SULLIVAN'S VICTORIAN HISTORY.
A writer—" One who knew him"—in the Melbourne Daily Telegraph gives the following account of the earlier career of the _ notorious Sullivan, when he was a resident of Victoria : "I may tell you I have known Sullivan for twenty-two years, and much of the time was a close neighbor to him. I also know much of his history previous to the time I became personally acquainted with him. Sullivan came to Victoria from Tasmania soon after the goldfields broke out, and opened a grog shop and soon after a boxing saloon on Bendigo, in which the manly art of self-defence was taught, and in which innumerable robberies were also committed. He was known to be the friend and companion of Black Douglas, Gipsy Smith, and nearly all the notorious villains of those days. Owing to the energy of the police and Bendigo Mack, Sullivan found Bendigo too hot for him, and thought to try bis luck in less populous districts, visiting Fiery Creek, Ararat, Inkerman, and finally settling down at Wedderburn, where, owing to the large quantities of gold being got, and the distance this gold had to be carried to market, he thought to make a heavy haul. After waiting for some time he thought he had everything made right for a ' lob.' He sent for his old friend Gipsy Smith, and arranged for Gipsy and three others to watch the road between Wedderburn and Dunolly on a certain day, when it was expected two or three parties would pass with their gold—just before the departure of the escort. And as one of the principal of these was a very determined man, and usually well ar-ned and well mounted, Sullivan, no doubt, judged that it would require four such men as himself and Gipsy Smith to stick him up. Gipsy Smith, according to the plan arranged by Sullivan, stationed himself at a narrow pass near Mount Moliagul, and waited for the expected. treasurer, but although fourteen men were stopped and ' bailed up' and tied to trees for the day, the expected treasure did not arrive. About 12 noon Sullivan left Wedderburn for the scene of action, thirty miles distant. When he arrived he rode round to each of the men, as they stood tied up to trees, and asked each what he had lost, in order that, he might know his proper share. Sullivan then went at once and informed the police at Dunolly of the robberies, hoping to prevent suspicion. One man, after stopping for a night at Sullivan's, went to the police camp and gave information that lie had been robbed. He said that Sullivan knocked him down and choked him until he was senseless ; that during this time he took from him his gold watch and £4O in cash. The police refused to take Sullivan in charge unless he went to Dunolly, and got a warrant. The man started off immediately for the purpose, but was never heard of afterwards. Soon after the remains of a man, partly burnt, were found near the road which he had taken. During the same year, two Jew hawkers left Wedderburn for West Charlton. They ha 1 a horse and small waggon. Three or four weeks after their dead bodies were found twenty miles from Wedderburn, and two carpet sacks, cut open and empty, lay beside them. No one lived in the neighborhood, and but few knew the hawkers had gone that road ; but Sullivan did know, and there are at this time living on east and west Charlton two men who saw Sullivan and a friend and confederate coming from the direction in which the bodies were found on the very day of the murder. These two Jews, like Jimmy Butler and Dobson, the surveyor, murdered by Sullivan in New Zealand, showed no marks of violence. About three years after this (in 1861), two more Jew hawkers (Selby and mate), left Wedderburn for Pleasant Creek, and were soon after found murdered, and, strange to say, Sullivan was again seen near the murder. In 1866 Sullivan left Wedderburn for New Zealand. He soon found some of bis old friends, and amongst them Burgess, Kelly, and Levy. ■ Tho number and nature of their crimes are now only known to Sullivan.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTIM18741229.2.16
Bibliographic details
New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4297, 29 December 1874, Page 3
Word Count
712SULLIVAN'S VICTORIAN HISTORY. New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4297, 29 December 1874, Page 3
Using This Item
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.