GARDINER AND HIS DISCIPLES AND THEIR VICTIMS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1850, 10 July 1874, Page 2

GARDINER AND HIS DISCIPLES AND THEIR VICTIMS.

[FROM THE SYDNEY EMPIRE.] Those who were not in the colony during the bushranging era can_ hardly^be i in a position, from anything that has been jrpcently 'published, i /to; cqriiprehend the consequences and understand the wide ramifications '^bf the system in troduced-by i Gardiner,and carried -put by his disciples. It is thought, therefore, that a narrative ■of the principle i -..events . ; w,hich .took -pkee during thes period' when "he and' tiisj successors, were ;mpst active y. inj crime will jbe useful at the "present time. The systiem of bushrangingjr.byroprganised gangs was originated by Gardiner in 1860, shorjtly. after he was J released from Cockatoo, on a ticket-of-leave for the district of Carco'ar. iM- that iiin'e there ha T d ; been nothing' like the mounted., .and, armed bands of bushrangers, such* as those organised by Gardiner, .ever heard of in the colony \ in-' deedj'no 5 very serious cases of "crime of that kind had .occurred for more tnan twenty years, arid 'outrages by individual • desperadoes were; of t comparatively rr^re becurance. In June, 1860, Gardiner's gang comprised. Peisley and three or fcjur others, and they attacked and robbed wrfch impunity "mail coaches arid travellers during several months, until Gardiner was ■ ■ captured. •'' f Peisley ' tKereripon : procured more assistance^ and succeeded in 'rescueingihis,:leader:and?companion; in Icriirie from the police. They committed several, daring robberies soonaftefwardsj'particu^. larly; from September ifo December, 1861; At - the latteri date ; Peisley . :mpst deliberately, in cool blood, murdesr.edamannan'ed William Benypn. Peisley. was captured in 1862. He was ; cpriyicted/ 'ari^his careier' was brought ta a clbse^byhangirig at Bathurst gaol. f ■Gardiner^ !; o'n' losing' his chiefmate,,' Torganisedi ' another ' ; gang ; ; -bri this ' occasion hisrasspciatesrW,ererm6stly young fellows sunder! twenty. s The., gang had. their head-quarters in the Pinnacle Mouri-' tain , ... neighbpurhpod. .";' 'A [ young . man ■named'Joh'ri Gilbert 1 was apppinted a sort of lieutenant to- Gardiner, who ' acted as, commanderiih-bhief. ii' Th c! 'iband were armed with Miniejriflesand ■ Colt's revolvers, wore a kind of uniform-7-red. shirts, tight buckskin breeches, and-, caps — and did not conceal .their faces.. , ; They had ■ some of the, ibest horses iii,tlie; : country, and a regular', system' of "bush, telegraphs "--^mounte'd Hoys— ;in' '^ttieir pay.;. As sobii' "as :i tneir brgariisatiori was complete f Gardiner^ and' his lieuteuarit, Gil-. ■ Bert, ; arranged : and ' "successfully carried' out the robbery of the Wfesterri gold escort. They.placed, themselves in ambuscade behind'some rocks in a narrow pap's kriowri as Eugpwra, Rocks, r and fired.avolleyanto ' the ' midst of the men composing the escort, so suddenly arid unexpectedly that little resistance was offered ; : the whole of the escort men were paralysed for the moment,, and the bushrangers got clear off. with their booty— consisting '■ of gold and; cash to the .amount bf nearly LI 4,000. 1 Several bf th ! e irira composingthe escort were wounded, but' "ribrie'of them' fatally ; although one of, (their number met his death immediately wardsTr-by his own \ hand, either by accident, or", as it was supposed, prompted :iby the shame and disgrace he and his companions in theescort had experienced mpermitting the property entrus ted "to "their charge- -to V>e taken !i by ''^tne :!ri buslirarige!'rs. '• In ? 1863, three of,. r the,j all .-. mere,, youths—Bow, Fbrdyce, arid J Manusr^w.ere cap--tured and tried fpr )the. escort .robbery^ Manus was fianged ; ; the. pothers were repreived, and their sentences commuted to long periods of imprisonment. ; This cap--ture of three : of their- niiriiber,- arid the dispersion of others; caused a great i breach of the band, arid ; for a shprt r:! tiriie the country remained- coriiparaiavely ' quieti Near the close. of 1863, however, five" of six of the inbfe : daring'bf tfie J lot — Lowry,^ "Daley,:Vane, tw6~Bufkes" ? arid'-'Q'Meally -^reappeared arid commenced' a series^ of bolder depredations' than -ever, --In' the mearitime, Gardiner, whb; had fled to .Queensland after the.. capture and; .execu^ ; "tibn 'of Manus, was,' appr,eiiended tfiere by . Detective M^Glpne^and^iSopn, afterwards a new- leader^. ifßeurJrlall/ Appearedi.on the scene and joined Gilbert and the others] -They enlisted iew- "recruits— ; orie : ? named Mount, alias Gordon^ arid another, Dun-; leayy. , The latter was so.on .afterwards shot; * The ; gabg;was^af terwards joined by bthers of greater or Tess'nptbrieity, notably *Mprgari~ancl tbjß]t^.;Clir]£e^ v J' r ;;. ,^'!'. (^ \ [The 1 list of ouiragesgiYetti'by lh.e^JEm\ pire extends over five- columns, and is admittedly imperfect; . W'e^ give a few of the ceases ofof show- the ; reign> of^iJerror ;estab-i lißhediby-Gardiner -and T his matek; :j -whom it is now proposed'to liberate.] ■ April. 12,, 18^2-^C.Pnstables, .Sanderson,; Lyons, 5 and -Kennedy,' cbniirig' : 'down to ;Yass from: the,Lachlan,;found three ibush-i rangers ;at' Mr, ißrewster'siiStatidn. Both| parties foughtiwith revolvers. Mr Brew- ; ister and \Lyons :were wounded^ land Davis, la^ate'-d^Gardmer's^^was'shdt^ itf places and captured; Ji He wais afterwards tried, ;and:sentenced to imprisonment for life.' ':. j.:i;7RJ.:;!.,:.' i qii Junei 16.-eThe •gold.escort; rp^beryjj.one 1 of^tiie^jafost. 'daring (and 'extensive" "rob- 1 •.berieTs^n^the atin&ls 'pf i - r bushranging.x>nAs' the escort, wi^ J - the t mails, containing; several money-lettera|rand about 3,0000z, • of gold, w'is^.mmg^^ialqfigj^eV/.Eugbwra; Creek, it was ' l yt r -eieyep men, who suddenly;ma^e|li^eir.a:p^^ance from behind "the rocks'," ario^ .'fifed volley after y.oUey with\d§liberationi and at the;, word: of; command ' from iGardiner. i The police rptuEried the;fire.;: but sosudden, was/the: attack that they were powerless "fromfthe ! nrstpaiiid"the' ! pobbers d§camped with the whole; of. the gold and money. Sergeant Gondell 'was wounded ! iri four places ; jborporal Mpran, two r bullets near the, grbiri ; and Fagari, " the driver, also ; received two shots. The police prqeeeded to Orange, and on nearing the town, Constable Hayiland was shot dead,, but; whether by accident or design could not be ascertained. The Government.;; ooffererd r a reward of LI, OOO and free pardon to any accomplice who should first inform; On the 23rd of the same month, Sergeant Sanderson and his men returned from 'their pursuit of the robbers' in. the Weddin 'Mountains, I wfiere'tHey ! 'recovered .about ijSOOoz. of the gold, but did not succeed in capturing any of the. men; • ' : On the 7th of > July -Sir F. Pottfriger, with Mr B. ' Mitchell 'and det.ecti.ve^y.on.s,'; arrested; two; men.) -near Marool, named furrier, and Darcey, suspected of being concerned in the robbery of theiescort. •"Turner had Ll3s^ in cash, andllO^ne^pPund-nPtes^'ajidDarceyhad 2130z. .gold. WJbile qonvejapg^ the prisbn^rs t6 tbJe lockup, th : e police were attacked, by seyen^irieri, and ,a desperate fight ensTie^SPiKan^r and darcey escaped during tlie affray, Lyon'a horse was Bhot 1

jdead.j Sir F. Pottinger succeeded in es•capirig with the gold to Beckham's station. Ipsp'ector Flannagan recaptured Darcey a -few days afterwards, and he was sentenced to death. Three of the others were afterwards captured, and imprisoned for long Jterms,.... ,_,._^., r ._ tv^^_ rw "August 2.—^TheAppin jrad Wpllongong , mail tsj^s ■attacked -ancT^robb^dYby two mounted men, believed .ip_be. Gacdiner "and^Gilberfrwheii tfiunmdstaps&y? mailman, was shotiinjth^shoulder. November 4.— Thef down mail^^ to"^ydney from Mudgee, with four passengers, stuck up by Gardinerj He afterwards stuck up tpo. travellers, and Mr John Smith, of Apple-tree Flat, and tied them to/aftree; y Five more travellerslcanae by, all of whom the; bui3hrahgerTstuck upland • tied- to': trees.' ;He rtheri f or the up-maily'>which'-He' bailed up and took a quantity of gold and notes. Ocbober :26[ 1863.--Gilbert and his gang attacked r -Mr ."Keightley,.. r Gold.T r Comniissioner, at r nis"h'6use near Roo^lgyfjfpThe : Commissioner resisted, and 1 one' of them .(Burke) ..was sh^t dead.,. Mr-Keightley at lerigtK.surrend!eredj and^ane deliberately loaded' his pistol and' \ was l ab put &> shoot him 1 to avenge^ his comra'de's^ 'deitK^ when Mrs Keightley.' !l^nd l -a - v wdman l)!> &e*frant rushed in between them. A parley ensued,, and r a ransom of LSQO was, asked ; for? ;The , rbbb^era, _ ipol^V 1Mx i 'Keightley into, the .busii^ .and' ..kept::^um.^ s ,prjs6ner , until the ransom^^waspaid^byfl^V^pJi' 011 * M. ; L. r A. „.v,; ' : ■ /^i. ;i ;r '-A\ ni ' p^iv'6 jrn Npvßmbe^is/T-7]tf<)rgan;appiearedatryin- ■ cent's station, near, Magga,' and /bailed up all the.hands, twenty-one in nuinberi'r He tied young Mr-Vincent to a tree, and made him witness -the destruction of ' his own andi mother!s -property. He burnt the dwelling-house and outbuildings to the ground. The loss was estimated at April 9, lß64. —^Agang : 'bf .'sevenvmen, including Tommy Clarke, planted themselves.attiie;ipot v «ftithe.mfluntaint"pear Nerrigandan, on the road leading from.the gu%toswait for persons, comings from the Bega races. They -first seized a Chinaman audimurderedi him.'-. Mr ; John 'Emmett came up next, and they robbed 31 him^ of Ll2Oi l after wbundinglnimSnd killing his horse; They then proceeded to the store of Mr. Ppllock, whp wasjthe i .principal gold 'buyer 6n-the' GuK,'' and* toot between 200oz and ZQOs>z r of . gold. A At dusk^ftiey called at Wallis's public-house, and bailed up arid robbed the r| 'riieri I ''in tHe^nar. One of the inmates managed to? 'get an;ay un?6^se^edy ; a^dgav^.mfOT the lock-up' Keeper; nam'eS'^^Gracly'i Notwithstanding the fact that tie' was lying "sick" Tn^d~&Timmediately v rose, and with his rifle' iiPfiis fiaSad' proceeded to Wallis's, where was atonce.fijedj at, but he succeeded in shoo^g^on;e^£the gang dead. His shot was x t%|ig^dtor a volley from the bushrangeri^^nd^tne gallant fellow fell dead/'TheTrest^ftHe^nJ^e^mPd. € he&an -he 1 - killed- was7named Fletcher, a L riatite bttheV district; ylb^d'Hb^nycTthe 'garigpfflVa.we^ '"'ir/\'Jt' •4rni4^ameT l Cro6^w^ ]^ J)lDulhranger,. whp^, o^her- r prispners, was being, tal^en" from Bernma'to Sfy^ney, imade'a "preconcerted attackiOn^'e^psj^ctrt. /A furiousi.hand : to-hand contest)_» ensued. The prisoners were ultimately overcome, rbut .not>i:until[ rafter CrpokweEsiadHshot Constable ' Raymond dead with>:a'riflßT r he ' had succeeded in wrenching from one of rthe q r otheij+ ■constabl§s.^sTwd' f£ pnsPnfirg iriamed'SlatteryJ'Sad Blandi 1 r Yere :r s^v»^y ■ r w'ouhde r d^ -and: ! ttiS ;r othe^;;su^fltfeWd f Crookwell, wEb r ; o was° rl o r rily "'^weni^-lttree years of age, was afterwards flanged, tthe,pthers,s,e^ten§ed.tQ,imp.^Q^enttor lite. 3 Uoz 'Qz'^'ib sXi'vn ,ao.t3tvo-Kr okxmß June 16. — Morgan. committed the 'most villainous explpitin hismurdeiJous-ciTCer. FourcgentlerHMwefersittirig^ conversing in the drawibgroom ofthe-EwuirdrSill Station, beloriging to-' Mir Senty, and situated abrjut forty mflelfjft&mr^tituy. IChey.w.ere-iMri^atspn,,/^ sttperinmdent 9k.qf-.the .station j . Mr^ M^eiil, Jfche overseer *; 'Mr, M'Lsan,, tfte L camet oyer^ W ; r . r y^^ie^^^^nafi|>d Mr and Mrs Henty were in' their bedroom] by Morgan^ who\ wi%n r a ? pfsWin%achiand, forrmaUy^ntrodu^^^ ttenty where thej^jog rwas. Mr H. procured a bottle <r pf'gin,\ and.. poured, some outfpr.rMorgan.. He ? - however, said,'"'l&>u musi; yourself, sfirs^' asQjou .miglit.^aye it;readyiforim"e,''', rMr H.T,did so, after which Morgan drank somee^ff, [and; calling: the . seryantp ordered i dinner, .and) instructed heritoftell one of; the" station, bands to v put hw'hbrae intp'theslable aridgive Mb 1 *feedr" ! While" having ■'dinner he^hadJhe.fpur'^geMiemetf'aHd^r and Mrs^H; 'bailed' up in a corner of th* • ro"6m^ fx Hfe'chatted freely, and ate hiP^ clinner # with: a7r^v6lver^ ip hand and four others iin^his belt. si[ After dinner he brought upalHhe; station hands, and : nea6^^'g^in : ''alf xo\in.&t >;; -Alter|he h^d made them thus ,three~Dr •fdur'bottlesy lie ofdered'hu norse, Mounted i^aM^r^firinf^^llml^ . . ampngst.^he crpy^d, a yrtnsfesos£ eiffept in the hat' of one of the' men, proceeded uto ride leisurely away. _JHe had only gbne about; jwhfCLttigMry Watsqn spme,what;incautious.ly said, '^Thosg are Jhe stirruprirqns.which_you-stole-from- sq 'Mr W.'s LheaqL-andrJared^j r Mt %w ins,t^cfaydy f p,ut fO up^^ Ipne of .^Hgl^thjB l bujletipaased...>H€( thipn ran away to a shed where/<th"e;;i^stcnwas, iplanted.vMorgan followed, andEfiredrigfit land lef tfatcthe crowd, -who fled in'al1 + dsik tions. The first shot went through youflg Mr-Hefipti's'legi'- between the knee and thejtirMe^sHa^ering the^bonerk^pigsej. Young HFrlo^T^wiKis broken leg, rau abbututnir^; 'lyWd^^ntf'-feff^^Moipn camejup:^o,him i an.d pujjjhisijpiatolJto *hka Young Henott said, v 'Don*t kill me, Morgain;' ; you^evbrbE^n r my'-W^m iWatson-alsoiran uriitooMorgany 4m>» plored of him >( for God'-s^HejOQtvto) kiU him." Morgan then ordered .the station hanaSftd'ca^youh^Henb'ttiji tfienoqse. and putihimionthete'd;^ ThebusHilingCT himself -cut^the r b : odt ! off' 1 the !d ieg, <rj; knd directedaiman to attend on [tlie youth. He then bpund (^ handkerchief round Mr ;v .Watspn's ■ hand^' ■ saying,' "he • was sorry he did that:'" " xhinking Morgari hadrelentfi^jMr H^lleaia asked)permission' tb for a' doctor^ whici '^Tor£§b g^anted^i ? M^M- t lie«tiih'aS•iia^eiy i mounted his. horse,; hpweyer^ ..when MoKg^i^ fearing perfiaps that Mi' Lean migh,^ give iriformatibir^tb 1 the police; ;> fire(i Aj aV J hrn without saying; a; word, ■ Th^^all '©nteWd the unfortunate gentleman-'^b^kjs. %fej>|[? the^p^ .and Judged in the abdomen. He fell from .his horse with a cry of agony, and expired Boon afterwards. Morgan

then iritrbduced the rest of his gang, who had, been, secreted in the bush close at hand 'during. the enactinent'pf this diabolical tragedy, and the whole; crew remained carousing until. two o'clock in the morning, when they decamped.! The Government, immediately on hearing of the sad event, offered LI,OOO for^ the capture of Morgan.. ' ; . December 18.— Morgan bailed up both the up and down mails near Albury ; took a roll of bank notes from ]VTr Manson, of Beechworth, and shot a Chinaman (name unknown) dead, because lie^resisted. December 10.— Hall, Gilbert, and Dunleavy; stuck up the . Gonlbourn mail at Towrangy and took L3O in cash from 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 Bapture, 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 LlOOincash, and burned the stores, books, and house to ashes. The loss was estimated at Ll,ooo. BTJSHRANGEHS SHOT OR HANGED^ Peisley> hanged ; Alexander Ross, hanged ; Charles Ross, hanged ; Heather; shot dead by Mr Lowe ; Charles Robardy, hanged • John Commings, shot dead by one of his mates while an '. attempt was being made to rescue him j T. F. Lowry, shot dead by Sergeant Stevenson ; Burke, shot dead at Mr Keightley's; O'Meallyj shot dead by Mr Campbell at' Goimbia ; James Lo^ry, shot dead by- Constable Ward ; Smith shot dead at Wondilla by Trooper Saunders ; Morgan, shot dead by Quinlan ; Ben HaU, shot dead by Constables Davidson and Condell; Gilbert, shot dead by Constable Bright; Dunn, hanged at ' Darlinghurst ; , Fletcher, (one of Clarke's shot dead by Constable O'Grady ; Crppkwell, hanged at DarlingHurst ; Rielly, (one of Clarke's gang), sho^i dead by Constable M'Glone; Pat Connell, shot dead by Oarcoar police ; ißurke, (at one time belonging to Gardiner's gang), hanged j at- v Melbourne"; John : Clarke, hanged at . Darlinghurst ; W. Clarke^ hanged' at Darlihghurat ; Ward (Thundebolt), shbt dead by Gonstable Walker. : VICTIMS MUBDERED BY BUSHRANGERS. • Odnstiible Hayiland, shot dead; Daniel Crotty,' mailman, shot dead' ; Peter Clarke, drover, shot dead' by. Wilson ; John M'Bride, minWr, shot dead by Gilbert and ; Lowry ;, M'Qinnerty,,' trooper, shot dead ' by Morgan ; M'Lean, shot dead, by Mor- ! gan; Constable Parryj sh,pt dead by Gil- 1 bert;, a Chinaman, name unknown, shot dead by Clarke's gang ; Constable O'Grady, ! shot dead by Clarke's ; gang ; h another Chinaman, name unknown; shot: dead by j Clarke's gang ; Constable Raymond, shot ! dead by Crookwell and others ; Commis- \ % sionerGrenfell, shot dead near Narramine ; i Specwl-cpnstable Carroll, shot dead by [ Clarke's gang ; Special-constable Kehnagh, ; shot tlead by Clarke's gang Phegan, shot I dead by Clarke's gang ; Special- constable | M'Pqnnell, shot dead by Clarke's gang ; | * James Doren, bushranger, known as the! f'Long Tailor," murdered, it is believed, ; byGhirke's.gaiig, to prevent bis giving! information ; Noonang, half-caste bush ' telegraph, murdered, it is believed, by| Olarke ? s;gang, to prevent his giving in- ; formation'; total number of bushrangers shot or. hanged, 23 j total number of per■bhs murdered by bushrangers, 20 ; total lives sacrificed during years 1862-1867, 43. ..j8f.8.-r -The above list of victims includes those only who were actually killed on the spot, or died almost immediately. Of those who died of their wounds, after lingering for some time,: or who were manned for life, we have no return. Then there is- the T ease of Mrs Brdwn, wife of a! respectable settle^ who was : seduced by Gardiner, left her husband' and family— breaking-up .a comfortable " home-^and | liyed T frith the outlaw until he . was cap- \ tiired, ':.. Afterwards she went to New Zea- \ land, and \ ' died a violent " death at her r own hands, ia a tent at the Thames goldfields, : in 1868. Doubtless-there were cases; also, of persons murdered by the bushrangers, . whose bodies were never discovered. Therefore; *at a moderate ; estimate, at least fifty lives were sacificed during'the time that the system of bush-| tanging inrtroduced by Gardiner was; »unpant.- „; . ''■'". '.V,'J '"'■- ■■'■ .;. , ;

••The supply of live quail obtained by Mr; JLowlands from Nelson pet Charlesi Edward,! on- Friday, arrived at Westport -in a very : healthy condition, and. the .birds have been; since let loose. Thirty, are: in Dr Thorpe's paddock at the Orawaiti, and ten at Mr A.. Game's farm, at the Junction, Addison's road; ..'.-: ■ ■ :.. .: • .' ..■;,:•.-'. .' .