AUSTRALIA'S DICK TURPIN.

NZ Truth, Issue 62, 25 August 1906, Page 5

AUSTRALIA'S DICK TURPIN.

HORSE-THIEF AND TRAIN-JUMPER.

A Temporary Eclipse of a Corruscating Career.

How Clarence O'Neill Rode the Outlaw, " Bobs."

Some little time back, m Sydney, Martini, formerly famous as a triple bar performer, was running his big crowd of buckiumpers before nightly crowds of rocking, roaring , shriekinn- and cheering people and challenging all-comers to try and conquer, or even sit for three minutes, his crack outlaw, that devil m horsehide, "Bobs."

New Zealand's champion crosscountry rider. Clarence _. O'Neill, was one who tried. He accepted £30 to 10s that he could not stick to Bobs for three minutes. There was much preliminary display and harangue. Clarence took off his coat and watch and chain,, turned to the audience, at length, and spreading out his hands, as might a gladiator m the Roman arena, he cried aloud : "Ladies and gentlemen. I shall do my best. ' You watch me ride this horse. I don't think he could' throw me m a week." And three thousand pairs of hands clapped as one as the modern St. ■George turned to adventure a fall with the equine dragon,

They had Bobs blindfolded, his head held by a twitch and his ears, and after again testing girth, and surcingle Clarry was thrown like a feather into the saddle. He took the reins m both hands,, settled himself into hi & seat and cried, "Let him go —watch me ri . Like the young man •of Kild-are, he finished his "ride" m the air 1 Bobs wheeled on one heel, sprang 13 feet 7 inches towards the empyrean, corkscrewed up there like a dodging footballer, hit the ground with legs stiffened like iron rods and— Clarence Whirled through space, rooting up the loose earth and tan like a steam plough, for 14 feet 10£ inches after he lit.

Dozens of the best rough-riders from all parts of Australia, attracted by Martini's offer of _£iOO to any man who could ride Bobs, centered m Sydney, but nobody took that money away. Towards the close of a 16 week's season, when the horse-hair Apollybn was stale and sick of his star turn, Skuthorpe did certainly stick on Him for three minutes. But it was m his own saddle, a sort of easy chatir with huge steel knee and hip pads and a sheer fore and aft like an old-fashioned Dutch man-o'-war. He had no better luck than the others, m the ordinary English hunting saddle Martini provided.

Among those thus attracted from Out Back, was a fellow who styled himself Professor Kemp. He didn't win the century, but on other outlaws he showed that he was a. superb horseman. At the big- Sydney Easter Show Kemp and his wtife gave exhibitions of rough-riding, and made a dry bit despite the surfeit it -. might have been supposed "Mart's" long season had given. . Mrs Kemp distinguished herself, by the skill she proved to be possessed of as a rider of buckjumpers. Al s ° * n another way_ One of those bush "unchars" who seem to only come to town to- show the effete city men what poor things they be, and who appear unable to resist the temptation to make as many kinds of damned fools of themselves ,as ■ time and opportunity will allow, . got to coarsely chaffing the young woman, and "throwin' off" at her about her riding. She rode up to him and asked him to behave, when the township bully used filthy language and indecently grabbed her by the part that rests on and around the saddle. He was guffawing grossly and thinking what a hell of a feller he was, and how he'd tell of his "great larks, my blanky oath," when he got back to the station ; when he found that the weather had changed and it was raining riding whips. With her- dark eyes blazing lurid lightning, her lips drawn off the white teeth m a vicious snarl, her lithe form swaying to every movement of her steed and her whipcord and wire arm rising and falling like a slender ash-branch m a mountain breeze, the outraged woman was lashing that brute till he howled for mercy and finally, burst-in-g through the crowd, he ran for. dear life clear out of the show ground and was last seen falling- over his little brown bag into a West-bound train, at Redfer'n !

The Kemps were a little highstrung that .night and when he wanted to go to one place of amusement that she couldn't stand and she said he wouldn't go anywhere if he didn't come with her, there was something doing! Her shrieks and howls brought the landlord of the hash tower, who found Kemp, roosting on the prostrate form of his bride from the bush amid the wreckage of the toilet set. Kemp resented the intrusion, and the pie disseminator had a vision of a long projectile hurtling himwards and then found himself on the broard of his back with Kemp- on' his angel Nelly, pounding him like a two stamper battery.

. Mrs Mysterymonger flew screaming to the rescue but found the "Professor" was no respector of sex, and she lit on her neck half-Way along the passage. ,This roused the chivalry of about seven regular boarders, Who assailed the infuriated foal-fondler m force. The star boarder saw seven million stars at the same moment as he achieved a star black eye and a great Chip flew off his cheek-bone and stuck on the wall with a sound like "dhopp." Other valiant defenders of fair woman were variously damaged, but numbers prevailed and the hairy horseman was being gently sat upon, still biting, kicking and cursing till the neighbors thought it was an earthquake that made the atmosphere so sulphurous, when the cops arrived. No sooner did they lay hands on Kemp, however, than his lady took a hand with her wicked little whip and walloped them both good and hard before she was overpowered and disarmed. She also savagely bit one of the slops m the arm.

The little lot was assessed by an unfeeling Magistrate - at something over £17 and both would have had to "take it out" very probably had not a horsev-l.ooking stranger, who had watched the proceedings with

great interest, announced, "Here, don't take 'em m. I'll pay the lot."

The man as he stood m court, and as he spoke, displayed indubitable signs of at least eccentricity. Never mind about the hero of romance he is described as m the extract from a Melbourne paper, given below. Outside that Claud 1 Duvallian pen pictures the facts are that he has a "ratt-v" look— in two acceptances bf the term. He stood there, a mere bag of bones and muscles, his hair, which he endeavored to wear a la cowboy, was a mere scraggy stragele of unkempt (no pun intended !) locks that suggested the need of barber's scissors and hot shampoo. His face was narrow, with the shifty, black eyes close together beneath the shadow of a high, bony nose. He had buck teeth, yellow and gapped , and his . mou stache was like a few hog bristles stuck hap-hazard m a lump of din"-"- clay. His shoulders sloped like a lemonade bottle and his clothes fit him too quick,, all over. His voice was a high rasp, running into a nerve-racking falsetto and he was altogether a vision that made lots of people ask "who's the rummy guy?" He stood about sft llin.

After this escapade "Professor Kemp" went to Melbourne and the rest of the story, is thus told . by an Australian paper-:-Professor Kemp, horse trainer, otherwise John Daly, was convicted at the Benalla Sessions of horsestealing, and was sentenced to three years' <raol, with hard labor. Kemp will be remembered by Sydney people by his extraordinary appearance. He was a tall, thin man, dressed m white flannels, and wearins; long curls, a bis: red tie, and a^ larq-e wideawake hat* He was a-con-spicuous, person about town, and came into nrominence by challenging Martini and his buckjumper, and afterwards by giving buckjumping exhibitions with the assistance of his wife at the show irround. He then went to Melbourne, where ne proposed showing, but was arrested on arrival.

A tall, picturesque figure, with long black hair sweeping over his shoulders large grey eyes and handsome ieatures, clad m a heavy black cape, horseman's coat, a white vest, riding trousers and boots, with clankin'e spurs, the whole surmounted by a soft felt hat, rakishly worn, strode into the watchhouse last midnight with his hands manacled behind him (wrote the Melbourne "Age" at thetime of his arrest). Detective Considine held him by one arm, and Constable M'Kerrall, of Korumburra r with a loaded revolver m his hand,, escorted him on the other side; The detective, who had several warrants, charged his prisoner, as John Patrick: Daly, with larceny and horse-stealing. Accused, who arrived m Melbourne as Professor Kemp, proprietor of a big. rough riding showi was advertised to open at Fitzgerald's Circus, is a native of Barnawartha, near Wo-dori-ga, is 36 years of age,, and has had a singularly adverturous career. When released from the handcuffs, as he straightened himself up m the watchhouse to the full extent of his 6ft 3in, he looked a truly remarkable personality.

Daly first came into touch with the police 1 m April, 1898, when he was working at Sunnyside, Glen Willis, where he was entrusted with a cheque for £8 10s to cash for a woman who had lived close by. He never returned with the cheque, and with him disappeared the horse, saddle, and bridle of an engineer on the station. Hethen rode to Omeo, 22 miles away, and, picking up a grey pony mare be^longing to a deal-eir; rode her through Mitta Mitta to Bethanga, where he left her with a man named Lee, and picked vp '... another -grey pony mare closely resembling the one he left. That night he stayed at the police station as a guest of the local constable. He then went to Barnawartha, and called on his parents, who are respected settlers of that district. There Detective/ Considine, then a constable, interviewed him concerning the pony, as it had been reported stolen. Daly showed the pony he had, and explained that he must have mistaken it,. for' "his own," the other pony which had not been reported, and on this plausible explanation he was allowed to go.

Some days afterwards the racing pony Daisy Bell, the property of a brewer at Chiltern, was missed, and a fine horse was stolen from Rutherglen shortly afterwards. At the same time Daly disappeared from the district. Sergeant Allwood, of Rytherglen, and Constable Considine traced [Daly to New South Wales, where, at Lochhardt, he was racing Daisy Bell under the name of Griffiths. Seniorconstable Glennon of that place went i,to the house where Daly was lodging,; and, dismounting, tied his horse .up to the fence, while he went Inside to execute a warrant for his arrest. Daly, with the calmest unconcern, walked out at the back door round to the front, and, mounting the constable's horse, rode off, waving an impressive farewell with his wideleafed felt hat.

Constable Glennon, securing a horse from a farmer, took a short cut through the bush and intercepted Daly some miles along the road and covered him with his revolver. Daly, a superb horseman, sent his horse straight at a wire fence, and though he got over it he severely injured his ankles, as the horse came down with him on the other side. The constable again covered him, and throwing him a pair of handcuffs made him put them on, and then took him to the township and locked him up. Here the prisoner feigned madness, and being certified insane, was sent to the Kenmore Lunatic vAsylum, from which he made his escape m a Aveek.

He was then traced through Tabiijtop, where hejiad been scrub cutting, t-o'Cootamundra, where he was recognised by a schoolfellow. Considine heard of his whereabouts, and got on his track, but Dalv. who had evident*

ly learned of his danger, stripped himself on the bank of the Murray, swans the stream m flood, and went to tho house of a friend on the other side,, who clothed and sheltered him, and! got his clothes from the opposita bank. For some time he was kept by) friends m the district, and was nexti seen near Shepparton^, carrying hisswag.

Nothing more was heard or seen 08 him till, m 1902, he appeared at Korumburra as Professor Montgomery, the celebrated horse breaker. There he gave exhibitions of horsemanship that caused . the young bushmen of that place to fairly apotheosise him., There was nothing m the way of aa equestrian feat that he would not accomplish. On one occasion he had: half a dozen unbroken, unluvncUcd colts yarded, and to show his mastery over them rode them bareback,, without bridle, one after anotherHere he formed a class, and guaranteed for 2s 6d a head to teach the youths of the district to ride m one lesson "as well as he could himself.";

At a given time a large band of young fellows, got up m the most approved horsey style, turned up to have the lesson. They got it, foe "the professor" had gone away with their half-crowns, and, m addition, a slashing fine hack, the property of m prominent resident. Later m the year Daly was arrested at Delegate, close to the Victorian bonder, by Constable Rankin, who had been sent over t<* identify him.

Constable Rankin took him to Tu-* mut, en route to Melbourne, but m, the train, which was running at about 40 miles an hour, Daly, who had! gone to the lavatory, jumped front the window and escaped. He nex_ went to the north of Queensland,, where he was said to have performed! some hair-raising escapes from ' the police. A little while back he was seen and recognised by Constable M'Kerrall,, of Korumburra, who was down on leave, and who reported! Daly's appearance to Superintendent Sainsb-ury. Detective Considine waa detailed to arrest him.

Accused admitted his identity. His) manner is quiet and unassuming^ quite m contrast with his theatrical appearance. ,