THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16542, 28 September 1921, Page 7

THE MAUNGATAPU MURDERS.

DEATH OF SULLIVAN.

The reported death in an Auckland institution of Sullivan, the man who turned “Queen’s evidence” in connection with tho Maungatapu murders which took place in Nelson in 1866, resulted. in a correspondent of the- Auckland “ Star ” sending* a photograph of the notorious quartet. He wrote: “ How I came by it I cannot remember, but many years ago in the early seventies, an old digger mate of mine, a West Coaster, had a silk handkerchief which he picked up whilst travelling through the bush at Maungatapu. Ho asserted that at the time he passed the place the gang were at work, for others travelling ahead of him were not seen again alive. .1 think it must have been from my old mate that I got the photo, which is probably the only copy in Auckland.” Mr P. J. O’Regan writes to the ‘‘ Dominion ” challenging the probabilty of the story that Sullivan died in Auckland under an assumed name. “To anyone acquainted, with the facts” Mr O’Regan says, “the story to say the least, will appear most improbable. It is just fifty-five years since the murders. To be accurate, Battle was killed on Juno 12, 1866, Mathieu, Kempthorae, Pontius and Dudley on the following day, and Burgess, Kelly and Levy were hanged at Nelson on Friday, October 5, of the same year. Sullivan was the oldest of gang, and his age was given as forty-two, whence he would now be ninety-seven years old. That he left this country is certain; indeed, lie was pardoned in 1874, and was liberated from Dunedin gaol conditional on his leaving New land permanently, and lie embarked from Auckland for England in a vessel called the Hindustan. As a matter of fact, the British Government stipulated subsequently by the Royal Instructions to Colonial Governors, that the prerogative of pardon was not again to bo exercised subject to the condition that the criminal should leave the country. Though I am unable to give tho details cf. Sullivan’s subsequent movements, there is no doubt, that he went to California from England, but being recognised there he returned to Victoria, and 1 well remember that the late Mr H. Richardson Rae published a story of an interview with the murderer on Christmas Eve, 1880, when lie was living a wretched, lonely life in a hut at 51 ary borough. Moreover, I have always understood that Sullivan’s death in Victoria was well authenticated.”