AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 109, 16 January 1873, Page 3

AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY.

A S\i»-hy newspaper pnbhses nn evtraordinary story about the ship Madagascar, which sailed from Mc'bourno years ago, aiul was never afterwards heard of. It is in the form of a statement by a ct r -esiwiidont, and is dated November 27. 1872 — " La-t night I met wit'i ono of those wild impulsive spirits who, ne\cr at rest- whether with thousands of pounds at their command, or minus a shilling wherewith to buy a meal — are to be met with in anil about our great gold-field rushes only. His narrative of what he know of the probab'e fate of the Madaga<rar was to the fo lowing effect •— A gentleman, a nat.ve of Cirnj all, but b.-ou t ht°up in the firm of Larmg Brothers, emigrated fr;m England in 185^, with his wife and family, to Melbourne in the ship Birmingham, Captain Kirdy. He brought with him three men sen ants, hired to serve him in the colony three \oirs. On arrival at Melbourne the men Mere furnished br their employer with a large tent ami provisions, and encamped at North Melbourne, preparatory to going to the digging* with their mister. A disposition was shown there by the men threatening an early opportunity of breaking tbeir engagement with their employer, who had remonstmted w ith them for harbouring in his tent nearly all tho ship, who hid deserted for the divings, lie settled with them and g.uc them their d seharge. Some months after tins ono of these sonants, a man named Robson, returned to Melbourne from the diggings with one thousand seven hundred pounds worth of gold, leaving it at the house of his former employer, who was not at home wl en Robson arrived. On reaching home, and finding the gold there, and learning that Robson had left it, lie made search, and found the mnn drink ng at the Buck's Head publi .'iousc. He told Robson that it he did not remo\e the gold he would pitch it into the street, as he was not going to run the n»k of being murdered for the sake of the gold. The gold was therefore taken away, tho gentleman putting a seal on tho -t.-ing for Robson, who handed it for safety to a publican, in t'le pre-M-ncc of his former master. Robson said that the gold belonged to himself and three mates — his former fellow stij vants — and he was going to buy a draj and pro\ isions, and return to them at the Ovens. "This occurred just about the tune of the private escort robbery, and the gentleman had taken his passage to England iv the Madagascar for himself, wife, and family. Just then the steamship was detained m consequence of the arrest on board of three of the e>cort robbers, who were afterwards hanged. One more of the robbers was known to lwuc been on board, but he could not be found. Then, as is well known, those of the mob who turned Queen's evidence were put on board the Malagascnr, and sent out of the colony. Now, owing to tin 1 detention (tf the steamer, tho gentleman had changed his mind, had landed from the steamer intending to make a further ft ay, when illness overtook his wife, and she died within three days of coming ashore. Before this, on going on board the Madagascar one day, he -aw Robson there, and asked what he was tliero for, who immediately aiiawered, 'Oh, I have sent my two mates thoir «h ares of the gold, and I am going to England, 1 and Robson did sail in that \esscl. Almost every colonist of standing is nwaie that the Madagascar took with her an immense store ot wealth— some 60,000 sovereigns and Go,ooooz. of gold, lwides the large sums in the hands of the passengers, and tli.it the steamei was never more heard of. Now, m 1857, the gentleman (our informant) went to England in the Southampton, Captain Tonkin. He visited tho father-in-law of Robson, a Mr Chadwick, of New Brighton, in Cheshire, from which place the three monservants hailed. In conversation with the old man, who was a well-to-do farmer, he taid that some person bad told him (Chadwick) that his Min-m-law, Robson, had been hanged for the csoort robbery ; but by some strange incident he had received a newspaper from California, m which was an account of Robson's death, Ins nge, the place of his birth — Dumfries, Scotland — and the name of his former place of abode in England. This nowspaprr was brought from a box upstairs, by Margery, the wife of Chadwick, and our informant read the account of Robson's death him-olf, but bothered himself no more about t lie matter. After this our informant again went to Victoria in the Lord Raglan, Captain Roj.er. Again he took passage to England, in 186 , in the Sn iftsure, Capta'n Mayhew ; and one daj w hilst on the passage, just after noon, when the captu n had finished making his observations of the sun, and had recorded the same, he (our informant) was in the captain's pmatc cabin, when, among other matters, tho m\stcry attending the fate of the ship Madagascar Mas mentioned*, upon which Captain Mayhew said that Mr Green (the great shipowner) had told him that he beard of a man iv Mauritius (Isle of France) who, on his deathbed, said that he knew the man who murdered the captain of the Madagascar. Now, these statements have been made, and the incidents herein related have actually occurred, and ono not acquainted with the excitable class of men who rush about to the different goldfields and all over the world would wonder that these facts have not been published lon-j ago. But, in all probability had the talc not been told in the presence, of a member of the press, no notice would have been taken of it had it been mentioned a hundred times. The gentleman and I weie talking over the old Victorian affairs, when the Madagascar became the topic of conversation; and he suddenly made the lemark, 'I could tell a tale about the Madagascar that few people are nwaioof.' He then related the above particulars, and being well acquainted with the names of the ships, the principal occurrences, also localities named by him. there could be little doubt of its truth. The inference to be drawn is that this Robson had gone on board with his mates' gold, and afterwards had join some of the desperate characteis known to have been on board the Madagascar. They had then murdered the captain and passengers, plundered the ship, and afterwards destroyed her by tire or otherwise, so that not a vestige of her could be discoveted. Also, the probability is that some of the ganu, pai ticipators in the crime, are still living, and may yet be Im ought to answer for the deed, or be willing at least to give some account of their diabolical conduct. Probably the man Robson, fearing to be hanged, would not confess his participation in the crime, but procured a promise whilst ill that if he died the advertisement of his death before mentioned «hould be inserted, and a copy sent to England."