THE CLYDE ROBBERY

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2281, 29 August 1870, Page 2

THE CLYDE ROBBERY

The evidence of the informer Rennie at the magisterial enquiry does not throw mnch additional light upon the matter. It establishes clearly the fact that MacLennon conceived the idea of the robbery at a very early period of his sojourn at Clyde, and made a previous effort to carry it out. In reference to the robbery, Rennie says ; I have received several letters from the prisoner, in one of which he announced his intention of visiting me. In his first letter he said, “If you come to Clyde some dark night I will give you as much gold as you can carry.” In a subsequent letter he says, “As it is kept in an out-house, and can easily be got at ” The prisoner came up to the Arrow one Friday, after dark, and stayed with me until midnight, and then went to an hotel. After conversing for some time, he asked me if I had thought over what ho had written in his letters to me. I told him I did not exactly understand what he had meant. He then informed me that the Escort was in the habit of coming down once a month, but that the Escort left Clyde once a fortnight, and that when the gold came down from Queenstown the Escort was the largest.. During this visit we had a great deal of conversation as to how the gold could be taken from Clyde. The prisoner said he had made a key for the outer-door, and had intended to take the gold himself, but thought it too much for one to do. Prisoner said that a screw-driver would be necersary to remove the screws of the plate of the inner door of the building in wdiich the gold was kept. On the Saturday night the prisoner slept at my house, and on Sunday morning I volunteered to accompany him part of the way to Clyde. While at the Camp prisoner showed me the place where the treasure was kept, and then told me to get away quickly, before I was known, and I then made my way back to the Arrow. Some time after this he called upon me at the Arrow', saying he was going to Queenstown to relievo Sergeant Fox during the latter’s absence. During the time he was with me W'C had some conversation respecting the robbery. Prisoner said he had removed the screws from the plate w’hich secured the fastening of the inner door of the treasure room, and after cutting off the greater portion had replaced the heads. He showed me some of the ends of the screw's he had cut off, and said the job of removing the plate would be more easily done when 1 came to take the gold. He also showed me one of the screw's belonging to the gold boxes, so that ■■ might know what kind of instrument was needed to open them. He said he had a scrcw'-wrench for the purpose, which he would give to me. Ho said he had informed Cantley, the lock-up keeper, that he had a mining share at the Arrow, which he assigned as a reason for his visits to that locality. I next saw' the prisoner on his return from Queenstown to Clyde. He stayed one night with me. We had a great deal of conversation about taking the gold. He said the Escort would be down in a week or a fortnight, and that I must have everything ready, but w'as not to come until I beard from him. As to the first attempt, bo says:—Having received a letter, I left the Arrow for the purpose of stealing the gold. This was about a month before the robbery took place. When just entering the town of Clyde, about 10 p m. on Sunday, I met the prisoner, wdio told me that the robbery could not be done that night, as he had to go on duty, and that I must go back to the Arrow as quickly as possible, hut that it W'auld be all right next time. He then gave me the key of the outer door and also the screw-wrench. I planted the wrench, but took the key with me. Proceeding to des ribe the way in wdiich the robbery was effected Rennie says : “ Subsequently I received a letter from the prisoner, to the effect that I was to be in readiness on Sunday, the 31st of July. That letter I answered, telling him to have ready a teed for my horse and refreshment for myself. About 10 p.m. 1 arrived near Clyde, when I met the prisoner. He had with him some oats for my horse and a bottle of porter for myself. He told me it was all right, but could not stop, as he had to get back to the camp. After having drank the porter, I found the screw-wrench, which I put into my bag, together with the screwdriver, the key of the outer door, a pair of shoemaker's nippers, and a dark lanthorn, and proceeded by the back of the township to the Camp. I there tied my horse to Card’s garden fence. I then went to the Camp wall, and waited till I saw' two persons leave the nearest building, which I assumed to be the Qflice, as I noticed by the shadow on the window that one of them was writing. Upon leaving, one w'ent straight to the .Sergeant’s house, the other turned to the left. Shortly after pi isencr came to me and said ‘ ‘ Where are you going to put it?” Ho thought the burying ground would b: the safest, and that it was better to bury it than to hide it among the rocks. He left me saying he would get me a spade, and shortly afterwards returned witli one, coming from the direction of Card’s gard -n. He then told me to go to the place where the gold was, and said I was to take plenty of time, as there was no danger ; that ho W'ould W'arn me by tapping at the window’. The prisoner (hen went In the direction of the barrack room and I to the treasure-house, the outside door of wdiich I opened with the key given to me by the prisoner. I w'ent inside and shut the door after me. I then commenced to unscrew the bolt plate, and while doing so heard a noise as of children crying, followed quickly by footsteps coining from the direction of the barrack room, and a tap on the window. I remained quiet for a short time, when I resumed the w'ithdraw’ing of the screws. Throe of these I took out easily, but could not get out the fourth altogether, so had to wrench the plate to get it clear of the holt. The door being free I entered the room, and saw boxes of gold upon the floor, two of which I took, and placed them in the passage, and shut the door of the room. I then opened the outer door, placed the boxes outside, ami locked the door. Prisoner, at this time, was standing outside the barrack building. I w'ent and told him that ope of the screws w add not draw. He asked if I bad got the gold. Prisoner said, “it will not do for me to see the gold, as every one in the Camp will be searched and sworn tomorrow’.’' I then went to the boxes. I carried them one by one to the sod fence, over which I placed them. I then carried them to a water-hale close to w'here I had tied my horse. I intended buckling them together, and slinging them across my horse, but found I could not do so. I unscrewed the boxes with the nippers, took out the parcels, and put them into a bag 1 had provided for the purpose. I threw the boxes into the water-hole, together with the lanthorn and the screws from the boxes. Paring all this time I bad been without my

boots, which I now put on, and led away my horse (avoiding the town) towards Cromwell. 1 proceeded as far as the Dunstan Dairy, on the Clyde side of which I planted four or five bags of gold, I then went on, still leading my horse, to where I made a second plant, consisting of all the remaining treasure, excepting one bag of gold and several parcels of the notes, the distance between the two places being about a mile?. At the second plant I deposited the treasure in two separate places, not far apart. It was there I threw away the screw wrench, the key of the outer door, and the screws of the inner door. I threw them into the river. The spade and feed-bag I also threw away, but do not think they went into the river.

The subsequent finding of the money and gold has been already told. All the notes are recovered excepting about one hundred pounds worth, the loss on which is about equally divided between the banks.