QUEENSLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 705, 2 August 1869, Page 4

QUEENSLAND.

OF ME HALLI&AN

recent murder of Mr Halligan on his way to Rockhampton from the sympie Creek diggings, where he had feeen purchasing gold, has created considerable excitement in Queensland, and the following account is condensed £rom the Ilockhampton Times:— The actual murderer of Mr Halligan was a notorious bushranger, named Palmer, assisted by a man named Wiliams (known as Old Jack), another earned Charles Taylor, and a third named Archibald, the landlord of the Lion Creek Hotel. The robbery of Mr Halligan was concocted in Rockhampton, the movements of Mr Halligan being well known to Palmer. The plan agreed upon was, to waylay Mr Halligan on his way home, but a delay of several weeks arose through Palmer getting thrown from his horse. At last they were ready for their work, and Old Jack kept watch on the road for the coming of their prey. Mi Halligan was espied by Palmer, who took up his station on one side of the road just by the entrance to some scrub, while Old Jack stationed himself on the other side. Old Jack and Palmer were each armed with a revolver. As Halligan had nearly passed through the scrub, Palmer rode up to him, seized hold of him by the coat, and said " Give me the gold." Halligan replied, "I [won't, Palmer; I know you, Palmer; I won't give you the gold." Palmer, who was not disguised, retained his hold on the coat, the horses still going at a canler; Halligan used his whip freely on Palmer, saying at every stroke, "I won't give you the gold, Palmer; 1 will not give it to you." Halligan increased his pace to a gallop, and as they cleared the end of the scrub they both turned to the left, Palmer evidently jamming him off the road. Palmer held the reins of his own horse, and held Halligan's coat with his left hand, and in the right he held his revolver cocked. He kept pressing the mouth of the barrel savagely against Halligan's teeth, jobbing it in and calling on him to stand, endeavoring by niain force to bail him up. Halligan continued to cry out, "I won't, Palmer; I won't." Halligan then propped his whip, and drew his revolver from his belt. Up to this time the men had been scuffling, Halligan endeavoring to shake Palmer off. Old Jack, who followed up close behind, called out to Palmer, "Look out, George, the is drawing his revolver; he'll shoot you." Palmer upon this struck Halligan's revolver pn one side with his own, and Halligan's revolver went off, the ball striking one of the trees. Almost instantaneously Palmer fired, the ball from his revolver entering Halligan's breast, and coming out behind. They proceeded but a shoit distance further, when Halligan fell off the horse. Palmer still retaiuing his hold on him After he fell, he continued to shout put Palmer's name. They pulled up and dismounted, and bound and gagged him where he fell. They then took the gold and notes, and his ring of his left hand. They also possessed themselves of his revolver, and then rode into Archibald's at Lion's Creek, leaving Halligan out of sight of the road bleeding to death. Archibald had left home about six or seven o'clock in the evening, and was not at the house when Palmer or Williams arrived. They waited until his return about ten o'clock, and then Palmer, Williams, Taylor, and .Archibald were together in a room in the house, where they showed Archibald the gold and notes, Palmer saying, " Look at this , doughboy I've got; don't be afraid to handle it you ; I shot Halligan ; he knew me ; I had to shoot him ; he is not dead. Old Jack then chimed in, saying, " 0, we left the —— to die ; I gagged him to stop him calling put; he would call out Palmer's name, and I tied him up." Other conversation followed. The gang then had something to eat. After this, Old Jack and Palmer mounted their horses, and taking with them from Archibald's a soogee bag with bricks, rode fo the place where they had left Efaljigan. Life had departed when they reached the spot. They tied him up securely, and placing him on one of the Worses, took him across the open otouikJ between the fences of Trelasdee

paddock and an adjoining paddock. It| was then about midnight, and bright moonlight. When they got near the river, they tied the horse at the spot to which Inspector Murray tracked the hoof prints. They then lifted the body off the horse, fastened the bag of stones to it, and took it down the river, dropping it in a place where they thought there was deep water. Having completed their bloody work, they went to the Agricultural Reserve, where they camped, and were hiding in the long grass from them until the time the police and civilians were searching for the body. They conti nued hiding all the time of the search ' during Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursiday, and Friday, hiding during the day and riding about at night. On Friday morning Inspector Murray started his black trackers, and found it very difficult to make much pro gress. On the following Friday, May 7th, the body was found by Humphries. in the interval between the murder and the finding of the body, Old Jack and Palmer used to ride over at night to the scrub on the range, near the Corporation Quarry, at the top of Archer-street, where Taylor used to meet them. Old Jack, who was known to very few people in town, used to come into town, for food and rations, while Palmer camped in the scrub with the horses. On one evening at the scrub, Archibald, Taylor, Palmer, and Old Jack arranged to go over to the Gracemere scrub, where they went on the night of the 4th ult. On the afternoon of the sth, Palmer and Old Jack were camped in the Gracemere scrub, where they were juined by Taylor, who brought with him a spring-balance and a tomahawk ; Archibald brought some grog. A division of the plunder was then made. The camp was an old one of Palmer's and Jack's, the entrance being gained by one and the exit by another. The gold was weighed and divided, Old Jack holding the knife while Palmer used the tomahawk. There was some difficulty in arriving at the value of the weights, when Palmer said he knew all about it, as he had the receipt, and the weight on the balance went sixteen ounces to the pound. They divided the gold into three parts, cutting off one piece of 26ozs. for Palmer, the remaining portion being left with Old Jack, who was to take out 26 ozs., and the balance was to go to Taylor, and for the payment of expenses. This, we are enabled to state, was the distribution of the gold. They had a drink. Old Jack produced Halligan's ring, and took the stone out of it to prevent identification ; he and Palmer agreed to toss to decide the possession Of the ring. Palmer drew a coin from his pocket, and called to Old Jack, " Heads, I win; tails you take it;' Old Jack said, " Tails the is, and I have it." The ring was then taken by Old Jack. Archibald and Taylor came into towa together, leaving Old Jack and Palmer in the camp, the former of whom came into town and stopped at the Cornstalk, and as the night fell Palmer came into the town and got on Archibald's horse, which was tied up in Fitzroy-street, and rode away to Mr Nobbs's paddock behind the range. Here he possessed himself of two horses, one a grey, belonging to Mr Touisant; on this grey he placed his swag with his revolver, with which he shot Halligan. The horse got away from him, carrying off the swag and revolver. The morning of the indignation meeting—Friday, the 7ih, the horse was, with the swag on, found down the river beyond Gavial Creek. Jt had Archibald's saddle on and the revolver. It was on the morning of that day that the first slight clue was obtained by the police, and this was several days after Palmer had left the neighborhood. It was a very slight one, but it led to a sure track. Qn this morning, Mr Elliott, accompanied by Mr VV. Pattison, drove in a buggy and pair over some eighty or ninety miles of country, followed up the slight clue previously obtained, which rested on a bare suspicion. Mr Elliott, however, formed his plans and issued instructions upon which Archibald, Taylor. Qld Jack or Williams were arrested almost simultaneously on Friday evening—Qld Jack at the Cornstalk, Taylor after coming out of the meeting, and Archibald on the verandah of his house at Lion Creek. Immediate search was made for Palmer, but he of course cleared out.

Palmer took to the bush where he evaded the police for some time, but he was at last found, greatly exhausted from the privations he had suffered while hiding from his pursuers. All four men have been committed for trial. Taylor and &rchbald being charged as accessories.