Struck Down With a Shovel and Done to Death.
Eight Lives Sacrificed for One.
On March 26, 1857, Melbourne was shaken to its centre by the news that John Price, Inspector-General of Penal Establishments, had been murdered by convicts on the then being constructed breakwater at Williamstown; that the prisoners had broken loose, and were rushing towards the city breathing fire and slaughter. Terror had taken possession of calm business men on 'Change, trafficking in shares was neglected, the all absorbing topic being the murder of Price. Men, utter strangers, stopped each other in the public streets, to give or acquire information. There was no railway — Melbourne to Williamstown — then, but a detachment of the 40th Regiment, under Major Leslie, left the Spencer-street barracks, "at the double," for the scene of slaughter. George Frederick Verdon, then having an interest in a ship chandlery at Williamstown, and captain of the local Volunteer corps, called out his braves, and took up a good position to keep the convicts within bounds, should an advance on the city appear imminent.
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| Williamstown, 1858. |
THE WARSHIPS IN THE BAY
drew close to the hulks, and pointed their shotted guns at the waterline, sending a message on board each hulk that at the faintest appearance of disturbance the hulks would be sunk at their moorings. John O'Shannassy, who was then in his first short term as Prime Minister, was charged with having declared that he would have the hulks sunk sooner than risk the escape of the prisoners. All the hubbub, however, was mere scare. The prisoners on the breakwater, after wreaking their vengeance on the luckless Inspector General, calmed down, and went on board their several hulks like flocks of sheep. "Captain Melville" goaded the prisoners on to revenge for real and fancied injuries. The disturbance first arose; on board the hulk Success. The prisoners declared against the quality of their bread, and expressed a determination not to go to work until they had seen the Inspector-General. The superintendent promised that they should see Mr. Price in the course of the day. In the afternoon Mr. Price went on to the works to hear what complaints the men had to make. Whether murder was premeditated it is impossible to say. Some of the Success prisoners admitted afterwards that on a former occasion they bad a running noose prepared ready to hang the inspector when opportunity offered. Other, prisoners declared that they had no murderous intentions until
PRICE STRUCK ONE OF THE PRISONERS.
Then the evil blood became inflamed, and the slaughter ensued. Price listened to their complaints respecting the bread, and declared them groundless. As he turned away he was hemmed in by some of the men, and, while endeavouring to elbow his way through them, a Norfolk Islander, Heffernan his name, struck the Inspector-General on the head with a spade. Price fought desperately for his life, but was attacked at all points and borne down. There seems to have been a want of energy on the part of the warders. A "hand-cart mob," in defiance of their warders, insisted on speaking to Price; remonstrance was useless; the mob, with their handcarts, surrounded the doomed man, the carts successfully forming a barricade which would prevent escape. On arriving on the works Price told the Superintendent that he did not like the looks of the men, yet he either bravely or recklessly went on with his usual inspection. It may be mentioned here that Price's management of the penal establishments was generally condemned. A citizens' committee had been formed to make inquiries and collect evidence generally. The reports of the committee meetings were published chiefly in the "Age," and the "open communication" which the prisoners had "with outside," by various means, placed them in possession of the proceedings.
THE CITIZEN'S STRICTURES
upon his conduct did not improve the temper of Price, and his mood on that fateful March 26 was not the most conciliatory. Among the complaints made, as Price stood on the sand with his back to the sea and his face to the foe, was one from a prisoner named Kelly, then due for his ticket-of-leave, but who had just done three days' solitary on bread and water. Kelly wished to know if the solitary would interfere with his "ticket," and if he would have to serve the six months extra. Price angrily told him that he would have to serve every hour. Kelly became excited, and as he moved away shook his fist at Price, and, with a ferocious oath, warned him that his "time would soon come." By this time the handcart parties were gathering up. Price wanted to know why they had knocked off work. The officer in charge said that he was powerless; that the prisoners had declared that they would see the Inspector-General. Price then said that he would hear no more complaints until the men were on board their vessels. Some man picked up a handful of dirt and flung it in the face of Price. That appears to have been taken as a signal. In a remarkably short space of time Price was in the centre of an excited mob of the worst criminals in Australia, all thirsting for blood. Every conceivable handy weapon was used on the defenceless man. Price made a rush towards the sea, but
A SPADE CRASHED INTO HIS SKULL
and he sank on the sand. A couple of prisoners who had taken no part in the fray lifted him up, but he was unconscious. The warders appear to have been very careful of their own skins, as they seem not to have taken any stops until Price was unconscious and the prisoners somewhat quiet. Then they procured a shutter, and the bleeding form of John Price was carried to the nearest house. The convicts were now busily engaged in freeing themselves from their irons, and many succeeded. In the meantime news of the outbreak reached Williamstown, and police, warders, sailors and volunteers appeared upon the scene. With the latter Sir George Verdon (as he afterwards was) "flashed his maiden sword," so to say. The force under Captain Verdon formed a semi-circle and drove the prisoners towards the water. Seeing that the game was up, the men surrendered, satisfied that they had put their ancient enemy out of the world. Medical examination showed that, though Price was not dead, he had not many hours to live. He never regained consciousness, and died next day. The coroner was now called upon to perform his office.
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| Rising of Convicts in 1857. |
This duty should have devolved upon Richard Youl, but he being a personal friend of the murdered John Price, Coroner Wilmot was asked to hold the inquiry. The inquiry was a lengthy one, and the evidence disclosed
A SYSTEM OF TYRANNY
carried out under Price's orders equalled only in the past histories of Norfolk Island, Macquarie Harbour and Port Arthur, nor was the Inspector-General the only tyrant among the officials. The prisoners named others whose brutality led up to the final catastrophe. No matter what sentence a man had passed upon him, Price, compelled him to work in irons. One incident occurred at the inquest which is worthy of note. Among the witnesses called was a young convict named Price. There was nothing in the fact that his name was Price — it was a coincidence and nothing more. But Inspector-General Price took a great interest in his namesake, promising to make inquiries into his case, expressing his belief in his innocence of the crime for which he was sent to the hulks; in fact he promised, as the youthful prisoner deposed, to get him his liberty. The coroner's jury found 17 men implicated in the murder. Owen Suffolk, known as the prison poet, says that he was not ashore on the day of the murder, having been temporarily transferred for other work to the hulk Sacramento. Had he been ashore, Mr. Suffolk valiantly says that he would have thrown himself into the fray on the side of the Inspector-General. Suffolk says that Price was
BARBAROUSLY MURDERED,
and that his murderers looked upon their crime as something heroic. "It was a horrible piece of butchery; and I verily believe that Mr. Price, with fair play, would have been equal to any two of the cowardly fellows who assaulted him." Of the 17 committed by the coroner, but 15 were put on trial. These were tried in batches, why is not known, as the trials were merely a repetition of evidence. The stately Justice Barry presided, and a fairer man could not be selected. The Crown was represented by Henry Samuel Chapman, Attorney-General, who had a varied experience. As far back as 1843 Mr. Chapman was a Judge in the Supreme Court of New Zealand, at the time when Lieutenant Shortland was administering the Government. In 1852 he was Colonial Secretary in Van Diemen's Land, just, at the time when convictism was dying a natural death and transportation was about to cease. In 1855 he crossed the straits to Melbourne, and 15 days before the murder of Price he became Mr. O'Shannassy's Attorney-General, and remained in office 40 days — just long enough to hang a number of John Price's murderers. After acting as a Supreme Court Judge in Victoria he returned to New Zealand, having again accepted an appointment as a Supreme Court Judge in that colony. In 1860 he suffered a terrible bereavement. With the exception of one boy, who was left in England for his Education, Mr. Chapman's family went down in the S.S. London, in the Bay of Biscay. With Mr. Chapman in the prosecution was associated Dr. Sewell, one of the ablest criminal lawyers of his day.
NO COUNSEL COULD BE FOUND
to volunteer to defend the accused men, and in response to the appeal of one of the prisoners, Judge Barry said that he could not compel any counsel to appear for them, but he promised to watch the case in the interests of the accused. When called upon to plead, the men declared that it did not matter how they pleaded, as they were undefended they were sure to hang. The first batch arraigned consisted of five — John Young, William Brown, James Anderson, Richard Byrant, and Francis Branigan, the latter being the man called Hefferman by Owen Suffolk. In the second batch, James Kelly, Richard Jones, William Jones, Daniel Donovan, and John Chesley stood up. In the third Thomas Williams, John Williams, Henry Smith, Henry Smith No. 2, and Thomas Maloney. The first tried were Thomas Maloney, Thomas Williams, and one of the Smiths. They were promptly found guilty and
SENTENCED TO DEATH.
Five were next put forward, who were not so unfortunate s their predecessors. The same evidence was given; the same procedure followed. The trial was continued until Saturday, and dragged its weary way until close upon midnight. The jury was in consultation, and at a few minutes before 12 o'clock were sent for by the judge, who informed them that he would not receive their verdict after 12; if they had not agreed by that hour they would have to remain locked up until Monday morning. The jury again hurriedly retired, and as the clock was on the stroke of 12 they returned with a verdict of acquittal. The next batches were not so fortunate. Out of seven men, five were found guilty.
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| Melbourne Supreme Court & Goal, 1853 |
In the last batch tried was Francis Branigan. He was known to be the man who gave
THE FIRST BLOW WITH A SHOVEL
to Price. He was a native of Dublin, and had been transported from that city to Van Diemen's Land in 1842, 14 years being his sentence. It is curious that in those old day's there were but four periods of transportation — seven years, 14 years, 21 years and life. In 1854 Branigan crossed over to Melbourne in the general exodus. At Maryborough, in Victoria, he was tried for highway robbery, being committed by the bench of magistrates. On his way to the circuit town he managed to escape from the lockup, at Tarrengower; £100 was offered for his capture. He was re-arrested near Ballarat, and got 15 years on the roads, the first three in irons. Branigan had known John Price in Van Dieman's Land, and it may safely be assumed that his penal bed in the island was not of the softest. It was when serving the sentence of 15 years that Mr. Price and Francis Branigan renewed an acquaintance which ended in the death of both. In Branigan's batch was a lad in his teens. To save this lad's life the hardened convict strove hard. He asserted that the boy was not near the Inspector-General at the time of the assault. Branigan placed his hand solemnly on the lad's head, and called God to witness that he was innocent. Again, when the death sentence was about to be passed, Branigan made another appeal for the lad. but without avail; he took his stand on the gallows with the rest.
EIGHT LIVES WERE GIVEN
as a sacrifice for that of John Price. As in duty bound, the Government provided for the family of the murdered man, in addition to placing a handsome memorial over his grave in the Melbourne General Cemetery, close by the spot where Governor Hotham was laid a couple of years previously. John Price's sons were given a military education, and in due course obtained commissions in the army. One, Colonel Tom Price, was Commandant in Queensland — the same gentleman who is said to have instructed his forces to fire low in the event of a certain contingency.
During the excitement of the trials of the Price murderers, a motion of want of confidence in the O'Shannassy Government was being debated. The Opposition, or some members of it, charged the Chief Secretary with having, when the news of the outbreak reached him, sent word that the hulks were to be sunk at their moorings. The real message, Mr. O'Shannassy declared, was — "If they attempt to escape, rather than let them be at large amongst peaceable citizens, shoot." Marcus Clarke is understood to have selected John Price as the character in "His Natural Life," Maurice Freer. Certainly, many of the incidents in Price's career are strikingly like those in the book, but other officials in the evil-smelling days of the System were just as arrogant and tyrannical as was John Price.
Originals:
- Murder of Inspector-General Price. (1903, August 16). Truth (Brisbane, Qld. : 1900 - 1954), p. 2.
- Williamstown, 1858. Published in the Newsletter of Australasia, no, xxvii, p.1. Artist: Albert Charles Cooke (1836-1902). Engraver: Warwick Weston Pett (1828-1889). Courtesy: State Library of Victoria.
- Rising of Convicts in 1857. Published in the Illustrated Australian News, 25 June 1887. Engraver: George Rossi Ashton. Courtesy: State Library of Victoria.
- Melbourne Supreme Court & Goal, 1853. Lithographed & published by Stringer, Mason & Co., Melbourne. Courtesy: State Library of Victoria.
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