saddle and bridle.
September 6. — Gilbert, O'Meally, and another stuck up Mr. Macgregor's homestead, at Humbug Creek. They took a quantity of money and jewellery.
Septembers 10. — O'Meally and Hall attempted to stick up Mr. Eastlake's store, at the Twelve Mile. Resistance was successfully offered.
October 6. — Gilbert, O'Meally, Hall, Burke, and Vane stuck up Mr Mutton's house, Vale road, half a mile from Bathurst, Thence they went to Walker's Inn, McDiarmid's store, and Butter's Inn, all within four miles from Bathurst. They took money and valuables from each place.
October 12. — The same gang called at Mr Grant's house, at Bellububla, and afterwards stuck up a number of persons along the road.
October 12. — One of the Burkes captured by the police near Carcoar.
October 13. — Gilbert and gang stuck up Robinson's Inn, at Canowindra. They bailed up all the persons in the house, treated the men to grog and cigars, and insisted on the young women of the house playing the piano while they danced. After spending the day in this way, they took all the spare cash, and left at night fall.
Octobor 26. — Gilbert and his gang attacked Mr. Keightloy. Gold Commissioner, at his house near Rook' lay. The Commissioner resisted, and one of them (Burke was shot dead. Mr. Keightley at length surrendered, and Vane deliberately loaded his pistol and was about to shoot him to avenge his comrade's death when Mrs. Keightley and a woman servant rushed in between
them. A parlay ensued, and a ransom of £500 was asked for. The robbers took Mr. Keightley into the bush and kept him prisoner until the ransom was paid by Mr. Botton, M.L.A.
October 27. — Government offered a reward of £4000 for the apprehension of John Gilbert, John O'Meally, Ben Hall, and John Vane, and £100 for each of their accomplices.
November 6. — Morgan, a most desperate ruffian, appeared at Vincent's station, near Wagga, and bailed up all the hands, twenty-one in number. He tied young Mr. Vincent to a tree, and made him witness the destruction of his own and mother's property. He burnt the dwelling-house and outbuildings to the ground. The loss was estimated at £1400.
November 13. — Three men stuck up thirty people, near Gunning, keeping possession of the high road during tho whole day, taking sums amounting to about £150 from travellers who were passing.
November 18. — Johnny Vane surrendered to the Rev. Father M'Carthy, at King's Plains. On the same day, Mr. Bidwell captured Michael Leary; and sub-inspector Stephenson (who shot Lowry) . took Patrick Lyndham while sticking up Mr. Sidwell's house, near Goulburn.
November 20. — Gilbert, O'Meally, and Hall attacked Mr. Campbell's house at Goimbla, between Eugowra and Toogong. Mr. Campbell resisted, and shot O'Meally dead.
November 22. — Mr. Stephenson, innkeeper at Caloola, was attacked by three men and shot; the
bullet entered his mouth and lodged in his neck. The robbers took away about £20.
December 6. — Gilbert and Hall burnt M'Anestrie's house, at Demondrille station.
Continue to Part Two -
Continue to Part Two -
Sources:
- Gardiner and his Diciples and their Victims. (1874, June 16). Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875), p. 3.
- Portrait of Gardiner, The Bushranger, 25 April, 1864; Photographer: Freeman Brothers; Print: Wood Engraving; Publisher: Ebenezer and David Syme, Melbourne; Newspaper: Australian News for Home Readers; Courtesy State Library of Victoria
- Bushranger's Flight, 1856; Artist: S. T. Gill (1818-1880); Black & White Lithograph; Publisher: James J. Blundell & Co, Melbourne; Courtesy State Library of Victoria
- John Gilbert, The Bushranger, 24 June 1865; Engraver: Eugene Montagu Scott (1835-1909); Wood Engraving; Publisher: Robert Stewart, Melbourne; Newspaper: Illustrated Melbourne Post; Courtesy State Library of Victoria
- Ben Hall, The Bushranger, 25 May 1865; Engraver: Samuel Calvert (1828-1913); Wood Engraving; Publisher: Robert Stewart, Melbourne; Newspaper: Illustrated Melbourne Post; Courtesy State Library of Victoria
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