AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20089, 4 May 1927, Page 6

AFTER FIFTEEN YEARS.

HOW MURDER WAS TRACED. THE BOY AND THE RABBIT. DISCOVERY OF HUMAN SKULL. In the early days of the sheep stations in Victoria lences were low, and Hocks were kept from straying by the supervision ot shepherds, fences and boundaryriders were a Jater development. On u day in 1869 —August 26—a boy and his stepfather, John Baylis and George Ball, were engaged in erecting a stone wall on what was known as the Tea-tree Bun, in the Colac district. The boy ran after a rabbit, which took refuge in a "stony rise." In trying’ to find it the boy removed some of the stones; but instead of ii rabbit he found a human skull. It was that of Thomas Brookhouse, a shepherd who had disappeared 15 years earlier. Another shepherd, Patrick Geary, had been suspected of murdering Brookhouse. He had long left the district,'but the casual reading of a scrap of newspaper by his latest employer caused him to be found near Albury, and he was tried and executed in 1871.

The neatness of the missing shepherd—a dapper little Englishman aged 50 years, with light sandy hair and whiskers—was a factor of -sonio importance in the evidence. "Brookhouse was a very tasty, tidy man,’’ said one witness. "He used to lace his boots very close.” His bodily peculiarities wert also important. “He was a small, spare, tidy little man,” said another, "with sharp features and a prominent chin." Fragments of his closely-laced boots, of his blue shirt, Jiis silk handkerchief, and his carefullypatched necktie, were found with the skeleton in the stony rises where the body had been hidden. There, too, were his large knife and his pipe—scarcely identifiable, but like those used by the man. His prominent chin, his slightly turnedin. toes, his missing teeth that gave him trouble in holding a pipe, and other charaotorstics were shown to agree with those of the skeleton. SHEEP STEALING LEADS TO TRAGEDY. In 1854 Brookhouse and Geary were shepherds employed by Mr Hugh Murray, the owner of Tea-tree, between Lake Cor-ang-amite and the Wanion Hills. Brookhouse had the care of a flock of fat wethers, and it was his duty to supply mutton occasionally to Geary > who was camped about a'mile from him in charge of a lambing flock. Geary’s hut was between 11 and .12 miles from the home station, and Brookhouse’s was three-quar-ters of a mile further' ■ It was ob served that sheep were constantly missing from this part of the run. Brookhouse first visited a neighbouring run to see if any of the Tea-tree sheep had got "boxed’’ with aJiother flock. Then he become suspicious of Geary as a aheepstoaler, and communicated his suspicion to their employer. With a view to obtaining evidence of theft Mr Murray watched Geary on several occasions through a telescope from the hills. Soon afterwards Brookhouse was missing, and nothing’ more was heard of him, though hia favourite dog wandred about for some time in the neighbourhood of his hut, howling "life a blackfellow.” Geary assisted actively in the search for the missing man, but even then he was suspected of murder. A remark made to him by his wife, and overheard by a constable, strengthened the suspicion, but no steps were taken against him at that time. At the inquest on the skeleton the murder was attributed to Geary, and when ho was found in the Albury district about two years later he was arrested. His wife, who had remained in Victoria, was taken with him to Colac, where they were committed to be tried'in Melbourne. Patrick Geary, who at that time was aged about 50 years, was charged with the wilful murder of Thomas Brookhouse on- February 28, 1854, and Margaret Geary, who was nominally his wife, was arraigned with him on a charge of being an accessory after the fact. The trial took place at the Old Courthouse in Melbourne on November 17 and 18, 1871 (a Friday and Saturday), before Judge Pohlman. Mr T. Adamson prosecuted for the Crown; Geary was defended by Mr Hickman Molosworfh. afterwards judge, and his wife was defended by Mr Sirr. VIVID MEMORIES. Time had scattered the possible witnesses, bub sufficient were brought together, and their memories of the disappearance and of tho incidents associated with it were vivid.

Mr Hugh Murray had died, but his brother Andrew', who owned Woolwool, south of the Tea-tree run, was well acquainted with the facts. He recalled in evidence that after tho disappearance of Brookhousc the searchers, thinking- he might bo lost in tho bush, followed his dog about in its wanderings ; but it always stopped after going about threequarters of a mile in a westerly direction from tho hut. This was where the, body was hidden. For some time they searched for miles around, but without result. Much sheep-stealing had been taking place. He and His brother had each lost from 300 to 600 sheep that year, and their neighbours had had similar losses. A former sergeant of police gave evidence that while outside tho hut of the Gearys lie heard Mrs Geary say, “Oh, Paddy, you murdering , you ougtyt to be hanged.” The sergeant went into the hut and asked Mrs Geary why she used such language. ‘‘Oh,” she "said, “lie’s always angry with me; I don’t know what to do.’’ “She then began to sing some sort of an Irish song,” said the sergeant, “and I left.” REMARKABLE CONFESSIONS. Most convincing of all were Geary’s own confessions, made at Lis hut in New South Wales. When he, begau to speak to Lynch, a former companion and then a fellow-station hand, Lynch told him that ho did not want to hear tho story at all, and that if Geary did not keep his own counsel ho would suffer for it. But Geary, like the Ancient Mariner, had to speak, ami ho told of a most brutal and callous murder. “Since you and I parted in Tasmania,“ he said, “I have been a very bad boy. I have been living at a place called Golac, on Mr Murray’s station. One evening, as I was skinning a sheep at home, another shepherd on the station, called Thomas Brookhousc, came up to me and said: ‘lf you don’t leave off I’ll “see” you for it.’ He then went into the hut and I followed him in. I capsized him into a fire and kept him there for a time. I said to myself I was not sharp enough to make away with him. I pulled him out of the fire, and he went to tho door. I followed him out and got an axe and hit him with it, and knocked him down and killed him. I then went for my horse, and when I came back ordered my wife to fetch me a bag quickly. She brought me a hag and helped me to put the body into it. We both put it ou the horse, and I took it awav and buried it among the rocks.” REPORT STIRS GUILTY CONSCIENCE. The New South Wales employer of Geary—Mr Patrick Murphy, of Piney Ridge Station, Billabong Creek —also told of a confession made to him by Geary, which agreed with that made to Lynch. Mr Murphy thought that (deary was a little crazy, as it seemed improbable that a man -who had done such a deed would tell of it; but some time afterwards he saw by chance a report in a newspaper of an inquest held at Colac on- a skeleton. He told Geary, who seemed troubled, and said: “I want you to do a good turn for me now. I expect to be taken every day, and if anything should happen to me I expect yon to look after my son.” In evidence Murphy denied that ho had communicated with the police concerning Geary’s confession, but apparently someone on his station —probably Lynch—had done so. Geary and his wife had been living apart for many years. At the Golac Court Mrs Geary showed great excitc-

incut, and talked continually. She said: ‘•Cleary, you murdered poor old Tom. I assisted to put Brookbouso before you on the saddle to save my own life.” (ieary then said: “The woman's delirious; don’t mind what she says.” When they first met after their Ion? separation—at the coachhouse, Geelong, when they were brine escorted to Colac — Mrs Geary said; “That is my husband, Paddy Geary. I have not been so close to him for 15 years.” It was thought, however, that she had warned him of the, result of the inquest, addressing a letter to "James Tye”—one of his several changes of name. At the Supreme Court hearing both the Gearys were calm and silent. The jury after deliberating for two Lours and a half, found the man guilty, but acquitted the woman. When the judge, after pronouncing sentence, said: “And may the Lord have mercy on your soul,” Geary said, “Amen. 'This is the last of poor Patrick.” lie was executed at the Melbourne Gaol on Monday. IVeember IS7I. Geary was born in County Limerick, Ireland. He had been sent to Tasmania in 1841. .. _