WEST AUSTRALIAN OUTLAW

Otago Witness, Issue 3443, 9 March 1920, Page 43

WEST AUSTRALIAN OUTLAW

A YEAR'S OPERATIONS. (Feom Oue Own Cokbesfondent.) SYDNEY, January 21. A very elusive thief has just been caught and sentenced in West Australia The police had made many attempts to "get" him, but had always failed For over a year settlers, storekeepers, traders, and railwaymen along the Midland Railway had complained of extensive thefts. There was no doubt that they were t-he work of one man, who moved from district to distinct, living on the proceeds' of his operations. He raided unprotected railway sidings and settlers' homes, and he had no hesitation about borrowing a horse, riding it as far as he required it, and then letting it go. One settler, from whose home the thief had carried off a supply of meat, potatoes, onions, and milk, described him as a fellow "who lived like a dingo in the bush, who robbed where he could, and killed a sheep when he couldn't." The man was regarded as a sort of outlaw. One method he _ not infrequently applied was to secrete himself, in a goods train, toss out various articles from the moving trucks,. and then go back and help himself to whatever he wanted. _ On one occasion in December, the following articles were found beside the line within a quarter of a mile: —Matches, whiting, sauce, vinegar, boot polish, vanilla essence, pickles,

He could give no coherent account of where he had been or what had happened to his mates. Ho bore the marks of terrible experiences, and the belief became general that the Baker party' had either been exterminated by blacks, or had died in one of the deserts of the interior. And all these years Baker's gold has awaited his return. It has been passed on from Cooper's "son to his grandchildren, and it now totals £525. And this week the court declared that Baker died in 1852, and that Cooper's descendants are the owners of the money.