Pierce the Cannibal; A Terrible Journey; A Shocking Confession;
Escapes from "the Western Hell"; The Ruffian Jefferies; Brady the
Bushranger; Escapes from Macquarie Harbour; Sticks up the Town of
Sorell; The Governor's Proclamation; Brady Laughs at it; The Fight
with Colonel Balfour; Betrayed by a Comrade; Captured by John Batman;
Sympathy at his Trial; End of the Epoch.
In a despatch to the Colonial Secretary in 1822, Lieutenant Governor
Arthur said that bushranging had been "totally suppressed in Van
Diemen's Land during the past three years," or since the breaking up
of Howe's gang. But the happy conditions suggested by this report
were not destined to last. There was still a number of runaways or
bolters in the bush, but bushranging had by this time come to mean the
commission of more serious crimes than petty larceny, and it was in
this sense that the Governor made use of the term. We have, however,
not yet arrived at the time when others, besides highwaymen, can be
excluded. The next illustration is, perhaps, the most terrible of all
the events connected with bushranging, although it concerns only the
bushrangers themselves. On September 20th, 1822, Alexander Pierce, Bob
Greenhill, Mathew Travers, Thomas Bodenham, Bill Cornelius or Kenelly,
James Brown, John Mathers, and Alexander Dalton made their escape from
the recently-founded penal station at Macquarie Harbour. According to
Pierce's confession it appears that they "made it up for to take a
boat" and proceed to Hobart Town. Greenhill being at work at the mines,
"we had to call for him, he being a good navigator." Greenhill smashed
up the miners' chests with an axe, and took all their provisions. "We
then put out all the fires with buckets of water, so that the miners
could not signal our escape; but, when we were a quarter of a mile
out we saw fires all along the beach, so we could not have put them
all out. We thought a boat would be despatched after us, so we went a
little further and then landed. We knew it was no use trying to go by
water, so we broke up the boat. We then proceeded to the side of the
mountain right opposite the settlement. We were afraid that Dr. Spence
or the Commandant would see us with the spy glass, the settlement being
so plain to us. So we agreed to lie down until the sun went round. When
the sun was behind the hill we went to the top, kindled a fire, and
camped all night. Next morning we started again, and walked all day.
Little Brown, who came back, and died in the hospital, was the worst
walker of all. He was always behind, and kept cooeying. So we said we
would leave him behind if he did not keep up. We kept off Gordon River
for fear the soldiers might be after us. We travelled from daylight
till dark night over very rough country for eight days. We were very
weak for want of provisions. Our tinder got wet and we were very cold
and hungry. Bill Cornelius said 'I'm so hungry I could eat a piece
of a man.' The next morning there were four of us for a feast. Bob
Greenhill said he had 'seen the like done before and it eat much like
pork.' Mathers spoke out and said it would be murder; and perhaps then
we could not eat it. 'I'll warrant you,' said Greenhill, 'I'll eat the
first bit; but, you must all lend a hand, so that we'll all be equal
in the crime.' We consulted about who should fall, and Greenhill said,
'Dalton, he volunteered to be a flogger. We will kill him.' We made a
bit of a breakwind with boughs, and about three in the morning Dalton
was asleep. Then Greenhill struck him on the head with an axe and he
never spoke after. Greenhill called Travers, and he cut Dalton's throat
to bleed him. Then we dragged him away a bit and cut him up. Travers
and Greenhill put his heart and liver on the fire and ate them before
they were right warm. The others refused to eat any that night, but the
next morning it was cut up and divided and we all got our share. We
started a little after sunrise. One man was appointed each day to walk
ahead and make a road. He carried nothing but a tomahawk. The others
carried the things. This morning Cornelius and Brown said they would go
ahead together and carry the pots. We had not gone far when the leaders
were missing. We went back to look for them, but could see no signs of
them. We said, 'They will go back and hang us all,' but we thought they
would not find the way, so we went on. We walked for four days through
bad country, till we came to a big river. We thought it was the Gordon.
We stopped a day and two nights looking for a place to cross. We felled
trees, but the stream was too strong and carried them away. Travers
and Bodenham couldn't swim, but at last we got over and cut a pole
thirty or forty feet long and reached it across, where there was a rock
jutting out into the river, and pulled them across. We got up the hill
with great difficulty, it was so steep. The ground was very barren on
the other side, and covered with scrub. We were very weak and hungry.
A consultation was held as to who should be the next victim. Bodenham
did not know anything about it, and it was resolved to kill him. Me and
Mathers went to gather wood, Travers saying, 'You'll hear it directly.'
About two minutes after Mathers said, 'He's done; Greenhill hit him
with the axe and Travers cut his throat.' Greenhill took Bodenham's
shoes and put them on, for his own were very bad. We ate only the
heart and liver that night. Next day we camped and dried the meat. We
travelled on for three days, and saw many emus and kangaroos, but could
not catch them. Mathers and me went away together, and Mathers said,
'Let us go on by ourselves. You see what kind of a cove Greenhill is.
He'd kill his own father before he'd fast for a day.' We travelled on
for two days more. We boiled a piece of the meat, and it made Mathers
so sick that he began to vomit. Greenhill started up and hit him on
the forehead with the axe. Although he was cut, he was still stronger
than Greenhill. He called out, 'Pierce, will you see me murdered?'
and rushed at Greenhill. He took the axe from him and threw it to
me. We walked on till night, and then Travers and Greenhill collared
Mathers and got him down. They gave him half an hour to pray. When the
half-hour was up Mathers handed the prayer-book to me and Greenhill
killed him. When crossing the second tier of mountains Travers got his
foot stung by an insect and it swelled up. On the other side we got to
a big river and camped for two nights. Me and Greenhill swam across
and cut a long wattle, and pulled Travers over as he could not swim.
Here the country got better and we travelled well for two days. Then
Travers' foot got black, and he said he couldn't go any further. He
asked us to leave him to die in peace. When we were a little way away,
Greenhill said: 'Pierce, it's no use for to be detained any longer;
let's serve him like the rest.' I replied, 'I'll have no hand in it.'
When we went back Travers was lying on his back asleep. It was about
two o'clock in the day. Greenhill lifted the axe and hit him on the
head, and then cut his throat. We crossed the third tier of mountains
and got into fine country, the grass being very long. Greenhill began
to fret, and said he would never reach a post. I watched Greenhill
for two nights and thought that he eyed me more than usual. He always
carried the axe and kept it under his head when lying down. At length,
just before daybreak, Greenhill dozed off to sleep, and I snatched
the axe and killed him with a blow. I took a thigh and one arm and
travelled on four more days until the last was eaten. I then walked for
two days with nothing to eat I took off my belt meaning to hang myself,
but took another turn and travelled on till I came to a fire with some
pieces of kangaroo and opossum lying beside it. I ate as much as I
could and carried the rest away. Some days later I came to a marsh. I
saw a duck with ten young ones. I jumped into the water and the duck
flew off, while the little ones dived. Two of them came up close to my
legs and I caught one in each hand. Next day I saw a large mountain,
and thought it was Table Mountain. Then I came to a big river and
travelled down it for two days. I came on a flock of sheep belonging
to Tom Triffet, at the falls, and caught a lamb. While I was eating it
the shepherd came up and said he would tell. I threatened to shoot him.
Then he got friendly and took me to the hut, and fed me for three days.
Then he told me that the master was coming up and I'd have to go. I
went to another hut and stayed three weeks. Then I fell in with Davis
and Cheetham and they said I could join them. They had 126 newly-marked
sheep and said they were going to select some more. I shepherded the
mob while they were away. They continued robbing the stations until the
soldiers came. The soldiers captured the gang except Bill Davis, who
snatched up his gun and ran away, Corporal Kelly followed and called on
him to stop. As he kept on Kelly fired and missed, when Davis turned
round and said, 'I've got you now.' Kelly cried out 'Murder,' and the
other soldiers ran forward and fired. Davis was wounded in the arm and
gave in."
The confession may here be very much abridged, as the account he gives
of his acts is very rambling. About 250 sheep, a gold watch, two
silver watches, and a number of other articles were found at the camp.
Several of the gang were hung and the others sentenced to long terms
of penal servitude. Pierce denied having taken any active share in
the robberies, and as he was merely found in charge of the stolen, or
as he euphoniously calls them "the selected," sheep, he was sent back
to Macquarie Harbour to be dealt with as a bolter. On November 16th,
1823, Pierce again absconded from Macquarie Harbour in company with
Thomas Cox. On the 21st, as the schooner _Waterloo_ was sailing down
the harbour, a man was observed standing on the shore and signalling
with smoke from a fire. These signals had also been observed from the
settlement, and a boat was despatched from there. The boat sent by
Mr. Lucas from the schooner reached the place at the same time that
the boat from the settlement arrived. On landing it was found that
Alexander Pierce had made the fire, and he was immediately arrested by
Lieutenant Cuthertson. Pierce said that he had killed Cox and eaten
part of the body. He volunteered to show where the remainder was. On
going to the place it was found that all the fleshy parts had been
cut away, leaving the bones and viscera. It is impossible that Pierce
could have committed this murder through want of food. He had only been
away from the settlement for a few days, and some flour, a piece of
pork, some bread, and a few fish, which Pierce and Cox had stolen from
a party of hunters, were found at the camp. Before his trial Pierce
said that he had been so horror-struck at the crime he had committed
that, when he signalled, he did not know what he was about. After
his conviction, however, he said that man's flesh was delicious; far
better than fish or pork; and his craving for it had led him to induce
Cox to abscond so that he might kill and eat him. He was wearing the
clothes of the murdered man when he was captured. Although he made no
secret of his cannibalism after his conviction, but boasted about it,
he is believed to have very much toned down his share in the murders
perpetrated during that terrible journey across the Western Tiers.
Possibly Greenhill may have been the moving spirit in these atrocities,
but we have the fact that Pierce was the sole survivor, and he gives
but a very brief account of the last struggle between himself and
Greenhill. We can conceive something of it. Pierce was the larger and
stronger man, but Greenhill was active though small, and moreover he
carried the axe. The two men probably pretended to be actuated by
friendly feelings towards each other; each one endeavouring to put the
other off his guard; but each knew that the other was only watching for
an opportunity to slay him. For two days they walked side by side at a
safe distance apart; each afraid to let the other get behind him, or
near enough to spring upon him; and each was also afraid to allow the
other to get out of sight because of the certainty that he would merely
dog him through the scrub until an opportunity to strike occurred. For
two nights they sat facing each other, a short distance apart, each
afraid to go to sleep or to allow the other to go out of sight. If
one rose up the other started to his feet immediately. Every slight
movement of one caused the other to be on the alert. The tension must
have been fearful. At length, when the second night was drawing to a
close, Greenhill could bear up no longer. He dozed, and Pierce sprang
on him at once. That is something like the tradition handed down among
the "old hands," who knew nothing of Pierce's confession, but who had
heard the tale from companions of the cannibal himself. There was a
time when it was frequently told round the camp fire in rough, coarse
language, plentifully intermingled with profanity, but the old hands
have died out and it is heard no longer. Pierce, the cannibal, has
been almost forgotten, and yet the story has its moral. It affords
us an example of the terrible depths of degradation to which men can
be reduced by brutal treatment, and it is not good that the story of
Alexander Pierce should be forgotten as long as any remains of the old
prison discipline which produced such men continues to exist, either in
Australia or in any other civilised country.
The settlement at Macquarie Harbour, "the Western Hell," as the
convicts called it, was opened as a penal station on January the 3rd,
1822, and from that time until its removal to Port Arthur in May, 1827,
one hundred and twelve prisoners ran away. Of these, seventy-four are
reported to have "perished in the woods." The remains of a number
of men have been found at various times; but, as a rule, too late
for identification, and therefore the official records do not assert
positively that these men did perish, but only that, as nothing had
been seen or heard of them for long periods, and remains supposed to
be theirs had been found, it was reasonable to assume that they had
perished. Two returned, as related by Pierce, namely Bill Cornelius or
Kenelly and James Brown. On both these men portions of the murdered
man Dalton were found, and Cornelius was punished as a bolter. Brown,
however, was too ill, and was admitted to the hospital, where he died.
Eight of the hundred and twelve runaways from Macquarie Harbour are
reported to have reached Port Dalrymple or some other settlement, but
in each case the official report bears the significant note, "wants
confirmation." Five men were eaten as related. Three were picked up
in a wretched condition on the beach by the steamer _Waterloo_, three
others of the same gang being included among those who perished. Two
were shot; two found dead. This leaves sixteen, and these are known to
have reached the settled districts. Of these, Pierce was one. Every
precaution was taken at Macquarie Harbour to prevent bolting. A line
of posts was established across the neck of land between Pirates' Bay
and Storm Bay, and fierce dogs were chained at these places to give
notice when any one passed or approached. This use of dogs gave rise
to a report in England that bloodhounds were used in Van Diemen's Land
to track runaway convicts or bushrangers. This, however, was shown
not to be true. The dogs were used as watch dogs and not as hunting or
tracking dogs.[26]
Three other men who ran away from Macquarie Harbour were Jefferies,
Hopkins, and Russell. Like Pierce and his mates they started to cross
the Western Tiers. They lived fairly well for several days, Jefferies
having a gun and ammunition which he had stolen, it is supposed, from
a soldier, but at length their provisions failed and they could find
no game. They therefore agreed to toss up to decide who should die to
save the others. Russell lost and was immediately shot by Jefferies.
The two men lived on the flesh for five days, when they came to a
sheep station. They immediately threw away about five pounds weight of
Russell's flesh and killed two sheep. The shepherd ran forward at the
sound of the shots, when Jefferies told him that if he interfered he
would "soon be settled." They only wanted "a good feed." Jefferies and
Hopkins appear to have adopted bushranging as a profession. Of Hopkins
we hear little, but Jefferies established a character for brutality
which has been rivalled by few and surpassed by none. When he bailed up
Mr. Tibbs's house he ordered Mr. and Mrs. Tibbs and their stockman to
go into the bushes with him. The stockman refused and was immediately
shot. The other two then went across the cleared paddock towards the
timbered country, Mrs. Tibbs carrying her baby and Jefferies walking
behind. When near the edge of the timber Jefferies ordered Mrs. Tibbs
to walk faster. The poor woman was weeping bitterly. She sobbed out
that she was walking as fast as she could with the baby in her arms.
Jefferies immediately snatched the baby from her and dashed its brains
out against a sapling. Then he asked her "Can you go faster now?" Mr.
Tibbs turned round and rushed at the bushranger, who shot him, and then
walked away, leaving Mrs. Tibbs with her dead and dying. At Georgetown
Jefferies stuck up and robbed Mr. Baker and then compelled him to carry
his knapsack. They had not, however, walked far along the road when
Jefferies, who was behind, shot Mr. Baker without warning and for no
apparent cause. Jefferies was captured by John Batman, a native of
Parramatta, New South Wales, and afterwards one of the founders of
the city of Melbourne, Victoria. Batman had taken several Australian
aborigines to Van Diemen's Land and was engaged by the Government to
track and capture bushrangers. He caught Hopkins and several others.
A man named Broughton, who had been captured a short time before,
was convicted of murder and cannibalism shortly before Jefferies and
Hopkins were brought to trial.
It is quite a relief to turn from these monsters in human form to
Mathew Brady, the central figure among the bushrangers of this epoch.
Brady was a gentleman convict: that is, he was an educated man. He was
transported to "Botany Bay" for forgery, the capital sentence having
been commuted. In Sydney he soon "got into trouble" for insubordination
and was retransported to Van Diemen's Land. He was one of a gang
of fourteen who effected their escape from Macquarie Harbour. His
companions in this enterprise were James Bryant, John Burns, James
Crawford, James McCabe, Patrick Connolly, John Griffiths, George Lacey,
Charles Rider, Jeremiah Ryan, John Thompson, Isaac Walker, and John
Downes. They stole a whale boat on June 7th, 1824, and pulled round the
coast until they came to a favourable place for landing, from whence
they walked to the settled districts. Here they were joined by James
Tierney, and for some two years they defied the authorities. In company
with the "notorious Dunne," Brady stuck up Mr. Robert Bethune's house
near Hobart Town when the males of the family were away. In the evening
Mr. Walter Bethune and Captain Bannister returned from the city on
horseback, and Brady went out to meet them. He told the two gentlemen
that they were prisoners and that resistance was useless. They were
taken by surprise, and unarmed, and surrendered at once. Brady called
one of his men to "take the gentlemen's horses to the stables and see
that they were cared for," and then conducted the gentlemen into the
parlour as if he were the host and they merely visitors. The ladies of
the family and the servants, except the cook, were already gathered
there, and Brady ordered dinner and invited those present to take their
seats at the table. He himself sat down, while his companions had food
taken to them at the stations where he had placed them on guard. When
the meal was over Brady made a collection of watches, rings, money,
and other valuables, and then, after profusely thanking Mr. Bethune
for his hospitable treatment and the kind reception he had given them,
the whole gang mounted and rode away. On the following evening he rode
into the little town of Sorell. The soldiers stationed there had been
out kangarooing, and were cleaning their muskets. Taken completely by
surprise, they were easily overpowered, and were locked up in the gaol,
the prisoners being released. Mr. Long, the gaoler, contrived to make
his escape, and ran to the residence of Dr. Garrett. Here he found
Lieutenant Green, who was in command of the military stationed at the
town. The doctor and the lieutenant walked together to the gaol, and
the doctor was seized by Brady's orders and placed in a cell. Green
refused to surrender, and was shot in the arm by one of the bushrangers
and overcome. The bushrangers made a good haul from the houses in the
town, and then left quietly. The only personal injury inflicted was
the wound received by Lieutenant Green, who was forced to have his arm
amputated.
On August 27th, 1824, Governor Arthur issued a proclamation offering
rewards for the capture of Brady, McCabe, Dunne, Murphy, and other
bushrangers, and calling upon all Crown servants and respectable
citizens to aid the soldiers in their capture.
By way of reply, Brady and his gang paid a visit to Mr. Young's house
at Lake River. It was late at night, but the bushrangers soon roused
the inmates up. After having secured the men, Brady enquired whether
there were any ladies inside, and on being told that there were he
issued an order to them to get up and dress at once, and to go into any
room they pleased, pledging his word that they should not be interfered
with. While this was being done Brady sat on the verandah chatting with
Mr. Young. Among other things he spoke of the Governor's proclamation,
and asked whether Mr. Young had seen it. He laughed heartily at the
idea of the soldiers capturing him. While the chief was thus employed
the other members of the gang searched every room of the house, and
collected everything they thought worth taking. The ladies had all gone
into one room, and when the rest of the house had been searched they
were requested to leave that room and go into another.
One day Brady walked alone into a house close to the town and "made
a swag" of all that was valuable. He then called two of the convict
servants and ordered them to take up the bundles and carry them for him
into the bush. He was obeyed because it was believed that his gang was
not far off, and the owner of the property saw it carried away without
making an effort to preserve it. On another occasion Brady ordered an
assigned servant to leave his master's house and join the band. The man
refused. Brady walked to the sideboard, filled a glass with rum, and
asked the man whether he could drink that? The man said he never took
strong liquor. "Well, you will this time," exclaimed Brady, pointing
his pistol at the servant's head. "Now choose." The man took the glass
and swallowed the rum. Brady laughed heartily as he staggered away.
However, the next morning, the unfortunate man was found lying in the
bush some distance from the house. His dog was lying beside him licking
his face. He was still drunk. His employer, who found him, tried to
rouse him up, and after he had shaken and called for some minutes the
man opened his eyes, called out "Water, for God's sake, water!" and
rolled over dead. When Brady was informed some time after of the man's
death, he said he was very sorry. He had made him drink the rum as a
joke and without any thought or desire to injure him.
Brady stuck up the Duke of York Inn, and finding Captain Smith
there, knocked him down, having mistaken him for Colonel Balfour. On
discovering his mistake the bushranger apologised. He then threatened
to shoot Captain White, but on Captain Smith saying that White had
a wife and family Brady told the two officers to go away. He "hated
soldiers" and did not know what he might do if they stayed.
Colonel Balfour, of the 49th regiment, with a strong party of soldiers,
had been beating the bush for some time in hopes of capturing Brady
and his gang. A report spread abroad that the gang intended to break
open the Launceston gaol and torture and shoot Mr. Jefferies. The
threat was treated with derision, but about 10 a.m. a man came into the
town and said that the bushrangers had taken possession of Mr. Dry's
place, just outside the town. Colonel Balfour, with ten soldiers and
some volunteers, started out and a fierce fight took place. Ultimately
the bushrangers were driven off, but not before they had secured
Mr. Dry's horses. The soldiers followed, and the bushrangers fired
from behind the trees. Suddenly a report spread that the attack on
Dry's place was a ruse to draw the soldiers from the town, and that
a party of bushrangers under Bird and Dunne had gone to attack the
gaol. Colonel Balfour sent half his force back to protect the town.
The report was found to be partly true. The bushrangers had entered
the town and had robbed Mr. Wedge's house, but had not gone to the
gaol. At Dr. Priest's house some shots were exchanged, and the doctor
was wounded in the knee, but the soldiers coming up at the time the
bushrangers made off.
The following day the gang made an attack on the farms of the Messrs.
Walker. They burned the wheat-stacks and barns belonging to Mr. Abraham
Walker and also those of Mr. Commissary Walker. They had Mr. Dry's
two carriage horses, which they had stolen the day before. Brady was
wearing Colonel Balfour's cap, which had fallen off in the fight at
Launceston. On the next day they burned down the house of Mr. Massey at
South Esk, having sent him a letter a day or two before informing him
of their intention.
Two of the gang called on Thomas Renton, and shouted for him to come
out. On his doing so, they charged him with having attempted to betray
them. Renton denied the charge. A wrangle took place, during which
one of the bushrangers shot Renton dead. It is highly improbable that
Brady was aware of this outrage. He boasted loudly on every available
occasion that he never killed a man intentionally, and he is known to
have quarrelled with members of his gang who were too ready with their
firearms. Thus he drove McCabe out of the gang on account of his
brutality, and McCabe was captured and hung shortly afterwards.
The gang held almost complete control over the roads, and resistance
was very rarely offered when they ordered a man to "bail up."[27] One
of the customs established by the gang was to order their witnesses
to remain where they were for half an hour, and the order was rarely
disobeyed. Any person who declined to promise to remain was simply tied
to a tree and left for any chance passer-by to unloose. In by-roads,
or in those cases where the prisoners were marched some distance off
the high road into the bush before being plundered, being tied up was
a very serious matter. Cases are known to have occurred in which men
have remained bound to a tree until they have died of starvation.
From this time forward tying up the victims was a common practice
with bushrangers, though some like Brady accepted the promise of the
victims to remain where they were left for a certain time to allow the
bushrangers time to get away.
At length about the middle of 1825 a convict named Cowan or Cohen
was permitted to escape from an iron gang with broken fetters on his
legs. He was found by some of the gang and was taken to a friendly
blacksmith who knocked his irons off for him. He joined the gang and
more than once led them into conflicts with the soldiers out of which
only the skill and bravery of Brady delivered them. Cowan was no doubt
a clever man in his way; he completely hoodwinked Brady and his mates;
he fought bravely in their skirmishes with the troops and was always
eager in looting houses or other places attacked. He professed to rob
"on principle." He is said to have murdered the bushrangers Murphy and
Williams while they slept, but there is no proof of this. He betrayed
the camp to Lieutenant Williams of the 40th regiment, who was out
with a party of soldiers in search of bushrangers. A terrific fight
took place in which several were killed on each side; some of the
bushrangers were captured while others escaped, but the gang was broken
up. Cowan is said to have received a free pardon, several hundreds of
pounds reward, and a free passage home for his services.[28]
Brady made his escape in the bush and was followed by Batman and his
black trackers. The bushranger had been wounded in the fight and could
not travel fast. Batman came up to him in the mountains and called on
him to surrender. "Are you an officer?" asked Brady, coolly cocking
his gun. "I'm not a soldier," replied Batman, "I'm John Batman. If
you raise that gun I'll shoot. There's no chance for you." "You're
right," replied Brady, "my time's come. You're a brave man and I yield;
but, I'd never give in to a soldier." Brady was taken to the nearest
lock-up, where, as it happened, Jefferies, the cannibal, had been
lodged some days before, and much to Brady's disgust the two men were
conveyed to Hobart Town in the same cart. Brady, however, refused to
sit on the same side of the cart as Jefferies, and kept as far from him
as possible during the journey.[29]
The trial of Mathew Brady excited great interest. He and his gang
had kept the country in a ferment for twenty-two months. Many of his
companions had been shot or captured, but the leader had escaped.
One of his mates, James Crawford, who had escaped with him from
Macquarie Harbour, but who had been shot by the soldiers some time
before the break up of the gang, was said to have been a lieutenant in
the army.[30] Numerous stories were told to illustrate his reckless
bravery, his skill in strategy, or some other trait of his character.
On the day of his trial a number of ladies were in the court, and when
the verdict of guilty was returned, and the judge put on the black cap,
they showed their sympathy by weeping so loudly that the judge had to
pause until order was restored, and sentence of death was pronounced
amid signs of sorrow by all present.[31]
At the same sessions Jefferies, Hopkins, Bryant, Tilly, McKenny, Brown,
Gregory, Hodgetts, and Perry were sentenced to death for bushranging,
cattle, horse, and sheep stealing, and for murder. Some of these had
been "in the bush" with Brady. The last of the batch was hung on
April 29th, 1826, the prisoners being hung two or three at a time at
intervals of a few days.
The remnant of the gang under the command of Dunne continued for a time
to commit depredations. In one of their journeys they saw a tribe of
blacks camped on the other side of the river. Dunne swam across and
attacked them. He fought them for some time driving them back until he
seized one of the women, when he turned back forcing her to accompany
him across the river. He had this black girl with him when an attack
was made on Mr. Thomson's house, but she escaped. On the following day
two men were quietly driving in a cart along the road when the blacks
attacked and speared them, killing one and wounding the other. The
blacks went on and burned the hut of Mr. Nicholas. They attacked Mr.
Thomson's place, and speared a man named Scott. The woman who had been
stolen by Dunne was present urging the blacks on when Scott was killed.
The troops were sent out to drive the blacks back, and while so engaged
came across the bushrangers and shot Dunne. One or two were captured
and hung as related.
The _Hobart Town Gazette_, of the 29th of April, 1826, said that for
some months the roads had been safe, and with the executions to take
place that day, the colony might be congratulated on having at length
stamped out the crime of bushranging. As a fact, it was only the close
of the first epoch; the first act in the great bushranging tragedy
which was to close so sensationally more than fifty years later.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 26: Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons,
1838.]
[Footnote 27: The first supply of horned cattle for Australia was
obtained from Capetown, South Africa, big-boned, slab-sided animals,
with enormous horns. These animals are much more active than the
fine-boned, heavy-bodied, short-horned, or other fine breeds, but they
can never be properly tamed. It is always unsafe to milk one of these
cows unless her head is fastened in "a bail," and her leg tied. When
driving the cows into the bail it was the custom to order them to "bail
up." It was also usual for bullock drivers when yoking their teams to
call out "bail up" to the bullocks, although no bail was used for this
purpose. The words were in constant use all over Australia, and were
adopted by the early bushrangers in the sense of "stand."]
[Footnote 28: History of Van Diemen's Land in the _Launceston
Advertiser, 1840_.]
[Footnote 29: _Hobart Town Gazette, 1826._]
[Footnote 30: _Launceston Advertiser, 1840._]
[Footnote 31: _Hobart Town Gazette._]