BRUTAL MURDERS IN TASMANIA.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1091, 27 April 1883, Page 3

BRUTAL MURDERS IN TASMANIA.

From the Hobart papers we extract the following details of the crime : Through the courtesy of Mr O'. H. Grant we are enabled to publish the following particulars of a diabolical attack made upon the residence of a platelayer named Wilaon, situated about half-way between Epping and Cleveland. It will be seen that Wilson was shot dead, that a female was also wounded, a robbery committed, and the house in which Wilaon and his family resided burnt to the ground. Wilson, who was a repairer on the line, and worked in gang No. 28, had gone to bed about the usual hour on Mondav night, and after being there some little time he was aroused by stones thrown on the house. The family, consisting of Mr and Mrs William Wilson aod four children, aged from 12 to 6 years, and a visitor named Mrs Doram, were living in a slab hut with a small garden attached, situate about 40 yards from the railway line, and nearly three miles from Epping Forest station, Campbell Town. They were aroused from bed at a quarter-past 9 last night, just after the mail train had passed, by a shower of stones thrown on the roof. The husband William Wilson, went outside to see the cause, and had not gone far when the report of tirca.-ms was heard, and Wilson called out “1 am shot. - ’ The inmates of the hut heard a further noise and men calling for them to come out of the hut and they would shoot them all. In a terrible state of fear they remained inside, not daring to move. After a little time it was discovered that tho desperadoes had piled wood, &o„ at the aide of the hut, wh : ch was set fire in three places, and commenced to burn rapidly. Mrs Boram liiat ventured out, with a child, taking a trunk of clothes, and then holding up her hands, offered what money, etc., they had if their lives would be spared. She was in the act of stooping when she was also shot and fell, the slugs entering her right side, shoulder, and groin. The family meantime were all forced outside by the rapidly-spreading flames, and one of the men caught hold of a girl aged 12 and dragged her towards the bush Her screams attracted her mother, who rushed to her aid. The murderer then presented a gun at her and threatened to shoot both mother aud girl, and the mother gave him 10s, praying him to spare her children. Her entreaties prevailed, and the men eventually made off in the direction of Epping station, threatening that they would return the following night and cominue their deeds of bloodshed and destruction. Two of Wilson’s boys, who subsequently escaped, ran to Epping station and rc ported the murder, and on help arriving, Wilson was found dead, having been shot in the head, breast, and groin, aud must have expired immediately after calling out that he was shot, Mrs Boram is a middle-aged woman, who was on her way to Cleveland to take a situation, and was only staying at Wilson’s for that night en route. She was brought to Campbell Town Hospital. Her injuries are not considered likely to be fatal. The murderers behave i in a very desperale manner, declaring themselves as Jim Kelly and Dan Riley. They had a bright barrelled gun and a horse-pistol. Mrs Wilson has identified one of the murderers as a young man named Jim Og len, and known in ihe neighbourhood, the other being similar in appearance, with fair complexion and light whiskers. The deceased Wilson was a man aged about 50 years, hard-working, steady, aud inoffensive, and employed as a ganger-on the railway. Wilson’s hnt was over a quarter of a mile from any other abode. The diabolical act is not attributed to the object of robbery, but rather to an insane desire for Kelly notoriety influencing a mor id n i d. It is tho rght that several small robberies recently committed ham been made by thrre men. , Wilson when shot was only clothed in his shirt, hut ha had suspended from his neck a small bag, containing the sum of £7. This ids murderers missed getting. Alter they had shot him they broke in the windows with an axe, and set fire to the cottage at both ends. LATER PARTICULARS. Unhappily, the tale of outrage does not end with the above ; horrors on horrors have accumulated during the past 24 hours, and another inoffensive person has fallen a victim to the miscreants who, for a brief interval, have kept the whole country side in a state of terror. The great consolation is that, thanks to the pluck and energy of the police and residents, they have been captured, and are now in sa f e keeping. It appears that two tramps answering the description of Ogden and his companion passed through Perth on Sunday last, and they are suspected of stealing gooils from a dwelling at Sytnmons Plain. Thence they apparently made their way by a devious route to Epping Forest, and waited until night before attacking Wilson’s residence. Having committed murder there, set fire to the house, aud wantonly wounded a helpless woman, they took to the bash at no great distance from the railway line, and waiter! for further victims. Before leaving Wilson’s place they avowed their intention of attacking other residents in the neighbourhood. No one came to the assistance of the Wilson family during the time the attack was made. Mrs Wilson, it is said, ran to a neighbour’s house, about a quarter ot a mile distant, and implored assistance, either to capture the murderers, or help to save a few of her household belongings from the burning cottage, but the men called upon declined to leave the female inmates of their own dwelling unprotected. Thus it happened that the entire premises of the Wilson family were destroyed, and it was not until daylight that ihe corpse of the murdered husband was removed from the plate where he had fallen a victim to the fire of the relentless assailants. What happened afterwards will be gleaned Dom the following telegrams from our correspondents : Epping Forest, Wednesday. Another man, a traveller, well dressed, and apparently very respectable, was seen lying on the roadside by Mr Archer. Information having been brought to Epping Forest by that gentleman, the police started to the spot, which is about two miles from Epping Forest, and after search found the man (planted under a log, having been dragged some hundred yards from the spot where he was seen by Mr Archer. He was dreadfully wounded about the head and _ had his scalp cut off. Ogden and Davis, the murderers, were seen near the Elace by an old tracker and repairer, who eard two reports of a gnn coming from the direction whore the man was found. Ogden and Davis have threatened to shoot Ganger Bowley. Campbell Town, Wednesday. The jnry had just been sworn in for the inquiry as to the death of W. Wilaon, when a telegram arrived stating that Tom Bowley of the railway was shot in tho forest. This subsequently proved incorrect. The inquest was instantly adjourned, and the warden, the police and volunteers, and the doctor all turned out to attempt the capture of the murderers, who are believed to bo in the I forest. All Campbell Town is in greatalarm.

The Epping murderers, James Ogdon and James Mahoney, alias Sutherland, were ■captured this afternoon at 4 o’clock by Constable Phillips, James Smith, and Edward Curran. They had murdered Alfred. Holman, formerly driver of Page’s mail coach, whom they shot dead this afternoon without any warning as Jho was driving M ‘Kuiizie’s lemonade-curt to Campbell Town. Prisoners, when captured, made their boast, that they could have shot -Sub-inspec-tor Palmer and Constable Phillips, whom they had covered with their guns in the dark l ist night while they (the police) were patrolling the forest. The prisoners do not seem much concerned at present. They are singing Kelly songs in the lock-up here. Phillips and Palmer were out all night, and this afternoon nearly every man in the town turned out to attempt to capture the murderers. Cleveland. Alfred Holman was murdered in cold blood. He was driving a lemonade-cart from Launceston, and was shot while passing between Suake Banks and Epping, After shooting him the murderers took the cart into the bush. The police found his body covered up by a log. He was not quite dead at the time, but expired soon after. Hia lemouade-cart was traced into the bush, which led to the arrest of the murderers. They were freely helping themselves to the contents at the time. On the police coming up the murderers ran The police followed and fired two shots, but without hitting them. The two murders then surrendered. Holman’s head was terribly smashed. It was 1 o’clock when he was found. He was alive, but unconscious, and died shortly before 2 o’clock. The ground bore the appearance ot a severe struggle having taken place. Holman was 35 years of age, and at one time kept a public house at Hobart, and latterly a lodging house in the Quadrant, Launceston. Tie was a most steady and industrious man. He leaves a wife and three children. Oatlands Station, Thursday. Both murderers were within 200 yards of Epping Forest Hotel yesterday, and evidently were lurking in the vicinity all day. When discovered they were chased by Phillips and others. Phillips, being the fastest runner, came up first, and called on them to throw down their weapons, which they did without resistence. It is stated that the murderers slept last night in Bnwley’s house, where they intended to muder Bowley and family, who, however, escaped, ; also, that they played cards with Holman’s pack after shooting him. Great indignation prevails among the people, who wanted to lynch the prisoners. It is not correct that any man’s life was lost in capturing the murderers, who ran away when they saw the policeman, and were pursued by him and others, who fired two shots over the mui Jeters’ heads, when they surrendered. Both the prisoners appear to be under twenty years of age. Sutherland is a Launceston larrikin, and a stranger at Epping Forest. The place where the murder of Holman was committed is about two miles north of Epping, and a tramp stated that the men Ogden and Sutherland gave him 6s to say he had not seen them. They told him they had plenty ot money, and only wanted a meal of tucker. The murderers had drunk, or otherwise disposed of, 10 dozen bottles of ginger beer and a small keg of ginger wine, and eaten a considerable quantity of biscuits. The murder took place between 11 and 12 o’clock iu the forenoon, and the murderers, after their capture, were driven to Campbell Town by Mr Page iu his brake. They were in danger of being lynched on the way by the infuriated settlers, who had spent the whole of the previous night under arms and momentarily expecting an attack, knowing that Ogden and his associates were still in the district, as they had been seen and recognised there after the Wilson murder. The widow (Mrs Wilson) and her family, consisting of three boys and one girl, are now shopping at Cleveland. Tne murderers seem quite callous as to their position. Ogden is insensible to everything, and Sutherland perfectly reckless, having laughed when told that hanging was far too good for him. Among other rumours current last night was a statement that Mr W. Findlay, traveller for Mr E. Baines, of Little Collins street, Melbourne, had been shot by the assassins. Mr Findlay arrived in town by the express train last evening, and his presence in the flesh gave the best possible contradiction to this rumour. ogden’s history. Jim Ogden, the murderer of tho ganger Wilson, is identical with a former inmate of the Boys’ Home, and was then known as Robert Ogden. F-om inquiries made amongst people who knew him in his boyhood, it appears that he evinced signs of a brutal disposition at an early period of his life. Robert Ogden is the youngest son of Thomas and Ann, who, from all accounts, always bore a bad character. Both mother and father were natives of Ireland. Tho former arrived in this Colony iu the ship Elizabeth and Henry, and the latter in the Moff itt. Soon after setting foot in Tasmania the Ogdens stated to earn a livelihood by travelling through the country and disposing of small articles of dress, lace, etc. The father was a man of weak intellect, and the mother has the name of being half-witted Between the years of 1868 and 1872 Ogden, senior, served six sentences in the Campbell Street Gaol, amounting to two years one month and seven days, for suffering his children to go begging. Mrs Ogden was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment in 1868 for disturbing the peace. In 1872 Ogden, senior, was admitted into the Lunatic Asylum at New Norfolk. He remained an inmate ot that institution till his death, which is said to have taken place during the latter part of the year 1879. On the 16th of February, 1875,>the governor’s of the Boys’ Home—-Sir J. M. Wilson, Mr A. H, Boyd, and Mr J. Foster—apprenticed the subject of this notice to James Hull, boatman, of Battery Point, for a term of four years, to learn the business of a boatman. He remained with tho Hull family about 12 months. Prom the day he became their servant till his abrupt leaving, ho showed himself to be possessed of a brutish temper, aurt was iu the habit of flying into a passion without provocation. As a boy he was very bad in every conceivable respect, and is described as a thorough low blackguard. Ho was small for his years, of a fair complexion, with light hair. In temper he was extremely violent; in character perfectly untrustworthy, and greatly addicted to robbery and thieving. To the Hulls he proved a very dangerous servant, and was constantly placing the whole family in great terror by his wildness of disposition. It was a common practice for him, when told to perform some little work in connection with the household, to pick up a brick and shy it straight at tho person speaking to him. On several occasions ho was sent np the town with money to purchase articles of food for his master, but never came back except in the custody ol a police officer. Once, by tho merest accident, Hull saved hia little daughter from being hit on the heal by a brick which Ogdon had hurled at her. Whilst will tho Hulls, young Ogden frequently tob i them that his falhei bad killed one ot hj n

owu children, and after tying it up in a bag concealed it in a watorhole at Bream Creek some 15 years since. On the 18th August, 1879, Hubert Ogden from the Hulls bolted and went to Launceston, where ho changed his Christian name to James. About a year and a-balf ago the young rowdy returned to Mr Hull, and requested to be allowed to resume his former work, but this bis old employer would not consent to. As a youngster, when travelling with his parents over the island, he was in the common habit of perpetrating robberies on people. The police arrested him for sleeping out in the sheds in the country, and bo was sent to the Boys’ Reformatory for four years. Robert Ogden is now about 22 years of age. At the inquest on the bodies of Wilson and Holman, a verdictof wilful murder was returned against Sutherland and Ogden. (Prom the Mercury.) Few verdicts have been delivered with more confidence, and met with more general approval, than those of the jurors who found that William Wilson and Alfred Holman met their deaths by the wilful and murderous acts of James Sutherland and James Ogden. Nevertheless, the day which sent hack these two creatures to the cell to reappear in the murderers’ dock did not pass away without a manifestation of the burning anger that had been aroused among the friends and acquaintances of the victims. Throughout the day the spectators of the proceedings at the inquests had been most orderly, and nothing occurred to confirm the fears excited by the threatened lynching of the prisoners on the day of their capture. After the second inquest, however, and as the prisoners were being removed from the Assembly Euom to the oar waiting outside, an attempt was made by some of the bystanders to get possession of them. The movement was not a powerful one, and it did not appear that the crowd then intended to kill the prisoners right off, although there is no saying what might have happened if they had got the men into their hands. Certainly, Sutherland and Ogden would have been at least roughly handled. The police, however, guarded them well,and hustled them into a car. When mounted in the vehicle, Sutherland called to tho crowd, “ You lot of ours, you’d go for a man now, when he’s bound and helpless, but when I was loose a few days ago you’d run like b— rats.” The taunts and reproaches uttered by the crowd against the prisoners elicited various remarks from them. When taunted with being the murderer of Holman, Sutherland said he wished they’d put him out cf misery as quickly as he had put the dead man. Some one in the throng asked, “Whoscalped Alf,” and Sutherland was overheard to say that he did not do it. His defiant bearing and profane language did not show much alteration. There were still about him signs of an intention to begin a career on the combined models of Morgan and Ned Kelly, and Dick Turpin and Claude Duval, and Don Quixote and the Choctaw Indian. Now, as throughout the whole tragedy, his one delight seemed to be in the pleasure of killing, like the individual the French sometimes talk about when describing English cruelty —“ Come,” said he to his friend, “ come, it’s a fine day, let’s go and kill something.” Ogden, on the other hand, lost much of his self-confi-dence, and is much more depressed than at the beginning of his captivity. Although be is credited with being the prime mover in the outbreak, he seems to have kept in the background while Sutherland did the shooting. It seemed probable at first sight that Ogden would be the first to break down, and that presumption has turned out correct, as he has unmistakably shown the white feather. After the inquest, Sutherland having been reproached with his guilt by the crowd, Ogden protested that he was not guilty, saying, ' * Well, if I’m hung, 1 will be hung innocent.” Sutherland appeared much disgusted at his companion’s weakness, and said contemptuously, “Dry up, you enr, and cry for your mother.” Any appearance of faltering on the part of Ogden or any taunts of cowardice drew from Sutherland angry remarks. There is a strong opinion abroad that Sutherland will maintain his brazen effrontery to the last moment, but this is doubtful. The indirect evidence of Sutherland being the murderer of Holman, supplied by his conversation with Sub-Inspector Palmer in the brake, has been considerably strengthened by circumstances attending the disposal of Holman’s property. During the excitement which was naturally felt by the captors on that Wednesday afternoon, some of the articles carried by Holman escaped discovery. A number of them, such as note-paper, envelopes, powder tins," etc , were found lying about on the ground, where they were scattered by the assailants when ransacking the cordial-van. There were also some sausages or saveloys lying about, and a number of empty bottles, showing that the marauders had been busily feasting on the contents of the van. Holman’s watch was found on Ogden. The case of the watch was in the left waistcoat pocket, with an Albert chain attached, while the works was in the right pocket. Ho other property of his was found at the time, but it subsequently transpired that there were several articles missing which the deceased had with him. These have been subsequently found by Constable Phillips in the bush near Epping. Among them was a made-up dress, tied in an handkerchief, and addresssd to one Miss Marley, Bris ‘ane-street, Launceston. The fact that Holman was returning from Launceston makes this direction inexplicable, as the dress was a new one, and apparently only just come out of the shop. The rough way in which it was bundled up in the handkerchief made it appear as though it had been hurriedly opened by the prisoners when overhauling the van. There were also two coats found. One of these was inquired for by Sutherland after his arrest, as he said it contained a watch of his. Constable Phillips searched fqr the coat, qnd found it with another at Flood’s, of Epping. The coat claimed by Sutherland was a long waterproof, and in the pocket was found a watch, as Sutherland had stated. The history of that watch is interesting. Some four weeks ago several men came into the bar ot Mr John Bergin’s hotel in Campbell Town. One of them called for five drinks, which were supplied. The man said he had come from the waterworks, and was going to Hobart. When asked for the money for the drinks he said he had none, and some words then passed between him and the landlord. Eventually the defaulter made a grasp at Mr Bergin’s watchchaiu, hanging over his vest, and pulled away the watch attached to it. Tn swinging round the watch was damaged by striking against the walking-stick of Constable Phillips, who happened to be present at that moment. The constable at once took the man into custody. Mr Bertdn sent the watch to Launceston for repairs, and ascertained from the repairer that it would cost £l, When tho man who injured the watch was searched by the police, a sum of about £4 was found on him, and out of this was taken the price of the repairs. Constable Phillips, on finding the watch, at once thought ho had seen It before, and on reflection and inquiry the whole thing became clear. This was the watch which had been damaged in tho hotel bar, and was being brought bick for its owner by Holman i when ho met his death. Its identity wat 1 1 still further established by tho finding of « ; } check ticket ’with Borgia's- name on it, Cor

responding with the tie on the ring of the watoh. The prisoners wore brought away from Campbell Town on Saturday night. They were in readiness for removal to Launceston, when instructions wore received from the Chief Secretary that they should be transferred to Hobart. At a short notice they were placed in the express train, and brought on without incident. They came in the guard’s van in charge of SubInspector Palmer and Constable Phillips. A number of p ople were assembled at Hobart station on the arrival of the train, but the prisoners were conveyed to the gaol without molestation. They have remained very quiet since their arrival.