AUSTRALIAN OUTLAWS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7506, 13 September 1902, Page 1

AUSTRALIAN OUTLAWS.

. .' . • » ■ BUSHRANGERS OF A BYEGONE PAY. [Axl Rights Reserved.] CHAPTER H.— (Continued.) bradt's oaxg. .' The; desire of the settlers for vengeance was : very great, and it »:. on record, .thait a petition signed by fifty, prominent: citizens was presented to Colonel Arthur, praying, kthat the prisoners might, be speedily executed, in order that .all fear of. their escape from -gaol might be. removed. Such, indeed, Vas the condition o_ society at this time that no fewer ; than thirty-seven prisoners were condemned to death at one sitting of the Court.*.' • ' . But Brady was still at large, and he did not waintfor followers. : Escaped convicts rallied round him as to a common centre, and every day' carried its record of daring, deeds. The following extract' from the " Van Diemen's Land Ahnuail," furnishes an idea of- the systematic course of outrage and plunder that was f ollowed : — " Oh the night of the sth, the bushrangers set fire to and burnt down the stockyard, with all the wheat, belonging to Mr Abraham Walker and Commissary Walker, opposite Mr Thomas Archer's. The extent of the damage is not yet ascertained! The bushrangers were seen between the punt and Mr Gibson's /stockyard, ancl on the 6th they sent word to Mr Massey, oh the South Esk, Ben Lomond, that they would hang him and burn his wheat. A great fire .was seen in the direction of his house, but it is to be hoped that. they have not executed their threat. . The bushrangers have Mr Dry's two white carriage-horses with them- They shot Thomas Kenton dead at the punt . on the South Esk ; they called him out, of his house, and deliberately shot him. Two runaways were last week sent into Launceston from Presshell's, where they were taken.. One of them broke out of gaol, and was met by the bushrangers, who asked, him to .join them, and on his refusal they shot him dead. Brady now wears' Colonel Balfour's cap, which was knocked off at Dry's- : . When the bushrangers were going down the Tamar ihey captured Captain . White of the Duke, of York in his. boat; Captain Smith, late of the Brutus, who was with him, being mistaken for Colonel Balfour, they knbeked him- down; but discovering their mistake they apologised. They then made Captain White go down upon his knees, and- were going to Vshoot him, but Captain Smith interfered and saved his life, on representing to them the misery it would inflict on hist children. During the night Captains Smith and White were allowed to depart, and they gave the necessary information; but unfortunately it was too late, the bushrangers having crossed the -river and prooeeded to commit the dreadful enormities before stated." ; gradually, however, the band was scatteredi and pursuit' was concentrated on Brady himself . Once he was shot in the ankle, but still evaded capture. At last. John Batman, hereafter to be known- from his exploits in* theY Black 'War, *nd still more famous : for -his settlement ofrPort .^hiHip,- set himself -fe hun^ t^Whranger dtrwh among the contorted gullieir of the Western Tiers'.' ' 'Sis search wi^'-sucegsiffßf. One- day he espied a man of ■ dejecfe^l,^, :ea re* wqrn aspect, slowly Tuir^j^'-dlohg';^ the bush with the aid of a cut sapling, and evidently in great pain. Suddenly the man caught sight of Batman, and at once the stick was thrown aside and his gun was at his shoulder. With finger on the trigger Brady called out " Are you a soldier officer?" — for soldiers were his abhorrence, and Batman was wearing a frock coat and foraging cap. "I'm no soldier, Brady," was. the reply ; ■ " I'm , John Batman ; surrender, there is no chamce for you." For a moment or two Brady. communed with himself, and then said " You aie right, " Batman ; my time is come ; I will yield to you because you are a brave man." It was natural that his capture should be received with demonstrations of joy by the populace. Yet. strange to -say, hundreds, of persons, including ladies, openly expressed sympathy with him, some of "the latter freely shedding teats at the re'oital of the sufferings of the "poor man"-whose^chival-rous treatment of All females was one" - ofthe dietinguishing characteristics . of. his career in the bush. .He was taken ito Hobart .Town in. company with a notorious scoundrel named Jeffries, and was very indignant at being made to keep company .with such a "low character." : Conviction followed trial, and he was sentenced to death. " Yet," says Bonwick, . " petitipn , followed petition for his deliverance from the halter. Settlers told of his forbearance, and ladies of his kindness. His cell, was besieged vrith visitors, and his table, was load«d with presents. Baskets of fruit, bouquets of flowers, and dishes of confectionery prepared by his fair admirers were tendered in abundance tp the gaoler for his distinguished captive. The last moment , came. ' The dramatic scene was maintained to its close: Pinioned, he stood on the scaffold befdre a dense mass of . spectators, who cheered him for his courage, or grieved bitterly for his fate; He received the consolations of the Roman Catholic faith-; he bade a familiar adieu to the {jentlemen about him, and he died more ike a patient martyr than a felon mur- , derer." mutton's gang. , During 1832-3 four escaped 1 convicts, Beaven, Britton, Jefkins and Brown, kept the country-iide in terror. Beaven was a native of the Hunter, in New South Wales, and had been transported to V an Diemen's Land for horse-stealing. Britton was "a convict from the Old Country, his offence being smuggling ; but during the affray in which he was captured he saved the life of one of the coastguards, who had been knocked overboard, and the sentence of death passed - upon him was on that account commuted to penal servitude for life. After several afisignments to settlers, during which he made a very bad name for himself, he took to the bush with Beaven, who had absconded from the Cataract Hill gaol gang. *, * ' Before the two men had been out very long they killed Mr Bartlett and his servant at tbe Supply Mill. The murder was discovered by a Mr Gathcarti from .whom the police received information, while a clerk in the Commissariat Department named Wilson went to bring Mrs Bartlett away from the scene of. the murder. On his way he saw and shot a large mastiff belonging to Beaven, and for that act the bushranger posted notices in public places that he would shoot Wilson in return. Later on, indeed, the gang- (now including another escapee, Jefkins) stuck up Neale's farm in the hope of finding Wilson there on official work. Failing to discover him, they ransacked the place and tried to extort information about him -from the'- overseer, whom they threatened to shoot. ' In the end they spared the man and made off. On this visit they had a woman with them whom they had taken from the Female Factory in George Town, after shooting the gatekeeper, an old man of" sixty. She appropriated 1 some of the overseer's clothes and afterwards accompanied '." the gang ih man's attire.

In the "Government Geaette'' of Mjpy^ '. 1832, the following rewards weire offered t —£250 and 500 acres of land for Beavsn; > £150 and 250 acres of land for Jefkins, j 0r ..." to any prisoner of the Crown a free P**- ; don, his passage to England, and £90p. ' Hearing of these reward*^ and knowing , something of the outlaws and the .country where they " ranged," a prisoner mined Hall volunteered either to lull Or captain ■ them* and the authorities accepted fcjr sir- * vices. . He was thereupon allowed .to go into the bush, and at once joined ithegMgwho were pleased to receive an old*" mate." and. admit him into their circle. They then ' planned a robbery, and .while. Britton and ) Jefkins went, to reconnoitre, flail 'stayed ,., With Beayen /to watch thie raad.,' .The f#o " men were standing together when suddenly ' Hall placed his gun close to Beaven's head and fired. The shot was fatal, &?'.«*ck ' part of the. bushranger's skull .being* nearly ; blown, off, and the man fell deaxl, - V ; Hall rushed off to ', give information to the policej-who returned with him to tho . spot and removed the body.. An Uk- J "quest was subsequently^ held. and a verdict of "justifiable h^dde" wMtetoßmed'. Upon Hall's return he Mormei- tAm * police that «i assigned- servant in the town, -"■ named Brown, had been assisting the bush- * ' rangers ; but when search was made for : this man it : was discovered that he h_d joined Britton and Jerfkins in the brisk , r .-'.'* '"> i Hall then 1 set out wi^ thepAKoe-ih pur- ' suit of the two reniaining members of the '■ gang, and, 'knowing the country, he 1 - wad able 'in a short time to drive them from ■ | their ' haunts. ' The unfortunate woman * j whom they had taken from the factory WW [ j discovered alone in one ' of the gullies, the bushrangers having left her behind in their * flight. The search wae continued for * several Veeks 'without success, * and- it -warn generally believed that all three crimin*k '■' ( had escaped from the colony. * Hall wseir- ' ed the reward from the Government,- aai > obtained an appointment in the . Sheriff's offioe, which he held iot many y*ars; after - whioh he left the colony. ' The bushrangers had , not gone.'- L_ April/ 1833, they appeared on* the- Tamar> ; - plundering right and left. In October ' they became more daring. Lieutenant Vaughan, Mr Henty, of LabdfaU t and m ' J neighbouring hotelkeeper were ell visited ; ! and robbed with much audacity. H*T__g '- [shot a constable during this hist raid j tha ' [idea occurred to them of pretending to be ' j constables - looking for -themselves/ and' itt - this guise they plundered ihe- George Inn '*" jat Georgetown. The Launoeeton Presa j waxed indignant ; rewards were again offer- ' ;ed for their capture, : and increased j o tfca ■ • police were doubly active; bot- aU to no - purpose. Their hunting- through the bnsb ; was fruitless, although on one occasion .they ' caone across a boat which the bushrangers > had only just left, and apparently in hiirte, -; as though closely pressed ; for' in it wore ■ found some bedding, a couple of guns -aaid V some provisions — -the boat having been haul- ■ ed up a small creek that runs into the Tar ■ mar.' ""."''.— "-**'' -' *■ On New Year's morning,. 1836, iflie pSo* ' on the river conveyed some information to the police at' George Town' which est them *■ in active motion! - He had been looking : through- his glass and' had observed three ' men. on "the western, beachj ; "Who "he at first ' thought Brast be Jexcursiohi^ dr^a-teint-ing pw% ;; but closer obiter^tiDcte hed him - io the (»nckr_ion'that::'-a^;.w*i^.ei^r.'pp->4ice or. -bushraliqfws;. - Th^ehitf district Coir • stable and three others. at onoe set -ofet for : ;{ |_^'#ay ,• wh^l&e rrnett, had l WM* : *«n^ J and. on the road met. a shepherd,- wBo in- -"' formed them I^t' : at midday fie had'eeeft three men' with heavy -knapsacks 'and 'fire- "" arms crossing the Badger. Camping -on ' the road that night, the constable picked i up. tho "bracks on' the following morning oni i the beach, and from their fredhness it -was s decided that the men could not be far off:/ • Resting v on this discovery, the party leisure- i ly breakfasted; and then followed tne tracks t to the edge of the bush. • But here they t were confronted by Britton, * who -stepped! t out about sixty yards <from them, ohaHeng- * ed Constable .Smith r (who 'happened' to hatre t come- to th*. colony in .-the same ship; with : him), amd at once .fired. ' The fire was: re- : turned with interest by ther police, .when ** Britton dropped on one knee as though to > shelter himself- behind I a bush. " , Smith > wanted to .advance; the. chief constable,* ': urging that it would be an unnecessary, ex-,. i ' posure of life, ordered a retreat, .saying, he "; would get. reinforcements . and resume the , pursuit next day. . Accordingly eight con- . stables were told off next day. to follow thei , runaways,' but, as might . be . expected', the . game had disappeared, y : * . . r 'About, three .yreeks after this Brown: and • Jefkins made their appearance at a lime- .• burner's hut at Port Sorell.'; ;They were ", emaciated, and declared they were starving, : having, had no water for. three days and • nothing to eat for five days, but a parrot) • and a cockatoo. They .had .pieces of Man- ; ket and leather tied about; their feet instead - of shoes, while BfoWn had a grey • jacket " drawn on instead of trousers and Jefkins _. had pieces of blanket sewn around him. They tied their host tip, and camped with _ him for the night, but while moving across '- to a bark-chopper's* hut the next inornihg ; they weresurprised' by the 'police. "Brown ' shot a constable (Britten's wierhy, Smith). I and was himself shot in the shoulder. '- Jefkins ran up to his help, calling otat to : his opponents " Come on, there's enough of - you to eat me." He'firodtwo shots harm- ' lessly, and was then hit in the head. - ' .Brown was taken with the two dead < bodies to George Town; but he did hot long *• survive. . As for Britton, no more. was ever : heard of him. . Brown before 'death .ownea "- that he (Britton) had been -hit: in the. first : fight, and bad been left behind in, the triiah • with a badly-injured leg while. the other i two went in search of food. • The remains of Constable Smith iretat honoured with a public funeral at which ' the whole of the police and military attend.- ' cd. The others who were with him 'at the - time of the. skirmish received the rewards ' that had been offered for the capture of ' Jefkins and Brown, and' one unfortunate constable, who' had been very active ih the" - pursuit, but had been sent on other duties ' on the day . the capture was made, took " the loss of tne reward po much' to heart -■ | that he shot himself in the' stomach and •' died instantly. He was a prisoner, con- * stable, and doubtless hungered for the free ; pardon and passage " home " which would havo been, his portion of the reward had he * been present at the time of the capture.. ', (To be continued on Wednesday.) -