THE TASMANIAN TRAGEDY.

Waipawa Mail, Volume 5, Issue 483, 1 May 1883, Page 4

THE TASMANIAN TRAGEDY.

Tasmanian papers just received contain the following particulars of the murders near Launceston, a brief account of which has been received by telegraph. Launceston, April 11th. News arrived in town to-day of a terrible tragedy in Epping Eorest. A man was shot dead in cold blood, and a woman seriously wounded. A family, consisting of Mr and Mrs William Wilson and four children, aged from twelve to six years, and a visitor named Mrs Boram, were living in a slab hut with a small garden attached, situate about forty yards from the railway line, and nearly three miles from Epping Eorest station, Campbell Town. They were aroused from bed at a quarter past nine last night, just after the mail train had passed, by a shower of stones thrown on the roof. The husband, William Wilson, went outside to see the cause, and had not got far when the report of firearms was heard, and Wilson called out, “I am shot.” The inmates of the hut heard a further noise, and men calling for them to come out of the hut and they would shoot them all. In 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, brush, &c., 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 a trunk of clothes, and then holding up her hands offered what money, & c., they had if their lives would be spared. She was in the act of stooping when she was also shot, and fell, the slugs entering her right side, shoulder, and groin.

The family meantime were all forced outside by the rapidly spreading flames, and one of the men caught hold of a girl, aged 12, and dragged her towards the bush. 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 deed 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 been shot in the head, breast, and groin, and must have expired immediately after calling out that he was shot.

Wilson, when shot, was only clothed in his shirt, but he had suspended from his neck a small bag, containing the sum of £7. This 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.

The murderers behaved in a very desperate manner, declaring themselves as Jim Kelly and Dan Riley. They had a bright-barrelled gun and a horse pistol. Mrs Wilson has identified one of the murderers as a young fellow named Jim Ogden, and known in the neighborhood, the other being similar in appearance, with fair complexion and light whiskers.

The deceased, Wilson, was a man aged about 50 years, hard-working, steady, and inoffensive, and employed as a ganger on the railway. Wilson’s hut was over a quarter of a mile from any other abode. Another man, a traveller, well dressed, and apparently very respectable, was seen lying on the roadside by Mr Archer. Information having been brought to Epping Eorest by that gentleman, the police started to the spot, which is about two miles from Epping Eorest, and after search found the man planted under a log, having been dragged some hundred yards from the spot where he was seen by Mr Archer. He was dreadfully wounded about the head, and had his scalp cut off. Ogden and Davis, the murderers, were seen near the place by an old tracker and repairer, who heard two reports of a gun coming from the direction where the man was found. The men Ogden and Davis had also threatened to shoot ganger Bowley. Later. The Epping murderers, Jas. Ogden and Jas. Mahoney, alias Sutherland were captured this afternoon, at 4 o’clock, by Constable Phillips, Jas. Smith, and Ed. Curran. They had murdered Alf. Holman, formerly driver of Page’s mail coach, whom they shot dead this afternoon, without any warning, as he was driving McKenzie’s lemonade cart to Campbell Town. The prisoners, when captured, made their boast that they could have shot Sub-Inspector Palmer and Constable Phillips, whom they had covered with their guns in the dark last night while they (the police) were patrolling the forest. The prisoners do not seem much concerned at preseut. They are singing Kelly songs in the lock-up here. John Mahoney, alias Sullivan, the companion of Ogden, is nineteen years old. He was discharged from Launceston gaol last November after completing one month’s sentence for larceny at Eingal. He has been hanging about the low public-houses of the town ever since, doing no work. James Ogden is twenty years of age, and has been employed as a labourer

at Sand Hill and in doing odd jobs. He is described by one who knew him as a soft, harmless “ slob.” Ogden was very badly brought up, and he and Mahoney have been loafing about town for some time past. The two men called at the police station on Saturday night and complained of a girl of the town having robbed the former of r 7s. They left town at an early hour next morning and proceeded along the old Hobart road until reaching the scene of their terrible crimes. The place where the murder of Holman was committed is about two miles north of Epping, and a tramp stated that the men Ogden and Sutherland gave him 5s to say he had not seen them. They told him they had plenty of money, and only wanted a meal of tucker. Constable Phillips and another found the body of the murdered man, who had been shot, and Mr Samuel Page recognised him as being a gingerbeer traveller. They at once thought that his horse and cart must be near, and on examining the locality Mr Page pointed out a J panel of the fence that had evidently been removed recently, and the constable going through it and following a track for some distance discovered Ogden and Sutherland feeding the horse that belonged to the murdered man. Constable Phillips rushed on them, when they ran away. He then fired two shots over their heads, upon which they surrendered and gave up their firearms, which consisted of a gun and revolver. The miscreants had drank or otherwise disposed of 10 dozen bottles of gingerbeer, and a small keg of gingerwine, and eaten a considerable quantity of biscuits. The murder took place between 11 and 12 o’clock in the forenoon, and the murderers after their capture were driven to Campbell Town by Mr Page in his brake. They were in danger of being lynched on the way by the infuriated settlers, who had spent the whole of the previous night under arms and momentarily expecting an attack, knowing that Ogden and his associates were still in the district, as they had been seen and recognised there after the Wilson murder. The murderers seem quite callous as to their position. Ogden is insensible to everything, and Sutherland perfectly reckless, having laughed when told that hanging was far too good for him. The diabolical acts are not attributed to the object of robbery, but rather to an insane desire for Kelly notoriety, influencing a morbid mind. It is thought that several small robberies recently committed have been made by these men. BuMin«Mß Xotic«N.