AN OLD BUSHRANGER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1886, 21 October 1913, Page 9

AN OLD BUSHRANGER.

o ONE OF THE "MOONLIGHT" GANG; HIS EXPLOITS. Forty years ago John Dormody was a bushranger—ono of tho notorious "Captain Moonlight's" gang. To-day (says tho Melbourne "Horald") ho is a dispirited old man, spending his last years in tho Ballarat Benevolent Asylum. Dormody was tho youngest of Moonlight's first gang, but ho was by no means tho least. Daring Youth. Dermody is 62 years old. Ho was only a boy of twenty when ho joined his fortunes with thoso of tho ecclesiastical renegade bushranger. Tho youngstor was a daring, reckless, laughterloving boy, and he thought littlo of tlio risks of bushranging in tho seventies. Tho freedom, tho excitement, tho dreams of riches were enough for him.' "Dormody," says a newspaper of tho times, "is a particularly-attractive-look-ing fellow, fair-haired, fair-faced, with sparkling, challenging eves." Ho presents a different picture now. His shouldors aro stooped, and there is about him an air of weariness and discouragement. Although ho says ho could write a book on tho adventures of tho lawless period of his life, ho resolutely refuses to narrate his experiences to strangers; lie is 0110 of the most taciturn inmates of tho asylum. His sandy hair is streaked with groy, whilo his knotted hands and bent figure toll of hardships ho has endured, there is still an impression of vigour about him, and into his faded eyes thero comes at times a gleam of independence, as if he would not tako the offerings of others if 110 could shift for himself. One prono to moralise could draw from his appearance a smug deduction about tho worldly futility of departing from tho ways •of law-abiding men. Attracted by tho rumours of tho wealth to be gained on tho goldfields of tho south, Dormody camo to Australia whilo in his teens, and 110 drifted after his vision to Ballarat. Fato tTlrew him into companionship of Andrew George Scott, afterwards to bo known and feared as "Captain Moonlight." "Moonlight-" When Dermody met Scott the moneybags of tho newly-converted bushranger •wero well loaded. 'So wero his pistols, and for somo. months tho pace was fast and furious. Scott had just left tho Church uudor circumstancos greatly to. tho advantago of his immediate prosperity. Ho had passed through a good Irish education, a, short oxporienco as civil engineer, and in which 110 was slightly wounded, and a queer experience in Victoria. On arriving hero 110 onterod tho Anglican Church. He had an excellent pose of smug respectability, was clover, had personality, read well, and generally impressed tho clerics. lio becamo a lay-reader in Bacchus Marsh Church. He soon proved, howover, to bo tho wolf in sheep's clothing, for he got heavily into debt, and ono night, masked and armed, 110 entered tlio Egorton bank, stuck up tho manager, and Tobbed tho institution of £2000 worth of notes, coin, and gold dust. The manager and Scott wero great friends, but this did not provont tho bank charging him with tho crimo. Tho authorities laughed at tho idea of tho irreproachable and seemingly blameless lay-reader participating in such an affair, and Scott cleverly turned _ tho tables by having tho manager himself arrested. The unfortunate banker was charged with tho crime, and was considered lpcky to ho acquitted. That was tho beginning of tho career iu which Dermody was soon to play a part. In And Out of Gaol. "Moonlight's" £2000 soon disappeared in luxurious living, so, gathering about him kindred spirits, ho took to tho road, aud for months terrorised tho Egorton district, where the mines woro disgorging rich viekl. In 1872 '"Moonlight," as lio called himself, was arrested with Dermody. and four other men and placed .in'tlio Ballarat Gaol to await trial. But ho was a desperate man, and in Dermody 110 found another just as desperate. Ho cut a holo through tho walls of his cell on tho day before that fixed for his appearanco in Court. In tlio adjoining coll ho found Dermody. Together thoy seized and bound the warder, and taking tho keys liberated tho other men. By means of a ropo mado of strips of blanket the six cscaped over tho wall and again took to the bush. 'Moonlight' was subsequently recaptured and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, at tho expiration of which ho reformed his gang, terrorised many districts .in Now South Wales and Victoria, and was at last hanged in Darlinghurst Gaol for murdering a policeman. In this second gang Dermondy had, so far as is known, 110 place. Dormody went to Queensland, and for years led a gipsy modo of lifo 111 various States, drinking and committing thefts. Eventually 110 returned to Ballarat. Ho wandered about tho country doing odd jobs until ho reached a dead end a few weeks ago, and had to give himself up to tho Ballarat police, starving. Ho said 110 pitched his tent outsido the city-and worked at stone-breaking until tho other men refused to associato with him. Then 110 tried hawking without success. A fontnight ago ho was charged with vagrancy, and upon expressing his willingness to go anywhere the authorities might send him, ho was forwarded to tho asylum, whero lio still remains. Outlaw Within the Law. Onco before Dormody was an inmato of tho asylum, but 110 refused to remain there. A .spirit of restlessness and desire to earn his own living led to his trampling tho couutrysido iu search of work. Ho can still put in his day with many a younger man. His reputation, however, counted against him, and he found employment difficult to obtain. Lately 110 got work on a largo contract outside Ballarat, but as the other men refused to labour alongside him he had to givo it up and throw himself upon his old-timo enemios—tho police—for assistance. Dermody nowadays sits by tho firo in tho asylum, placidly smoking liia old black pipe, and his guido, philosopher, and friend is an old derelict Chinaman. Tlio old bushranger seemed rather surly when asked to recount his past. " What I have done I havo done," he said, "and it is no affair of yours or anyono olse's." He appears fairly contented, and potters about the garden, doing his best to return of_ tlio kindnesses ho receives. But it is a dismal ending for a bushranger, and he knows it. When his health has recovered from his recent privations he means to mako another attempt to do without doles fromythc charitable. He cannot forget tho years of freedom and tho spell of rough' country lifo. He has reasons for regretting his associations with "Moonlight," yet his faco brightens say liis friends,' when 110 speaks of that wonderful man.

"Moonlight's" Trial. Ho was certainly a remarkable character —daring, clover, almost supornaturally cunning. "Moonlight" was the only 0110 with anything of tho bushranger about him," says ouo historian of the period; "tho rest wero more boys. 'Moonlight' had thin, fine features, small, heard, shaved cheek and lips, small nose, and straight-, light brown hair. His temper was most ungovornablo. Rogan was a tall, dark young

man, with something of the negro in his appearance. Ho woro a littlo moustache and beard." At tho Sydney trial "Moonlight conducted his own defenco and that or his friends, and during tho procceuings ho abused tlio polico and magistrate soundly. "In duo course. Moonlight, R-ogan, Bennot, and Williams," it is stated, "wero convicted and scntenccd to death." But tho death' sentence ot Williams and Bennett was commuted to imprisonmont for lifo becauso ot their youth, their ages being 18 and 1J respectively. A potition was got up 101 Rogan and "Moonlight," but the Governor refused kindly but fumly to act on his own responsibility, and said that tho .law, in tho caso of these two men, 1 must tako its course. Thereforo there was an execution within tho walls of Darlinghurst Gaol on tho morning or January 28, ISBO. "Moonlight" was vry irrit-ablo for several before, but became moro calm when 110 was informed that only a fow_ persons were witnessing tho execution. Until a lato hour 011 tho night of tho 10th lie was accupied in writing a long statement ■ concerning tho Egorton bank robbery, ■ and ho expressed a wish to say sometiling from the scafFojd, but ho_ was chs- ■ suaded by his spiritual adviser. Ho was very angry when ho stepped upon 1 the gallows platform to find 30 or 40 ■ visitors present, and, turning to tho 1 chaplain, said, "What docs this mean r ■ What do tlieso peoplo mean. I niust speak! " WTion jig was informed that ■ the visitors were only magistrates and 1 officials ho did not further insist.