THE CONVICT SULLIVAN.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2432, 25 October 1866, Page 6

THE CONVICT SULLIVAN.

The Lujlewood Advertiser says, the following letter from Sullivan has been received by a resident at Wedderburn : —

" Gaol, Nelson, Sept.6

" Dear Sir, — I received your kind letter dated 9th of August I have no one to blame for being mixed up in this sad affair but myself, for had I gone and given information to the police how these menhcldme in theirpowerthesemurderers would have been fast for a time, and in all probability I should have been homo with my poor unfortunate wife and boys; .... It is my opinion these men have destroyed many men on the WestCoast during the last twelve months. Man has no conception of what these men are. I will give you a brief account of two of them. The man Kelly (but that is not his name, it is Noon,) Las a brother in Auckland Gaol, doing penal servitude ; they are the last of the gang belonging to the notorious Captain Melville, who was bushranging in 1852 in Victoria, These same brothers were tried in Melbourne in December, 1854, for the murder of Mr. Marcus, at the Ovens gold-field, in 1852. The case is similar to mine, for there were four of them, one of whom was an approver ; and a man of the name of Hughes made a statement with a view of convicting the approver, but it ended in his own conviction; he was executed for it; the brothers were acquitted ; on account of the lapse of time they were not easily recognised again. Burgess was a ticket of leave man from Victoria, and was for years at the hulks at Williamstown ; was shot there in the boat at the time Captain Melville endeavoured to make his escape. Burgess joined Kelly in Otago in 1861 ; they were both under arms there, and fired upon the police. They became such a terror there that the public gave a purse of sovereigns and a silver cup to the police for capturing them. ■■ As soon as their sentence was expired they were escorted by the police out of the province ; they came to the West Coast, and have been ever since levying black mail. AD. I can say of Levy is, he has been transported, and has been in Otago G-aol with these men. You will perceive I made a fine selection. Their acquaintance I formed through visiting a billiard-saloon kept by some Jews in Hokitika ; they appeared to me very decent young nien, they were spending money freely. This man Kelly made a good deal of me; he said he went to school with some of my brothers. .From this house I gave a man in charge for robbing me. They prevailed upon me not to appear against him ; the result was, the man was remanded, for the police were sure I was robbed, for they found tlie money I described upon the man. The police, as a matter of course, were endeavoring to find me ; these men had me away with them, to prevent me prosecuting. The man was discharged. That night there was a cash-box stolen, and they gave £5 to me — I mean Burgess, Levy, and Kelly — as compensation for what I lovst, and from that hour I was their slave. There was a policeman connected with them, and it was arranged to rob a bank. *this constable stole pistols and uniform for to disguise ourselves ; but Burgess was apprehended, as the pistol cases were found under his bed. This affair made me more in their power, for I went with another man and stated he had them given to him, and through the evidence we gave Burgess was acquitted. It is too late now to wish I had let justice take its course, for if we had these men would not have been murdered. * * * * His Honor the Superintendent has just paid me a visit, and brought John Lopaz with him to see me. Lopaz can prove that I had no woman acquaintance in Hokitika, for he came over from Melbourne with me, and he goes back by the first boat to Kingower again. I expected my wife; but if she has neglected me from any statement she may have read, I freely forgive her for it. Trusting she may forget me and make herself and the boys happy, for I can assure you lam dead unto the world for ever, for had I liberty this hour I can never enter society any more ; if my life should be spared all I seek is a home in a gaol. # * # # After these two cases are disposed of, there is another case of murder at the Greymouth. I shall have to go there by the steamer. I truly wish they were over, for my mind is overwrought when I study upon the disgrace I have brought upon my poor unfortunate wife. These men are very heavily ironed, and strictly guarded night and day ; they are allowed out one at a time to exercise — two men doing duty at the same time with the^n. There are two men all night walking the passage where the cells are ; so you see there is no possibility of them getting away or of doing any mischief. I had irons upou me when. I first came in, but I have been removed to the debtor's side of the gaol. * * * * Having done one sentence, I ought to avoid the like again. No, the devil had too strong a hold of me. Deathbeds and gaols are bad places to think of repenting upon. * * * * I must conclude by tendering you my best wishes in all your undertakings. — Tours truly, — Joseph Thomas Sullivan."