The Tasmanian MURDERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 4, Issue 115, 23 April 1883, Page 2

The Tasmanian MURDERS.

c DETAILS OF THE ATROCITIES COMMITTED. A Launceston cablegram published a few days ago stated that two youths, named Ogden and I>avis, had been committed for trial for the w Iful murder of two men, adding that the details of the crime were terribly atrocious, and i hat the murders had created much excitement, from our Hobart file 3to hand we extract the following details of the crime : — Wilson, who was a repairer on the line, and worked m gang No. 28, had gone to be) about the usual h >ur on Monday night, and after being there some little time he was aroused by stones thrown on the house. The family, consisting o f Mr and Mrs William Wilson an d four children, aged from twe] ve to six years, and a visitor named Mrs Boram, were living i» a slab hat with a small gaiden attacheH, si mate about 40 yards irom the railway line, and nearly three miles fiom tipping Forest station, Campbell Town. The husband, William Wilson, went, outside to see the cause of the noise, and had not gone far when the report of firearms was heard, and Wi son called out, "I am shot." The inmates of the hut heard a further noise and men , alimg for them to come out of the hut and they would shoot them all. In a terrible sta f e of fear they remained inside, not daring to move. After a little time it was discovered that the desperadoes had piled woid, &&, at the side ot the hut, which was set fire to m three places, and commenced to burn rapidly. Mrs Boram first ventured out, with a child taking a trunk of clot bos, ■and then holding up her hands, offered what money, &c, they had if their lives would be spared. She Was m the act of stooping when she was also shot and fell, the slug entering her right side, shoulder, and groin. The family meantime were all forced outside by the tapidly-spreadmg 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 and threatened to shoot both mother and girl, and the mother gave him 10s, praying him to &pare her children. Her entreaties prevailed, and the men eventually made off m the direction of Epping station, threatening that they would return the following night and continue their deeds of bloodshed and destitution. Two of Wilson's boys, who subsequently escaped, ran to Epping station and reported the murder, and, on help arriving, Wilson was found dead, having been shot m the head, breast, and groin, and must have expired immediately alter 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 behaved m a very desperate manner, declaring themselves as Jim Kelly and Dan Riley. They had a bright- barrelled gun and a borse pistol. Mrs Wilson has identified one of the murderers as a young fellow named Jim Ogden, and known m the neighbourhood, the other being similar m appearance, with fair complexion and light whiskers. Wilson when shot, was only clothed m his shirt, but he had suspended frow his neck a small bag, containing the sum of £7. This his murderers missed getting. After they had shot him they broke m the windows with an axe, and set fire to the cottage at both ends. A later despatch says : — 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 m a state ot terror. The great consolation is that, thanks to the energy and pluck of the police and residents, they have been captured, and are now m safe keeping. It appears that two tramps answering the description of Ogden and his companion passed through Perth en Sunday last, and they are suspected of stealing goods from a dwelling at Symraons Plain, thence the"f 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, and wantonly wounded a helpless woman, they took to the bush at no great distance from the railway linp, and waited f° r further victims. Before leaving Wilson's place they avowed their inteution of attacking other residents m the neighbourhood. No one came to the assistance ot the Wilson family during the time the attack was made. Mrs Wilson, it is said, ran to a neighbour's house about a quarter of 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 the corpse of the murdered husband was removed from the place where he had fallen a victim to the fire of his relentless assailants. A jury had just been sworn m at Campbell Town on Wednesday to pnquire into the death of W. Wilson, when a telegram arrived stating that Tom Bowley of the railway, was shot m the bush. 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 were believed to be m the forest. The murderers, James Ogden and James Mahoney, alias Sutherland, were captured the same afternoon at i 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 that

afternoon without any warning as he was driving MoKenz'l9'B lemonade carb to Campbell Town. Prisoners, when captured, made their boast that they could have shot Sub~lnspector Palmer and Constable Phillips, whom they had covered with th^ir guns ia the d«k while they (the police) were patrolling the forest. The prisoners did not seem much concerned, and were singing Kelly song^ m the lock-up. Alfred Holinan was murdered m cold blood « He was driving a lemonade cart from Launceston, and was shot while passing between Snake Banks and Epping. Atter shooting him the murderers took the cart into the bush. The police found his body covered up bj a log. He was not quite dead at the time, but expired soon after. His lemonade 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 murderers than surrendered. Eolman'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 of a severe struggle havin » take'u place. Holman 35 years old, and at one time kept a publiohouae at Hobart, and latterly a lodging-house m the Quadrant, Launceston. He was a most steady and industrious man. tie leaves a wife and three children. Tho murderers had drunk or otherwise disposed of, ton dozen bottles of ginger beer and a small keg of ginger wine, and eaten a sonsiderable quantity of biscuits. The murder took pace between 1 1 and 12 o'c'ock m the forenoon, and the murderers, after their capture, were driven to Campbell Town by Mr Page m his brake. They were m 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, kuowing that Ogden and his associates were still m the district, as they had been seen and recognised there after the Wilson murder.