Daniel Morgan

Northland Age, Volume XVIII, Issue 36, 8 February 1949, Page 4

Daniel Morgan

CHAPTER TWO About Christmas of that year Morgan took to himself a gang, having recruited three men of his ilk to his banner, and training them in his principles of operation, they set about the business of living off the country —or those that inhabited the country. But the squatters had been warned of this character and the loc&le of his operations. Therefore they took other roads, though longer, on their way to the larger cities of Melbourne and Sydney. The harvest for Morgan and his men was in a state of famine. The country was parched, and so were they metaphorically and figuratively speaking. Their tempers were growing worse and worse, so to keep them at his side Morgan organised a little entertainment for them. They found a lonely shepherd and to celebrate the current season of Christmas they tortured this poor fellow and finally shot him dead. This put them in a better mood, and from then on their fortunes changed a litle. Some small sums of money came their way, and they were able to live more in a manner to which they were accustomed. They were ranging now more in the country between Wagga Wagga and Denliliquin. It was within sight of Wagga Wagga almost that they held up and robbed a well-known squatter and took from him some £125. This was, up till this time, the richest haul that Daniel Morgan and/or his gang had ever made. They were jubilant. Things were coming their way. A couple of months after this episode, In June 1864, a sei’geant and console were patrolling the road overtook a horseman who was riding slowly along the road near Copabella. At this time lone wayfarei-s rather welcomed the advent of armed troopers, and would ride with them for miles. They felt that they had a modicum of safety from the vicious Daniel Morgan. The sergeant, a genial soul, eased his mount to an amble as did the trooper as they ranged alongside the rider. “Good-day, friend,’ ’smiled the affable sergeant. The rider swiftly turned in his saddle and there was a glare in his eyes. The sergeant was warned far too late. * The horseman whipped out a revoj** ver, and yelled : _ “Helh b s for me. Then this is for you.” His revolver spoke twice before the sergeant could even get his hand to his own weapon. The sergeant’s horse reared, and the sergeant slid slowly from its back. He was dead. He had had no chance whatsoever. His foot caught in the stirrup, d the terrified horse made off with the body bouncing along by its side. It never stopped until it was exhausted, and the sergeant’s, body was not one to be viewed by any person at all squeamish. The constable in the meantime had given chase to the hard-spurring Morgan, but his horse was no match for that of the bushranger’s, and after a long chase which was also a gun battle at an ever-increasing range, the trooper gave up the chase, and spurring back to Copabella he was able to raise reinforcements and set off after the murdering bandit. Some twenty troopers took up the chase, but their numbers were as nought, for no sight of Dan Morgan was there, neither could word be had of him. He again had applied his knowledge of the bush to his escape, and he had vanished. Morgan shortly afte r this made an attack on his own. He went to Round Hill Station, where he found the staff at work round the shearing shed. Under the muzzles of his threatening revolvers, the surprised men did just as they were told. Morgan demanded rum—and lots of it. It was brought to him, and quaffing the fiery liquor, he told the men under his “care” that they must drink also. Nothing loth, they got to work on this free grog, and before long the potency of the rum added to the heat of the day, a story was told, and all were more or less drunk. Songs and laughter were in order,

until one tactless fellow asked Morgan where got the fine horse he was riding. Morgan gave a yell of rage, and shot the fellow through the leg. All quickly became sober. The wounded man was bleeding i profusely lying there in the sun, and one named McLean asked permission to go for medical aid. Morgan gave his permission, and as the man mounted and was on the point of riding off, Morgan yelled : “You b . You’re not goin’ fer a doctor —you’re goin’ in to lay an information against me.” McLean turned the horse and was about to spur off when Morgan shot him in the back. Then in a mad rage Morgan turned on the others, ar.d mouthing curses, he commenced to shoot men as they ran. Lead spewed from the muzzles of his guns, and when they were empty Morgan mounted and rode off, promising to return and continue the orgy. He left behind him one dead man, one dying and three wounded. A few weeks later the gang made a raid on the Yarribee Station. This was to be a mater of business, not pleasure. It was an array of full force. But after the job of robbing the place had been completed, and all the goods that it was intended to take had been loaded on to stolen packhorses, it was found that the station had a considerable amount of spirits in stock. This must not be allowed to go to waste. So botles were opened, and before long the entire staff of the premises were ordered by Morgan to drink with the bushrangers. In those days spirits were spirits, and not the watered stuff we know as such today. So bearing this in mind, it is not hard to conceive that in a short space of time most of the station hands were in a state of insobriety with the bushrangers. But in some instances this state became one of truculence, and when some of the men commenced to air their views on the bushranging frater- j nity Morgan went nearly mad with rage, and seizing the station branding j iron, thrust it into the fire and threat- I ened all and sundry that he would [ brand them if they didn’t cease their j talk. Most of them did, but there were a j couple who were too far gone in liquor to take much notice of what he [ said, and continuing their caustic ob- ! servations, they drove tic, and. under the guns, -f me n, he forced the to hold b<? branded them. them he did. Well and ■deeply—so deeply, that one of the men never recovered from the shock, and soon died. The smell of the burning flesh worried Morgan not at all, and he proceeded with his revelries, and after he was sated he and his men rode off laughing and shouting. Their day’s work was done, and supplies were once again plentiful. (to be continued)