FAMOUS MURDERS RECALLED

Otago Witness, Issue 3523, 20 September 1921, Page 38

FAMOUS MURDERS RECALLED

THK MAUNGATAPU BUSHIiANGEUS. AUCKLAND, September 18. I A story has been going the rounds in 1 Auckland during the past week to the effect that Sullivan, who turned ''Queen's evii donee” in connection with the Maungatapu | murders, near Nelson, in 1866, died at a great age in an institution in the city last ; week under an assumed name, which he | had borne for over half a century. The I story of the crimes committed by the Bur- : ge-ss, Levy, Kelly, and Sullivan gang is ! one of the blackest in colonial history. | Ilow many men they killed will never be j known, but they were finally brought to j justice through the disappearance of four i men, named Kempthorme. Matthiew, Dud- | ley, and Pontius. When Sullivan confessed j he said that the gang had also killed Mr j Dobson, a surveyor, who had disappeared on : the West <'oast a few weeks previously, i Burgess, Kelly, and Levy were hanged in i Nelson Gaol, and Sullivan got a long term jof imprisonment. There have been many accounts of what became of Sullivan, the most accepted being that lie was secretly put on board a sailing ship en route for South America, and that after staying there some time he found his way to England, and became a pedlar in the streets of London, where it took him all his time to I earn enough to keep body and soul to- | gorher; and then that he passed bevond j notice tn a miserable hovel in (he East | End. Another account, is that, he became a i hand pit sawyer i:t the back-blocks in Tara--1 naki, and when that class of work failed he : became a stonemason, anj built stone ehinij ueys for settlers, but never stayed very long |in any one locality. It, is said that he j married for a second time when he was | quite an old man, and that about 20 years I ago. -.’hen someone made some reference [ to his history when the two were having a | drinking bout, he attempted suicide. Ir. is ! said that his identity was discovered through j inquiries having to he made as to a con- ! sine, able sum of motley which he left at : the time of hi- death.