THE LAUNCESTON TRAGEDIES.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3134, 19 April 1883, Page 2

THE LAUNCESTON TRAGEDIES.

, Hobart files contain very fall particulars of the atrocities committed by Ogden and Davis—telegraphic intima* mation of which, has already been published. The details show the youths to be perfectly diabolical in their natures, and to have contemplated a career of fearful crime. The history of one of them, Ogden, is worthy of careful perusal:—

Jim Ogden, the murderer of the ganger Wilson, is identical with a former inmate of the Boys’ Heine, and was then known as Robert Ogden. From inquiries made among people who knew him in his boyhood, if appears that he evinced signs of a brutal disposition at an early period of his life. Robert Ogden is the youngest son of Thomas and Ann, who, from all accounts always bore a bad character. mother and father were natives of Ireland, The former arrived in this colony in the ship Elizabeth and Henry, and the tatter in the Moifatt. Soon after setting foot in Tasmania the Ogdens, started to earn a livelihood by travelling through the country and disposing of articles of dress, lace, etc. The father was a man of weak intellect, and the mother has the name of being half-witted. Between the years 1866 and 1872 Ogden, senior, served six sentences in the Campbell street gaol, amounting to two years ono month and seven days, for suffering his children to go - begging. Mrs Ogden was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment in 1868 for disturbing the peace. In 1872 Ogden, senior, was admitted into the Lunatic Asylum at New Norfolk. He remained an inmate of that institution till his death,- which is said, to have taken place during the latter piartof the year 1879. On the 16th of February, 1875, the Governors of the Boys’ Home —Sir J. M. Wilson, Mr A. H. Boyd and Mr J. Foster-—apprenticed the subject of this notice to James : Hull,' boatman, of Battery Point,-for a term of four years to learn the business of a boat, man. He remained with the Hull family about 12 months. ;From the day he became their servant till his abrupt leaving, be showed himself ;possessed of a brutish temper, and was in the habit of flying into a passion without provocation. . As a;bpy he was very bad in every conceivable respect, and is described as a thorough low blackguard. He was small for his years, of a fair complexion, with light hair,-- In temper he was extremely violent; in character perfectly untrustworthy, and greatly addicted to robbery and thieving. To the Hulls he proved a very dangerous servant, and was placing the whole family in terror by his wildness of disposition. It was a common practice for him, when told to perform some little work, in connection, with the honseheld, to pick up a brick and shy it straight ;at : the person speaking: to him. Oh several occasions he was sent up the town with money to purchase articles of food for his master, but never came back except in the custody of a police officer. Once' by the merest accident, Hull saved his little daughter from being hit on the head by a brick which Ogden had Jxurled at her. Whilst with the Hulls,, young Ogden frequently told them, that his father had'killed one of hip. own children, and after tying it up in a bag concealed it in a water hole at Bream - Creek some 15 years since. On August 19, 1879, Robert Ogden bolted fromthe Hulls and went to Lanndestbb, ’where he changed his Christian name te James. About a year and a half ago the young rowdy, returned to Mr Hull, and requested td|be allowed to' resume his former .work, but hip, old employer would not consent to it. As a youngster, when travelling with his parents over the island, he was in the common habit of {perpetrating robberies on people. The police arrested him for sleeping out in the sheds in the coimtry. and he was sent to the Boys’ Reformatory for four years. Robert Ogden'is now about 22 years of age. One of the brutal acts of the pair was the murder of Alfred Holman, in cold blood. He was driving a lemonade cart from Launceston, and was shot while passing between Snake Banks/iand Hoping. After shooting him the * murderers took the cart into the bush. ~ The police found his body covered up' by a log. He was not quite dead at the time, but expired soon after. His lemonade cart was traced into, the bush, which .led to the arrest of the murderers. They were freely helping themselves to the contents at the time. On the police coming up the murderers ran. The police followed and fired two shots, but without hitting them. The two tnurdefers then surrendered. Holman's head was terribly smashed. It was when he was found. He was alive, but unconscious, and died shortly,, before two o'clock. The ground bore the appearance of a severe struggle having taken place. Holman was 35 years old, and at one’ time kept a public-house at Hobart, and latterly a’ lodging house in the Quadrant, Launceston. He was a most Steady and mab.’ He leaves a wife and three children.

Wilson, who was a repairer on the 5 line, and working in gang No 28, had ' gone to bed about the usual hour on Monday night, and after being there some little time be was aroused by sthnes thrown on the house. The family, consisting of Mr and Mrs William Wilson and four children, aged from 12 to 6 years, and a visitor , named Mrs Boram, were living in a slab hot with some garden attached, situate about 40 yaids from the railway line, and nearly three miles from Epping Forest station, Campbell Town., They

were aroused from bed at a quarter past nine at night, just after the mail train , had passed, by a shower of stones thrown on the roof. The husband, Wm Wilson, went outside to see the cause, and bad not gone far when the report of firearms was heard, and Wilson called out “I am shot.” The inmates of the hut heard a farther noise, and men calling for them to come out the but and they would shoot them all. a terrible state of fear they remained inside, not daring to move. After a little time it was discovered that the desperadoes had piled wood, &0., at the side of the hut, which was set fire to in three places, and commenced to burn rapidly.; Mrs Boram first ventured out with a, child, taking atrunk of clothes, then holding up her hands, offered what money, &0., t they bad if their lives would be spared. i 3 . She was in the act of Stooping When she was also shot and fell, the slugs entering her right side, Shoulder and groiul 1 ’ i The family meantime were all forced •' ' ontside by the rapidly-spreading flames, and one of the men caught hold of a ’ girl, aged l&jmd dragged her towards Her screams attracted her mother, who rushed to her aid. The murderer then presented a gun at and threatened to shoot both mother and girl, and the mother gave him 10s, praying him to spare her children. Her entreaties prevailed, and the men eventually made off in the direction of ' Epping station, threatening that they would return the following night and . - continue their deeds of bloodshed and destruction. Two of Wilson’s - boys, who subsequently escaped, ran to Epping Station and reported the murder, and on help arriving,' Wilson was found dead, having i been shot in the head, breast, and groin, and must have expired imme- ... diately after calling out that he Was Shot. Mrs Boram is a middle-aged woman, who was on her way to Cleveland to lake a situation, and was only staying, at Wilson’s for that night en route. She was brought to Campbell ’ Town Hospital. Her; injuries are not considered likely to be fatal. The murderers behaved in a very desperate manner, declaring themselves to be Jim Kelly and Dan Riley. . They had a bright-barrelled gun, and a horse pistol. Mrs W ilson has identified one or the murderers as a young fellow | named Jim Ogden, and. known in the | neighborhood, the other being similar in ; appearance, with fair and ; light whiskers. The deceased ■ Wilson ; Was a man aged about 50 years, bard- j working, steady inoffensive,: and j employed as a ganger bn the railway.; Wilson’s hat was over a quarter of a mile from any other abode. The diabolical act is not attributed to the object of robbery, but rather to an insane desire for Kelly notoriety, iufluencing a morbid mind. It is thought that several small robberies recently committed have been made by these ' men. .I Wilson when shot was only clothed in his shirt, but he had suspended, from his' neck a small bag, containing the snm of £7. Thjs his murderers missed getting. After they had shot him they broke in the windows with an axe, and set fire to the cottage at both ends.