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| Lowery, The Bushranger, 20 October 1863 |
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1864.
January 4. — The bushranger Mackie, concerned in the robbery of the Murrurundi mail, on the 20th December, was captured near Singleton, by senior-sergeant Thorpe and four constables.
January 7. — Johnson, another bushranger concerned in the Murrurundi mail robbery, captured near Murrurundi.
January 7. — Johnson, another bushranger concerned in the Murrurundi mail robbery, captured near Murrurundi.
January 7. — The Araluen mail stuck up by two armed men. They took the mail-bags, some of which contained large sums of money.
February 22. — William Purcell (a half-caste), George Launt, Joseph Launt, junr., and James Lowrie, captured by senior-constable Ward, constable Gill, and Mr. Orr. In the affray Lowrie was shot dead.
March 11. — The western down-mail, stuck up at Lapstone Hill by three men. They took from the
passengers twenty ounces of gold and over £700 money, besides the mail-bags.
March. 14. — Gardiner was captured at Aphis Creek, Peak Downs, Queensland, by detectives M'Glone, Wells, and Pye.
March 14. — A peddler, named John Pedrone, was bailed up by bushrangers, near Laggan, and robbed £170 in money, and a quantity of jewellery.
March 23. — Ryan, a boy bushranger, 18 years of age, and well armed, was captured at Albury. Ben Hall stuck up the mail between Binalong and Wagga Wagga.
March 25. — Mr. Clarke, Gold Commissioner, and Mr. M'Canty were bailed up near Bethunga by Ben Hall, who "cleaned them out" of all they had.
April 1. — Ben Hall and his gang called at Mr. F. Chisholm's, Groggan station, 30 miles from Young, and took jewellery, clothing, horses, etc., amounting in all to the value of about £270.
April 12. — The Tuena mail was stuck up, near Laggan, by three armed men.
April 22. — Ben Hall and his mate bailed up two gentlemen, named Scarr, between Burrowa and Marengo, and took their horses and equipments.
April 25. — The Meroo mail, to Mudgee, was stopped by two men, who ransacked the bags.
May 18. — The Northern mail was stuck up by three men, about twenty miles from Singleton, and the bag ransacked.
May 20. — Gilbert and Ben Hall stuck up a traveller, near Lambing Flat, from whom they took £6. They afterwards stuck up M'Gregory's public-house, where they encountered the police, but escaped after some sharp firing.
May 21. — Mr. F. Russell was stuck up by Gilbert and Hall on the road to Burrowa; and on his telling them that he had banked his money a day previously they allowed him to pass on.
June 16. — The Mudgee mail was stuck up by one man, a mile from Ben Bullen. There were no passengers; but the bushranger ransacked the mail-bags.
June 16. — Morgan committed the most villainous exploit in his murderous career. Four gentlemen were sitting, conversing in the drawing-room of the Round-hill station, belonging to Mr. Henty, and situated about 40 miles from Albury. They were Mr. Watson, the superintendent of the station; Mr. M'Neill, the overseer; Mr. M'Lean, the cattle overseer; and a young gentleman named Heriott, a son of a neighbouring squatter. Mr. and Mrs. Henty were in their bedroom, when the door was opened by Morgan, who, with a pistol in each hand, formally introduced himself, and asked Mr. Henty were the grog was. Mr. H. procured a bottle of gin and poured some out for Morgan. He, however, said, "You must drink some yourself first, as you might have it ready for me." Mr. H. did so, after which Morgan drank some off, and, calling the servant, ordered dinner, and instructed her to tell one of the station hands to put his horse into the stable and give him a feed. While having dinner he had the four gentlemen and Mr. and Mrs. H. bailed up in a corner of the room. He chatted freely and ate his dinner with a revolver in one hand and four others in his belt. After dinner he brought up all the station hands, and served out neat gin all round. After he had made them thus consume three or four bottles, he ordered his horse, mounted and after randomly shot amongst the crowd, which took effect in the hat of one of the men, proceeded to ride leisurely away. He had only gone about fifteen yards when Mr. Watson somewhat incautiously said, "Those are the stirrup irons which you stole from so and so," Morgan turned round in his saddle, took deliberate aim at Mr. W's head and fired. Mr. Watson instinctively put up his hands, through one of which the bullet passed. He then ran away to a shed where the rest were planted. Morgan followed and fired right and left at the crowd, who fled in all directions. The, first shot went through young Mr. Heriott's log between the knee and ankle, shattering the bone to pieces. Young Heriott, with his broken leg, ran about 30 yards and fell. Morgan came up to him and put his pistol to his head, and threatened to finish him. Young Heriott said, "Don't kill me, Morgan; you've broken my leg!" Mr. Watson also ran up to Morgan and implored of him "for God's sake not to kill him." Morgan then ordered the station hands to carry young Heriott to the house, and put him on the bod. The bushranger himself cut the boot off the leg, and directed a man to attend on the wounded youth. He then bound a handkerchief round Mr. Watson's hand, saying "he was sorry he did that." Thinking Morgan had relented, Mr. M'Lean asked permission to go for a doctor, which: Morgan granted. M'Lean had barely mounted his horse, however, when Morgan, fearing perhaps that M'Lean might give information to the police, fired at him without saying a word. The ball entered the unfortunate gentleman's back, above the hip, and lodged in the abdomen. He fell from his horse with a cry of agony, and expired soon afterwards. Morgan then introduced the rest of his gang, who had been secreted in the bush close at hand during the enactment of the diabolical tragedy, and the whole crew remained carousing until 2 o'clock in the morning, when they decamped. The Government, immediately on hearing of the sad event, offered £1000 for the capture of Morgan.
June 26. — Sergeant M'Ginnity and constable Churchley encountered Morgan at Mr. Robinson's station, Copabella. M'Ginnity shot Morgan's horse; Morgan returned the fire, and in rapid succession shot M'Ginnity's horse and then the sergeant himself. Morgan made for the bush on foot. A few hours afterwards he met Mr. O'Hare, of Tumberumba, and, taking his horse, rode away.
June 27. — Ben Hall and two mates called at Mr. Pearce's at Canowindra and demanded money. Mr.
Pearce said he had not any, whereupon they took him six miles into the bush and tied his hands behind a tree. They then fixed bayonets and told him he must procure £300 from his brother at Carcoar, or they would kill him where he stood. Mr. Pearce continued to refuse, and, finding they could not get anything from him, they at length set him at liberty.
June 28. — The mail from Queanbeyan, Gundaroo, and Collector, was stuck up by one man, two miles on the Goulburn side of Collector. The mail contained the license money of several publicans, and a quantity of gold from Gundaroo. It is estimated the robber took over £300.
July 8. — Clarke, alias Christie, alias Gardiner, having been captured in Queensland, was charged with the attempted murder of William Hosie, on 16 July. 1861, at Fish River. He was sentenced to 15 years' hard labour, first two years in irons. He was afterwards tried on other charges, and sentenced to 10 years' hard labour for the robbery of one Horsington, and seven years for the robbery of a man named Hewitt, the sentences to be cumulative.
August 27. — Troopors Saunders and Ford encountered a bushranger named Smith, at Wondilla, in tho southern district. After a desperate encounter, Saunders shot the robber dead.
August 28. — Sergeant Smith and party were in their tent at Dougall Swamp, when Morgan came up and fired seven shots in rapid succession and fled. He shot Sergeant Smith.
September 27. — Ben Hall and Dunleavy stuck up the Albury mall near Jugiong, and took the letters.
October 21. — Ben Hall's mate, known as the "Old Man," was captured near Orange.
October 24. — Ben Hall and gang stuck up the Yass mail near Gunning, and robbed four passengers.
October 29. — Ben Hall and Dunleavy stuck up the Albury mail near Yass. There were no passengers, but they ransacked the mail-bags.
October 30. — The same men stuck up a man on the Reedy Creek Ranges, and robbed him.
November 8. — Ben Hall, Gilbert, and Dunleavy stuck up Mr. Rossi's residence, Rossiville, Goulburn. The family were not at home, but the robbers took some jewellery, and three fine horses, and then made the servants serve them with refreshments in the parlour.
October 9. — The same party stuck up the Sydney mail at Towrang, four miles from Goulburn, and took £20 from a passenger named John Hoskings, £7 10s from John Iredale, and £9 from the coachman and other passengers.
November 11. — The same gang bailed up the Yass to Goulburn mail, and ransacked the bags.
November 16. — Ben Hall, Gilbert, and Dunleavy again stopped the Albury mail, five miles from Jugiong. There was an escort with the mail consisting of Sub-inspector O'Neill, Sergeant Parry and a constable. Gilbert shot Parry dead, making the third officer killed within a short period in the southern district.
December 11. — Morgan bailed up both the up and down mails near Albury; took a roll of bank notes from Mr. Manson of Beechworth, and shot a Chinaman (name unknown) dead, because he resisted.
December 19. — Hall, Gilbert, and Dunleavy stuck up the Goulburn mail at Towrang, and took £30 in cash from the Rev. Mr. Leigh and Mr. Broughton.
December 26. — The same party went to a ball which was being held at Binda. They were fully armed and danced until morning. A storekeeper named Morris planned their capture, but it is supposed that he was betrayed. Gilbert fired at him, but missed him, and he escaped. The gang then went to his store, turned out his wife and family, took £100 in cash, and burned the stores, books, and house to ashes. The loss was estimated at £1000.
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| Ben Hall, The Bushranger, 25 May 1865 |
1865.
January 26. — Hall's gang took possession of the Collector road and bailed up about 50 people during the course of the day. Dunleavy then went to the Collector lock-up, and deliberately shot the keeper, Constable Nelson, dead.
February 4. — Hall and his gang stopped the mail near Goulburn and took £30 from a passenger.
March 3. — Hall, Gilbert, and Dunn stopped the gold escort from Araluen, near Major's Creek. The police fired, Gilbert shot the constable's horse and a passenger, named Mr. Blatchford, was wounded in the leg; and trooper Kelly was shot in the breast. Constable Byrnes finally beat the bushrangers off, and the police took the gold safely to Braidwood.
March 24. — Morgan stuckup the mail between Wagga and Urana.
March 26. — Gilbert and gang robbed Mr. Jones's store, at Forbes, of goods and £81 in notes.
April 1. — Morgan stuck up Mr Wilson's station at Mitta Mitta.
April 2. — Morgan robbed a Mr, Brady of £80, on the road to Wilson's station.
April 3. — Morgan stuck up Mr. Evans's station, King river, and took away £40 and a fresh horse.
April 5. — Morgan stuck up M'Kinnon's station at Little River.
April 7. — Morgan robbed a man of £4 at Glen Rowan, and two men of £37 at Benalla.
April 8. — Morgan's career was brought to a close by a man named Quinlan, employed at Peechalba station, 20 miles from Wangaratta. He stuck up the station, and Quinlan planted himself in one of the out-houses, and shot the ruffian dead.
April 19. — The Warialda mail was bailed up by three men mounted and armed.
April 24. — Ward (better known as Thunderbolt), and a boy about 16 years of ago, stuck up Munroe's Inn at Boggy Creek, and robbed the landlord of £80.
April 26. — The Warialda mail again stuck up at Manilla - this time by Thunderbolt and the boy. The police overtook them, and a long and desperate fight ensued, during which over 40 shots were fired. Constable Dalton wounded and secured the boy, whose name was John Thompson. Thunderbolt escaped.
May 5. — Sub-inspector Davidson, Sergeant Condell, and four troopers came across Ben Hall at Billibong Creek. Davidson and Condell both fired, and shot Hall dead. He had on him 3 revolvers, 4 gold watches and chains, and £74 in cash and notes.
May 12. — Senior-constable Hales, and constables Bright, Hall, and King, encountered Gilbert and Dunn. Bright shot Gilbert, and killed him. Dunn was wounded, but escaped into the scrub on foot. Constable King was slightly wounded.
October 20. — A Chinaman (name unknown) was found murdered at Mudmelong. The deed was supposed to have been perpetrated by the Clarkes, who had been engaged in robberies in the district.
December 24. — In a hut on the Marthaguy, constables M'Hale, Hawthorne, and Elliott saw Dunn, who ran away. M'Hale gave chase and fired, hitting Dunn in the loins, M'Hale then ran up to him, when Dunn fired twice, the second time hitting M'Hale above the knee, from whence the ball glanced into the groin. Wounded as Dunn was, and lying on the ground, he mustered strength to fire at Hawthorne. The bullet passed through his hat. Dunn was secured, after a desperate hand-to-hand encounter. The prisoner was lodged in the Dubbo lock-up, and received medical treatment; but managed to escape, and was recaptured in the bush four days afterwards, nearly dead from fatigue and want of water. He was hanged at Darlinghurst; and had hardly reached the age of 21 years at the time of his execution.
December 27. — Thunderbolt and his mates robbed Mr. E. Fletcher, on the Barwon river, of £20; and, crossing over to the other side, called at Mr. Earle's, from whom they took £18 and some jewellery. They danced there all night, and were particularly polite to the ladies who were forced to play and sing for their amusement.
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| Morgan, The Bushranger, 25 July 1864 |
1866.
January 13. — Tommy Clarke and mates stuck up Summers s store at Jembaicumbene, taking with them £70 and some clothing.
January 15. — The same gang bailed up two peddlers at Major's Creek ; two diggers, from whom they took £30; and on the saint day robbed the Araluen and Moruya mails.
February 2. — The two Clarkes stuck up the Bathurst mail at Pulpit Hill.
March 4. — The same men robbed a man named Henry Deane of £11, near Mudgee, and a hawker of 3 7s.
March 22. — The Clarkes stuck up the house of Mr. Maurice Harnett, J.P., near Cooma, and took a quantity of jewellery.
April 2. — Both the up and down mail coaches between Campbelltown and Wollongong were stuck up by three men at the London River Station. The Rev. W. Curnow was amongst the passengers. They took about £20 in cash.
April 9. — A gang of seven men, including Tommy Clarke, planted themselves at the foot of the mountain near Nerrigundah, on the road leading from the Gulf, to wait for persons coming from the Bega races. They first seized a Chinaman and murdered him. Mr. John Emmett came up next, and they robbed him of £120 after wounding him and killing his horse. They then proceeded to the store of Mr. Pollock, who was the principal gold buyer on the Gulf, and took between 200 and 300 ounces of gold. At dusk they called at Wallis's public-house and bailed up and robbed the men in the bar. One of the inmates managed to get away unobserved, and gave Information to the lock-up keeper, named O'Grady. Notwithstanding the fact that he was lying sick in bed, e immediately rose, and with rifle in his hand proceeded to Wallis's, where he was at once fired at ; but he succeeded in shooting one of the gang dead. His shot was the signal for a volley from the bush rangers, and the gallant follow fell dead. The rest of the gang decamped. The man he killed was named Fletcher, a native of the district, who had joined the gang only a week previous.
April 14. — James Crookwell, a bushranger, who, with other prisoners, was being taken from Berrima to Sydney, made a preconcerted attack on the escort. A furious hand-to-hand contest ensued. The prisoners were ultimately overcome, but not until after Crookwell had shot constable Raymond dead with a riffle he had succeeded in wrenching from one of the other constables. Two prisoners named Slattery and Bland were severely wounded, and the others surrendered. Crookwell, who was only twenty-three years of age, was afterwards hanged ; and the others sentenced to imprisonment for life.
April 18. — The northern mail was stuck up seven miles from Singleton by three men. Five passengers were robbed of £100.
May 1. — Detective M'Glone and Mr. Hosking's pursued a bushranger named Michael Rielly, who had stuck up Mr. H's store near Braidwood. When they overtook their man, he suddenly turned round and rushed at M'Glone with a bowie knife. M’Glone fired in self-defence, and killed Rielly, who was on his way to join Clarke's Gang.
May 14. — Clarke s gang took five valuable horses from Mr. Crossley’s, at Braidwood.
June 1. — Five men, including Clarke and Connell, stuck up Kennedy's public-house, and a store on Micalago Plain, and took £5 in cash; and a quantity of goods.
July 17. — Morris's public-house and store, at Mudmelong, stuck up by Clarke’s gang.
July 18. — Mr. Piper’s farm-house, near Tumut, was visited and robbed by two bushrangers.
July 19. — Five bushrangers were intercepted by the Ballabula police in Crowerie mountains, when the outlaw Pat Connell was shot dead.
July 31. — Queanbeyan and Goulburn mail was stuck up by Clarke and party, five miles from Bingendore. There were no passengers, but they ransacked and plundered the mail-bags.
August 23. — Mr. Hosking's store, near Braidwood, was again stuck up; on this occasion by four men, who took a quantity of blankets and clothing.
October 22. — Clarke and Company robbed Messrs. Smith and Dawson, on the Braidwood road, of £14 and some jewellery.
October 23. — Messrs. Garnell and Walker, gold buyers at Mungarlow, escorted by senior constable Thompson and constable Gilbert, were attacked by Clarke's gang, five miles from Braidwood. Thompson received a bullet through the hat, but the bushrangers were driven off without further damage or loss on either side.
November 27. — Two notorious bushrangers named Southgate and Cummings, under sentence of fifteen years each, escaped though the main sewer of Berrima gaol. They had to pass down 120 yards of sewer to the river, and then swim across.
November 29. — Burke, the bushranger, who had been captured in Victoria, was hanged at Melbourne.
December 7. — The Bourke and Lower Macquarie mail coach was stuck up by two men near Narromine. Mr. Crown, Lands Commissioner, Grenfell, who was a passenger, fired at the bushrangers. They returned six shots in rapid succession, by one of which Mr. Grenfell was so seriously wounded that, after lingering in great agony, he died next day.
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| Thomas and John Clark, Bushrangers, from a photograph taken in Braidwood gaol (Thomas was shot in the arm), (copy of original albumen photoprint, May, 1867) |
1867.
January 6. — Special Constables Carroll, Kennagh, Phegan, and M'Donnell left Braidwood in search of the Clarkes. They arrived at Jinden on the following Wednesday, where they staid all night. Two days afterwards their dead bodies were discovered just off the road. Phegan had two bullets in a vital part; M'Donnell, one in the groin, and one in the stomach ; Carroll was shot through the heart, and Kennagh through the jaw. This frightful tragedy was perpetrated by the Clarkes, aided by a desperate character known as the Loner Tailor.
January 19. — Thunderbolt stuck up the Warialda mail.
February 22. — Three men stuck up the Goulburn mail, in which the Rev. Dr. Lang was a passenger. He told the marauders who he was, and they declined to ? touch any of his money, but robbed the other passengers.
February 28. — Clarke's gang stuck up the Yass mail.
March 13. — The "Long Tailor" (whose right name was said to be James Dornen), one of Clarke’s gang, was found murdered, it is believed by his mates, to prevent his turning approver against them, about 20 miles from Buckley’s Crossing.
March 16. — Thomas Connell, who, with the Clarkes, robbed John Emmett, at Deep Creek, on the 9th April, 1866, captured and sentenced to imprisonment for life.
March 21. — A constable, from Snowy Creek to Yackandanda, was stuck up by Clarke’s gang and tied to a tree.
April 12. — The Mudgee mail was stuck up 12 miles from Bowenfells, by Cummings and Humphreys. They afterwards, with the aid of “an apprentice," a boy named John Foran, stuck up Locke s public-house at Dirty Swamp. Resistance was offered, and Cummings was badly wounded, but managed to get off without being captured.
April 27. — Senior-constable Wright, constables Walsh, Egan, and Sheridan, accompanied by a black tracker named "Sir Watkin," traced the Clarkes to a hut at Jingera. A long fight ensued, during which Walsh and the tracker were wounded, and on the arrival of a reinforcement of police, the Clarkes surrendered, John having been wounded in the shoulder. They were tried and convicted on the 28th May, and hanged at Darlinghurst on the 25th of June.
May 3. — Southgate and Cummings were captured on the Abercrombie by senior-sergeant Grainger and his men.
May 10. — Foran and Holmes took two valuable horses from Mr. Bearchell's station at Crookwell.
July 1. — Foran was captured on the Abercrombie by troopers Chalker and Wiles.
September 18. — James Griffin, one of Clarke's gang, convicted and sentenced to be imprisoned for life for the murder, in conjunction with the Clarkes, of the four constables at Jinden on the 9th of January.
This closed the career of all the principal bushrangers, with the exception of Ward (better known as Thunderbolt), who succeeded in evading justice for several years, but was at length shot, by constable Walker, on 20th May, 1870.
Sources:
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| Death of Thunderbolt, The Bushranger, 18 June 1870 |
Sources:
- Gardiner and his Diciples and their Victims. (1874, June 16). Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875), p. 3.
- Lowery, The Bushranger, 20 October 1863; Engraver: Samuel Calvert (1828-1913); Wood Engraving; Publisher: Robert Stewart, Melbourne; Newspaper: Illustrated Melbourne Post; Courtesy State Library of Victoria
- Morgan, The Bushranger, 25 July 1864; Engraver: Samuel Calvert (1828-1913); Contributer: Eugene Montagu Scott (1835-1909); Wood Engraving; Publisher: Robert Stewart, Melbourne; Newspaper: Illustrated Melbourne Post; Courtesy State Library of Victoria
- Thomas and John Clarke, bushrangers, from a photograph taken in Braidwood gaol (Thomas was shot in the arm), (copy of original albumen photoprint, May 1867); Courtesy: Dixson Library, State Library of New South Wales
- Death of Thunderbolt, The Bushranger, 18 June 1870; Engraver: Samuel Calvert (1828-1913); Wood Engraving; Publisher: Ebenezer and David Syme, Melbourne; Newspaper: Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers; Courtesy State Library of Victoria
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