AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGING

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12070, 13 September 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGING

EXPERIENCES.

PRISONERS AND PRISONERS" OR-

AX IS ATI OX.

No. VII.

[»!' AX EX-BrSHKAXGKJR.]

When' 1 was in Paramatta Gaol 1 was eonfined in the cell next to Andrew Hume's.

Hume was a curious character-and told strange tales of himself, which led to some striking adventures. He was in gaol for robbery under arms and doing a ten years' sentence. He stated that he had some years previously been lost" from an exploring party in the vicinity of Cooper's Creek, and had b.-e-n picked tip by a tribe of blacks, wii' rd him but would not give him the chance to return to civilisation. ■ He was kept a prisoner by the blacks for a long time, but finally made his escape and reached the Darling Downs, after many hrrcships, with nothing on him but an old possum rug. ''pile was given proper clothing at one of the stations, and tramped down country, but he could not get any work to do, so he took to bushranging and was captured. That was part of his tale, told straight enough, and seemingly true. The other part of his story was" more wonderful: He said that whilst he was with the blacks he came across a tree on which were blaze marks and a piece of writing stating that under the tree were buried certain things belonging to the Leichardt Expedition. He told this in an innocent sort of way so often that at last the prison authorities heard of it, and they made it known to the. New South Wales Government, who made it- known to tie Queensland Government.

Several prominent men mine to see Hume, and to question him, and amongst them came Mr. Stint, the explorer, who was then pity magistrate in Melbourne. Heme answered all the questions put to him in a satisfactory manner. He seemed to know the nature of the country about Cooper's Creek, and the position of certain hill-: and watercourses, and all this gave such an air of reality to his tale that at last the Queensland Government- made an application for Hume's release, so that he might guide a party to the spot where the relics of Leiehardt might be found. This application was granted. Hume was equipped with necessaries for his long journey, and two men were appointed to accompany him. After an absence of eightmonths he turned up again, in Brisbane, declaring that the two men sent with him had refused to go beyond a, certain point, and that he had been unable to go on alone, as he was afraid that the tribe of blacks who once held him prisoner would kill him if they found him. Ha offered, however. to make another attempt to find the relics if ho received sufficient, protection. After two or three months' delay Hume once mora started on an expedition to find the relics. This time he was accompanied by a mounted trooper. The party were absent three months when tho trooper and ono other member of the expedition returned to civilisation and announced the news that Hume and the other members of the party had perished through thirst, and that they, the survivors, hail narrowly escaped with their lives.

There -was another man in Paramatta Gaol whilst I was there more interesting even than Hume. This was William Scott, afterwards known as Captain Moonlight, perhaps one of the most notorious bushrangers in New Zealand. Scott was doing a two years' sentence for obtaining money under false pretences. He declared that he was a clergyman's son, and there was no doubt about him. being an educated man, but, he was the most egotistical, selfopinionated fellow I ever came across. He was a medium-sized, nervous, fidgety man, always wrangling witlfsoriieone, and always making a scene of some sort when he got the chance. Whilst he was in Paramatta Gaol he pretended to go mad. and was sent to the lunatic asylum, but the Medical Board there decided that his case was not genuine, and he was returned to tha gaol. He finished his sentence and was released, but soon afterwards was taken prisoner whilst robbing a bank in Victoria, and received a. sentence of ten years. He managed to escape from gaol, but was retaken and sent to Pentridge. Whilst in Pentridge he became very much attached ti a youth mimed Nesbit, so much so, in fact, that they were called David and Jonathan. When they finished their term Scott and Nesbit were joined by four others —quite young fellows— they formed what became infamously known as Moonlight's Gang. They successfully stuck up in the most daring manner a number of places, and became a terror to the whole countryside on the borders of Victoria and New South Wales. At last they stuck up Wantaladgerie Station, belonging to a Mr. Windyer, and whilst in the act of robbing the place they were surrounded by a. strong body of police and a number of armed civilians. A stiff fight ensued. Those engaged in the actual encounter were fairly evenly matched. One of the first things the. bushrangers had done when sticking up the station was to pen up all the station people in a hut, under the charge of two of their .gang. The first of the bushrangers shot, was one of these I wo men. He was killed on the spot. For some time the fight was very hot, both sides blazing away as fast as they could. Then the Chief of Police, a man named Bean, was severely wounded, and immediately afterwards Nesbit was shot dead. This affected Scott, who was captain of the gang, in a marvellous manner. There, was in? doubt about, him being fond of Nesbit, for when he saw him fall he. gave a great shout as if he had been wounded himself, and threw up his hands as a signal of surrender, and he, together with Jones, P.ogan, ami Williams, was captured and taken to Sydney. The Chief of Police died shortly aiterwards. Scott and his gang whilst awaiting their trial were allowed to read all the newspapers containing accounts of their sticking-up case, and were permitted to havo legal advisers. Scott, however, would not accept the services of a lawyer, but declared that, he would defend himself. The prisoners came before Judge Windyer, who was afterwards known as "the hanging judge." It- was his first case, and he gave it great attention. Scott's defence was not at all successful. The counsel defending the other prisoners constantly had to protest that Scott was damaging the case of his clients. But no amount of legal skill would have saved the men, for the evidence against them was so strong. They were all found guilty. Scott and Rogan were banged ; Williams and Jones were reprieved on account of their youth. Whilst serving his life sentence Williams stabbed a fellow-prisoner, for which crime he again appeared before Judge Windyer, and was found guilty and sentenced to death, the judge remarking in passing the sentence that he should have been hanged with Scott, and Rogan. Much influence was brought to bear to have Williams reprieved. His people in Victoria were well to do. and tried hard to save the young fellow's life, but it was no use. He died at the Lands of the hangman on the common scaffold, and Jones, the sole survivor of the gang, dragged out the weary years of bis sentence in gaol. Prisoners have a curious sense of loyalty towards oue another, and will often sacrifice their own interests to defend a fellowprisoner. I remember a very strange event happening in Berrima Gaol when I was serving the first part of my sentence. It was a. regular strike, or in reality a rebellion, that cwne about in a, simple" way. It. was just after a Royal Commission had sat to inquire into certain charges of unlawful practices alleged to have been carried on by the chief ga-oler, William Small. -V low, mean type of man was in one of the solitary cells for some offence or other, and started screaming as if he were being murdered. One of the prisoners engaged at cleaning work heard his cries, and went close to tho cell door and asked the man what was the matter. He answered that he. hurt been beaten most cruelly, mid was a. j mass of- bruises! from head • to. foot.. The

weird went round among the prisoners that one of their fellows was being unlawfully used, and all the men struck work. They would Hot muster. They would not do anything, they declared, until they knew what was being done to the man in the cell. The gaoler told them that, the mart was a humbug, that he- had not been badly used, and that the only violence practised 0:1 him was to forcibly take off his boot?.

•Hie prisoners would not believe the gaoler. and asked him to produce the man and let them see him for themselves. This the

gaoler would not do. and things began to | look very serious, for the prisoners grew j very threatening. However, the gaoler did 'a, very sensible thing. He sent for the j prison chaplain, the Rev. George Sheppard. I v man who was very much liked and ! respected in the gaol. ' The chaplain went i into the mans cell and examined him. but could not find any bruise on him or marl;

of violence. He gave that man such a talking to for causing a disturbance and leading other men to risk punishment all for nothing! Then he came out and addressed the prisoners, and when they heard his explanation they sent for the gaoler and apologised to him for refusing work, offering to go to their tasks at once it lie woidd permit- them. Lucidly the gaoler was not a vindictive man, and Chaplain Sheppard pleaded for the prisoners right well, so that their offence was overlooked. Refusal to

work in a, New South Wales prison then was a very serious offence, and each man could have been Hogged and otherwise severely punished. As it was justice was served in the right quarter; the man who had caused all the trouble got twenty-five lashes, and when he came among his fel-low-prisoners again they gave him a very warm time of it. There was still another case I remember which serves to show that prisoners have a sense of loyalty and are not altogether bad. This happened in Paramatta Gaol. At cue time there was a lot of malignering and humbugging. Every morning forty or fifty men claimed to see the doctor on some pretext or other, with the result that those men who were reailv

ill might, be at death's door before they could get any assistance. At last the prisoners altered this state of things themselves. Some of the leading men asked to s«fe the gaoler, and when he came to them they begged leave to hold a meeting of the prisoners in one of the yards, telling the gaoler exactly what- thev intended 'to do.

The gaoler allowed the meeting to be held. Some speeches were made, and all the men solemnly promised on their word of honour that they would not seek the doctor unless something really was the matter with them. They kept their word splendidly. The following morning not- one name appeared on the sick list, and the doctor, who had been nearly worked to death trying to cure the complaints of forty or fifty men daily, had not a single case. He was so taken aback that he made inquiries and found out what' the men had done. For six weeks not a. name appealed on. the sick list, and when a patient did appear of course he received proper attention until he was able to resume work again. This state of things lasted for many years, and enabled great improvements to bo made in the prison hospital and in the food and general treatment, of sick prisoners.

I know by my own. experience of over forty years, mostly spent in prison, what men in gaol feel aud think. There are very few, even old criminals, who are bad all through. Many of them would have been good men and useful citizens but for some sudden temptation, some unfortunate accident. Sometimes men have gone into crime through the fault of others—a treacherous friend, a faithless wife. Sometimes men have been sent to prison unjustly when they have not been guilty of any crime, and I shall write about such men some time. One thing, however, I must not.forget to say about old criminals, and that is they rarely try to lead young fellows to follow in their footsteps. 'Some of the worst of them might do this, but I have often seen old men preaching to young ones on the folly of a life of crime; but I've said enough "in favour of the criminal, though he does not often get a. chance to speak for himself, and I have a kindly remembrance for some men I've met in prison,