A Heavy Sessions at Goulburn; Ben Hall Hard Pushed; An Amateur Mail
Robber; Discovery of Frank Gardiner; His Trial and Sentence; The Old
Man; A Brush with the Police; The Chinkies show Fight; Messrs. Hall
& Co. Take a Lease of the Main Southern Road; Capture of Mount and
Dunleavy; Johnny Dunn; A Desperate Duel and Death of Sergeant Parry;
A Country Ball and its Sequel.
Bushranging by no means died out with the close of 1863. During the
holidays the activity of the robbers continued, and the disease spread
to other districts. It will, however, perhaps be better to continue the
history of this gang, and return later on to the actions of other gangs
elsewhere. On February 7th, 1864, Inspector Brennan and Constables
Lovett and Roche went to a sly-grog shanty, as the places where strong
drinks were sold without a licence were called, and captured George
Lynam and Michael Seary. The horses of the two bushrangers were so
exhausted with hard riding that although they mounted and rode away
when the police came, they were soon caught, in spite of their long
start. They were charged and convicted of having robbed a number
of persons at William Sidwell's, Governor's Arms Hotel, Towrang,
two miles from Goulburn, in company with James Crookwell and Daniel
Matthews. Lynam also, in company with John Southgate, stuck up and
robbed Thomas Cummins, Robert Sherwood, and others at Mr. Cornelius
O'Brien's Station, near Binalong. They also stuck up Mr. Dwyer's place
at Pudman's Creek, and after having made a bundle of all that was worth
taking away, compelled Mrs. Ann Dwyer to cook thirty-four eggs and a
quantity of bacon for them. They tied Dwyer, struck Mrs. Dwyer, and
threatened to burn the place down unless they were told where the
money was hidden. Jane Dwyer, daughter of Ann Dwyer, said that when
they went in to search the bedroom, Lynam exclaimed, pointing to the
crucifix, "There's Jesus Christ. He ought to be burned, and I've a
good mind to do it." They smashed the furniture and broke open boxes
and cupboards in their search for money. Lynam was sent to gaol for
fifteen years, while Seary, Matthews, Crookwell, and Southgate were
sentenced to ten years each for some offences, and to fifteen years for
others, but as the sentences were all made concurrent all the prisoners
were practically sentenced to fifteen years' imprisonment. At the same
sessions Charles Jones, alias William Herbert, and Frank Stanley, alias
Wright, were sentenced to twelve years for various acts of highway
robbery. Some of these young men were said to have assisted in some of
the robberies effected by the Hall and Gilbert gang, and were suspected
of being on their way to join that gang. James Hill and James Jones
went to William Duguid's house at Mils, Twofold Bay, on March 13th, and
stuck up all hands. It was early in the morning when they arrived, and
they sent everybody about the place into the kitchen and then searched
the house. Jones remained on guard while Hill went with the stockman
to fetch up the horses. Mr. Duguid warned Jones that he expected the
police and advised him to go before they came to avoid bloodshed. Jones
laughed, and ostentatiously loaded the double-barrelled gun which he
had just taken from Duguid's bedroom. Hill returned with the horses,
and while the bushrangers were selecting the ones they liked the police
arrived. Sub-Inspector John Garder Hussey challenged the bushrangers
and called on them to surrender. For a minute or two the shooting was
very brisk, but it did not last long. Jones and Hussey fell wounded
almost simultaneously, and Hill ran away. He was followed by Constable
Zollner and captured, while Sergeant Chandler secured Jones. The wounds
were not very serious, but the bushrangers were sent to gaol for
fifteen years. Ah Ling and ten other Chinese were living together in
a hut on the Abercrombie Goldfield. On May 2nd John Taylor and Thomas
Webb drove the Chinamen into the kitchen and called them up one by one
to be robbed. The first victim was Ah Wee. When asked for his gold he
replied "No savee." He afterwards said he had none. Webb got a rope,
tied it round the Chinaman's neck, and hauled him up to a sapling beam
which ran across the building. After hanging for several minutes Ah
Wee was let down and asked whether he "saveed now?" He handed out his
gold and explained at the trial that it made him "welly sick." Ah Yong,
Ah See, and two or three others were served in the same way, and the
others gave up their gold without further compulsion. The prisoners
were sent to gaol for two years. The session was a remarkably heavy
one, and the majority of the cases tried were for robbery under arms.
While the police had been very successful in bringing a number of
outsiders to justice, the better known members of the gang continued to
keep the district alive. The _Yass Courier_ reported that nearly every
one in the district had turned out to hunt Ben Hall, who was reported
to have paid them a visit. The bushranger had been so hard pressed
that he was forced to abandon Willy the Weasel, owned by Mr. Garry.
The horse was completely knocked up, otherwise the bushranger would
not have let him go, as he was a favourite. The stock riders of the
district had expressed great contempt for the police, their opinions
being summed up as follows: "They can't catch him. They don't know how
to ride down a hill." Many of the "hills" in the district would be
elsewhere considered almost as precipices.
The _Young_ (Burrangong) _Daily Tribune_ the same week reported that
a day or two ago Ben Hall walked alone into the stables at Groggan
station, Bland Plains, said "Good morning, boys," and then proceeded
coolly to tie up the three men and a boy. Having secured these to
his entire satisfaction, he walked to the house and asked to see
Mr. Chisholm. On that gentleman coming to the door Hall said, "Good
morning, Mr. Chisholm. I've come for Troubadour." "You've left him
so long you might do without him now," returned Mr. Chisholm. "Oh,"
exclaimed Hall, "you're getting too---- flash. If you consort with
traps you'll have to be taught manners." They walked to the stables,
where Hall put saddles and bridles on Troubadour and Union Jack. The
last-named had won the Champion Plate at the Wagga Wagga races on
New Year's Day, and had only been brought home under police escort a
day or two before. Hall also selected two other horses, which he said
he "liked the look of," and put bridles on them. He then made Mr.
Chisholm fill two three-bushel bags with clothing from the store, and
these he packed on the spare horses. Then he mounted Troubadour, and
leading the others started away. He had scarcely moved, however, before
he pulled up again, and said to Mr. Chisholm, "That's a good looking
watch of yours. I want it. Hand it over." Mr. Chisholm did so, and
the bushranger then rode off. It may be explained that the reason why
no opposition was attempted was because it was believed that Hall had
plenty of support if he had required it. He never walked unless he was
compelled, and it was thought that his mates with the horses were not
far off. It was also suggested that Hall had a bad mount after he lost
Willy the Weasel and that he did not wish to let Mr. Chisholm see him
riding an inferior horse.
The mail coach from Wagga Wagga having failed to arrive at Cootamundra
at the usual time, on May 12th, the contractor, Mr. Burke, supposed
that it had been stuck up somewhere along the road and rode out to
make enquiries. At about three miles from Cootamundra he found a
number of letters lying scattered about the road. He gathered them up
and continued his search. At length he found the mail-man drunk in a
public-house near Murrumburrah. The fellow had robbed the mail himself,
no doubt with the intention of laying the blame on the bushrangers. He
was convicted and sentenced to seven years' penal servitude.
The mail was stuck up at Mumble Flat, between Orange and Wellington, on
March 1st. A portion of the loading consisted of carbines and revolvers
for the police, "all of which," said the _Orange Guardian_, "were borne
off to be used against them."
The Bathurst-Sydney coach was stuck up at Lapstone Hill by three armed
men. The passengers were Michael Duffy, Constable McKay, in charge of
a female lunatic, and three Chinamen. After having collected the money
from the passengers and searched the letters, the robbers extinguished
the coach lamps, took the horses out, and drove them up the hill.
The driver waited for half an hour, as he had been ordered to do, and
then started to catch his horses. This he managed to do with some
difficulty, and on his return he drove on to Penrith. From thence the
passengers and the broken mail-bags were taken to Sydney by train.
John Forster was arrested in a house at Strawberry Hills, Sydney, and
charged with having, with others, stuck up and robbed the mail coach
between Penrith and Hartley at two a.m. Ah Lung, one of the passengers
on the coach, recognised a sash which the prisoner wore round his waist
as his property, and said he carried his money in it. Forster was sent
to gaol for ten years.
About this time great excitement was caused throughout New South Wales
by the report that Frank Gardiner had been discovered and arrested
by Detective McGlone on March 3rd, at Apis Creek, on the road from
Rockhampton to the Peak Downs diggings, Queensland. Gardiner was
keeping a shanty, or roadside store, with Mrs. Brown, who passed as
his wife. Gardiner was brought to Sydney and duly committed for trial.
In connection with this case Mr. (afterwards Sir) E. Deas Thompson
laid a return on the table of the Legislative Assembly showing that
the amount stolen by Gardiner previous to his disappearance was about
£21,000. Of this total, £13,694 had been stolen in the robbery of the
Lachlan Escort, and £5335 had been recovered by the police under Sir
Frederick Pottinger. No murders were charged against Gardiner, but he
was convicted on three counts for highway robbery. On each of these
counts he was sentenced, on the first to twelve years and on the other
two to ten years each. The first three years in irons in each case. The
sentences were made cumulative, and aggregated thirty-two years. It
will be remembered that Captain Melville, the bushranger, was sentenced
to a similar term of imprisonment in Victoria about twelve years
before, and there were many people in New South Wales who thought that
Gardiner had been too harshly dealt with. Such a sentence, they said,
deprived a man of all hope, and rendered him desperate, and they would
not be surprised if Gardiner rebelled against it as Melville had done.
Those who held this view were, however, in the minority. The majority
said bushranging must be stamped out at any cost, and until this was
effected the sentences could not be too severe.
On the 20th of May Ben Hall, Gilbert, and a new recruit known as "the
Old Man," rode up to McGregor's Inn at Bong Bong, where a number of
men were on the verandah. The bushrangers ordered these men to "throw
your arms up," enforcing the order with revolvers. There were some
twenty visitors on the verandah and in the bar, and these were ranged
along the wall in the dining room, with Hall on guard. Gilbert and
"the Old Man" walked down the yard to the stables, where several
racehorses were in the stalls under the charge of Constables Scott
and Macnamara, who were escorting them to Burrangong for the races on
Queen's birthday. Gilbert called to the constables to "leave those
horses." The constables drew their revolvers, and fired by way of
reply. The bushrangers fired, and Hall left the dining-room to take
part in the scrimmage. For some minutes the shooting was very brisk,
but no one appeared to be hurt. The police were on foot and under cover
of the stables, but the bushrangers were mounted and in the open yard.
Suddenly the firing ceased as if by mutual consent, and Gilbert shouted
that they would be back presently. The bushrangers then rode away. As
Hall went out of the gate his cabbage tree hat fell off, and a cry was
raised that he had been hit. He rode off, however, without showing
any symptoms of injury. Believing that the bushrangers had gone for
reinforcements the two constables barricaded the stables, and sent a
messenger to the nearest police depôt for assistance. About midnight
Sir Frederick Pottinger arrived with four troopers, but the bushrangers
did not return.
On the following afternoon the mail coach was stuck up at Emu Flat,
between Burrangong and Yass. A passenger named Michael Curran saved his
gold watch and chain by dropping them among the straw in the bottom of
the coach, but a valuable gold ring and £21 in notes were taken from
him. Ben Hall also exchanged an old poncho for a valuable rug, and an
old clay pipe for a very fine meerschaum. Some distance away Mr. Barnes
met the coach, and the driver, J. Roberts, who knew him, warned Barnes
that the bushrangers were on the road. Barnes laughed and went on.
He was stopped and robbed, and as he did not hand out his money very
readily when ordered to do so, he was very roughly treated and was
threatened with death. Several teams were also robbed. The bushrangers
were riding the racers Teddington, Harkaway, and Troubadour.
During this "reign of terror," the Press, especially of the country
districts, continued to urge the necessity for suppressing the "bush
telegraphs" and other sympathisers of the bushrangers, and said that
while so many who aided them either by giving them information of the
movements of the police or providing them with hiding places when they
were hard pressed were at large the police had little chance of making
headway against the evil doers. The _Yass Courier_, for instance,
spoke of "the wealthy relations--of the bushrangers--with whom the
police are afraid to interfere, but whose places never have and never
will be stuck up." The paper "perforce refrains from publishing the
names of these people on account of the state of the libel law," but
it charges them with "comforting and assisting the bushrangers." It
seems difficult to understand what the police were expected to do, or
to see what action could be taken against a settler because his place
was not raided, and who had some more or less distant relative "on the
roads." But this serves to show how closely the Press enquired into the
antecedents and relationships of the bushrangers.
A man, believed to be Johnny Gilbert, accompanied by a lad named
Ryan, stopped to dinner at the Korowatha Inn. They talked freely of
bushranging, and laughed at the report that Hall had been hit at
McGregor's, as the newspapers had reported. They affirmed that "the
traps could not fire straight enough to hit a haystack."
On the 22nd of June, the _Bathurst Times_ said: "After an immunity
from bushranging crimes in this district for some months, the gang has
appeared once more and commenced operations. On the 18th, the mail
coach for Orange and the Lachlan started an hour late from this town
in consequence of the heavy mail. There were on board James Nairne and
seven passengers. About eighteen miles out, near the turn-off road to
Guyong, three men jumped out of the bush and ordered the mail-man to
'bail up.' The coach was taken off the road, where the passengers were
robbed and the letters torn open. The driver and passengers were then
told that they would be detained until the down mail came. While they
were waiting, a little boy was stopped and one pound of tea and 1s.
6d. in money were taken from him. The boy's father, a farmer living
near, came out to look for his son, and was run in among the crowd.
After some dispute the tea and the 1s. 6d. were given back, but the
father and son were compelled to remain until the other coach came by.
The down mail, driven by John Fagan, arrived about midnight and was
stopped. Fagan was asked what made him so late, and replied that the
roads were bad with the rains. The letters were opened, except those
in the registered bag, which the robbers missed. About two a.m. the
robbers told their prisoners that they might go, and walked away." It
was said that this was not the Gilbert and Hall gang, as the robbers
had no horses. The police started in pursuit from Bathurst and Orange
as soon as news of the robbery reached these towns.
Ben Hall and his gang stuck up and robbed Pearce and Hillier's store at
Canowindra, and held the town for the day as on a previous occasion.
The following afternoon, June 23rd, they called at Mr. Rothsay's
station, took four horses from the stables, and set fire to a stack
containing about 14 tons of hay as a "caution to traitors."
Ben Hall, Johnny Gilbert, John Dunleavy, and James Mount (hitherto
known as "the Old Man") stuck up the Carcour and Cowra coaches. They
then rode on to the Half-Way House Hotel and compelled the landlord to
hand over £76. They held the road for several hours, robbing all who
passed, and bringing them to the hotel, where they "shouted for all
hands" several times. This time the bushrangers drank port wine. They
took several well-bred horses from the stables. One of these got loose
and galloped along the road. He was followed by Dunleavy, who failed to
head him. The horse was caught next day and sent to Bathurst for safety.
Two armed men endeavoured to stick up the Chinese Camp at Gilmandyke
Creek, near Rockley. The Chinese fought bravely, returning the
bushrangers' fire in a spirited manner with shot guns. A bushranger
named Clayton was wounded and captured, when the other man rode away.
The Chinese were highly commended for their pluck, and several of the
newspapers said that they had set a good example for white men to
follow.
Hall and Mount went to Mr. Jamieson's station on the Bland River, and
informed the proprietor that they intended to stop for the night. They
called the men up, asked their names and how much money each one had.
Having obtained this information they announced that they did not
intend to take anything from any one. Possibly this decision may have
been due to the fact that the total amount acknowledged to be in the
possession of those present was small. Whether this was so or not,
however, matters little. They ordered supper to be served, and made all
present sit down to the table in the dining-room. When the meal was
over and the table cleared, Mr. Jamieson was asked to bring out some
rum from the store. A pint pot, filled with hot water with plenty of
salt in it, was placed on the table, and Hall announced that if any
one present refused to sing or to contribute in some other way to the
general amusement, he would be compelled to swallow the contents of
this pannikin. Then they made a night of it. In the morning half the
men were lying on the ground in a drunken sleep, but the bushrangers
were quite sober, having drunk very little. They spent half-an-hour
in the stable cleaning their horses, had breakfast, and rode away,
declaring that they had enjoyed themselves immensely, and thanking Mr.
Jamieson for the entertainment he had afforded them.
They called at the next station and took the racehorse "Plover" out of
the stable. Mount ordered the stockman to fetch the horses out of the
paddock, as he wanted to select one or two of the best stock-horses.
While they were talking, the stockman moved round from Mount's right
hand side to the left. The bushranger immediately shifted his revolver
from the right hand to the left, remarking quietly: "I can shoot just
as straight left-handed as right." Hall said he had enjoyed many a good
laugh at the newspaper yarns about himself. He added that Brown's men
were "jolly good fellows." In the evening they stuck up the Gundagai
mail near Jugiong. When opening the letters Hall found a bulky roll of
bank notes. "Ah!" he said, "This is what I like." He took a number
of newspapers away with him, "just to see what they say about me."
From thence they rode straight to the Chinese camp at Wombat, "to give
the Chinkies a lesson." The Chinese were very slow in producing their
gold, and the bushrangers fired in among them, killing one and wounding
another. The next day, Sunday, they stuck up a number of Chinamen
on the road and took their gold, but did not ill-treat them. In the
afternoon they went to Mr. McCarthy's store in Jugiong and compelled
him to open the door. They selected a quantity of clothing and drapery,
which they placed on a spare pack horse they had with them. In the
evening they stuck up the Gundagai mail within a mile of the place
where they had stuck it up a few days before. Hall took out a roll of
half notes from one packet. "This is a green trick, this is," he said,
holding them up. "It's little trouble to us to match half notes." This
series of outrages, following so closely one on the other, naturally
stirred the police up to increased activity, and the bushrangers were
so closely followed that a brush took place between them and the police
in the last week of October. In this fight, which lasted only a very
short time, Dunleavy was severely wounded and surrendered, while Mount
was captured.
James Mount was an escaped convict, out on a ticket-of-leave. He was
forty-five years of age, but had been called "The Old Man" before his
name was known, to distinguish him from the young men and boys who
formed the body of this gang. Mount was tried and convicted of highway
robbery in Bathurst, and was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.
In commenting upon the capture of Mount and Dunleavy the _Goulburn
Herald_ announced that their loss to the gang had been to some extent
compensated for by the accession of Johnny Dunn, who was born in
Murrumburrah. Earlier in the year 1864 Dunn had won the principal prize
at the Yass race meeting with the Binalong horse, Ringleader. He was an
excellent rider, and would no doubt give the police some trouble.
"Messrs. Hall, Gilbert, and Dunn seem to have obtained a lease of
the Main Southern road," said the _Yass Courier_ of November 19th.
They robbed the up and down mails from Gundagai two consecutive
weeks. On the last of these four robberies the coach was bailed up
at Deep Creek, near Jugiong, at about four p.m. Messrs. Bradley and
Sheahan, passengers, had alighted to walk up the steep hill, and were
some hundred yards or so ahead of the coach, when three men suddenly
appeared from behind the scrub and ordered them to "bail up." "All
right," replied Mr. Sheahan, holding his hands above his head. Hall
said, "That'll do. We've got a little township of our own up there.
Come on." He pointed up the hill as he spoke. They followed him until
they came to a small, clear spot, surrounded with high trees and scrub.
Here they saw twelve bullock drays and a number of men. Several horses
were hitched to the trees round the clearing, and the men who owned
them, as well as the bullock-drivers and some footmen, were seated on
the ground. When asked for his money Sheahan replied, "Got none. Search
if you like." "Oh, you're not a bad sort," said Hall, "we'll take your
word for it." Bradley took out a cheque for £1, saying, "That's all
I've got. I brought it to pay my way on the trip." Hall put his hand
into Bradley's pocket, and finding nothing there told him to keep the
cheque. A cask of port wine, which was found on one of the bullock
drays, was tapped, and the wine was handed round to all present in a
quart pot in which tea had been made, as was evident by its colour.
When the letters had been searched, the bushrangers told the company
that they might go.
Expecting that the return mail would be robbed again next day Mr.
Ross, police magistrate, and Constable Roche in private clothes went
as passengers, while Inspector O'Neil and Sergeant Edmund Parry rode
beside the coach on horseback. At Black Springs, near Jugiong, the
bushrangers appeared as had been anticipated, and on emerging from
the bush one of them shouted out, "Hullo, here's the bobbies." Hall
said, "There's only two. Rush the----." The three bushrangers then
rode forward shouting "Come on, you----, fight like men." Sergeant
Parry rode forward and encountered Gilbert, and a desperate duel on
horseback with revolvers took place until Parry fell. In the meantime
Inspector O'Neil had kept under cover of the coach and managed to keep
the other two bushrangers at bay until Parry fell, when he surrendered.
Mr. Ross fired several shots, but what became of Constable Roche is
not known. He was not captured or wounded. He simply disappeared in
the scrub. When all was quiet Gilbert dismounted, turned over Parry's
body, and remarked coolly "He got it in the cobbera. It's all over with
him. Well, I'm sorry for it. He's the bravest trap I've met yet." The
coach was taken off the road to where several bullock teams, two horse
carts with their Chinese owners, a buggy with Mr. and Mrs. Hayes, and
several footmen and horsemen--among whom was Constable McLaughlin, who
had fired away his ammunition before he surrendered--were collected
together. The robbers searched the letters as usual, took all the
police horses and arms, collected the money, watches, and other
valuables from the crowd and rode away saying "We'll rob the mail
to-morrow if all the---- traps in the colony are here." Whether this
threat was mere braggadocio, or whether the bushrangers intended to
draw the police here so that they might operate in safety elsewhere,
has been frequently argued without any definite result. The police
were on the road, and the bushrangers did not put in an appearance.
That is what is known. The day following, however, the gang stuck up
the Binalong mail, and after searching the letters, burned letters and
papers to "put a stop to the---- English correspondence."
A day or two later, "Messrs. Hall & Co." took possession of the road
between the Fourteen Mile and the Fifteen Mile rushes at Burrangong
and bailed up about thirty men, women, and boys. A bridle took the
fancy of one of the gang, and he insisted on taking it and giving his
own in return. With this exception, and the taking of a quantity of
bread and butter found on the drays bailed up, nothing was stolen. The
bushrangers explained that they expected some gold buyers along the
road, and when they came the camp would be broken up. In the meantime
they wanted every one to enjoy the picnic. The women were set to work
to cut up and serve out the bread and butter. Fires were lighted and
tea made. Then races and other sports were organised for the boys. One
of the bailed-up men was a newsvendor, and the bushrangers "borrowed"
his papers and took it in turn to lie down and "read the news." At last
one of the boys contrived to sneak away unseen, and as soon as his
escape was discovered the camp was broken up and the robbers rode away.
On December 19th, the Hon. William Macleay, M.L.C., was driving in a
buggy from Towrang to Shelly's Flat, when he noticed a large crowd
a little way ahead. He sent his coachman on with the buggy and got
down to make enquiries. As he drew near he saw that a number of
people were standing round two bullock drays, while one or two men
were breaking open the boxes on the drays. Mr. Macleay asked a man
what was the matter, and the man motioned to him to keep quiet. Mr.
Macleay conjectured that it was the bushrangers robbing the drays,
and withdrew as quietly as he had joined the crowd. He walked on to
Plum's Inn, where he found a wedding party enjoying themselves. He told
the landlord what he had seen and his suspicions, and advised those
present to take precautions to avoid being robbed. Some time later
the bushrangers came up, and seeing a number of men on the verandah
with guns and revolvers in their hands, fired. Mr. Macleay immediately
returned the fire. The bushrangers drew together some distance away,
and held a consultation. They apparently decided that the risk was
too great, as they went off along the road. For beating off the
bushrangers, and proving that a show of resistance might prevent
robberies, Mr. Macleay was awarded a gold medal by the New South Wales
Government. As a _per contra_, the fact that the bushrangers robbed the
drays openly in the main road in this instance, instead of taking them
into the bush, was cited as evidence that they were growing bolder and
more careless of the police.
Hall, Gilbert, and Dunn rode up to a store at Binda, owned by an
ex-policeman named Morris, on December 21st, and took about £100
from his cashbox. They informed Morris that a ball was being held
at the Flag Hotel, and insisted on himself and Mrs. Morris dressing
themselves, and accompanying the bushrangers to the ball. Morris at
first objected, but finally gave way. When they reached the Flag Hotel
the bushrangers mixed freely with the crowd, dancing and otherwise
enjoying themselves. Presently some "bush telegraph" informed the
bushrangers that Morris had been sounding several of the men present
as to the probability of effecting a capture. Gilbert and Dunn drew
their revolvers and started to look for Morris, who, having been
informed of what had transpired, jumped through an open window, and
ran towards where the bushrangers' horses were tied to trees. His
intention was to take one and ride for the police. The bushrangers,
however, caught sight of him and divining his intention ran and fired
at Morris. This compelled him to turn aside and take refuge behind a
tree. The bushrangers made no attempt to follow him. They removed their
horses to a safer place, then walked to the store, piled a quantity of
brushwood on the verandah, and set fire to it. Then they mounted their
horses, and sat and watched the blaze until the house was well alight,
when they rode off. There were more than a hundred persons at the
ball, but no attempt was made to prevent the bushrangers from burning
down the store. In connection with this "act of vengeance" Christina
McKinnon and Ellen and Margaret Monks were arrested and charged with
having aided and abetted in burning down Morris's store. The girls had
been dancing with the bushrangers, and had accompanied them when they
went to the store. The police said that they were well known as "bush
telegraphs," and cited instances in which it was supposed that they had
given notice to the bushrangers of the approach of the police. Margaret
Monks was discharged, but the other two were sent to gaol, the evidence
showing that they had assisted the bushrangers in piling wood on the
verandah of the store.
Mr. D. Davis, auctioneer, of Yass, had been conducting a sale at
Murrumburrah, and was returning home on December 30th when he was stuck
up. He had on him £109 1s. 5d., the proceeds of the sale, principally
in cheques. When these were handed out Ben Hall was in a furious rage,
and threatened to burn them. Gilbert proposed that he should gallop on
and "change them before they're stopped." There was £1 5s. 6d. in cash,
and of this they kept £1, returning the silver. They then rode rapidly
away. Nothing more was heard of the cheques, the only thing known of
them being that they were never cashed.