"SPECIALS" AND OTHERS.
"Nature hath framed strange fellows in her time."
--SHAKESPEARE.
It was not often that any of the "Specials" were sent out to work as
farm labourers, because they were suited for anything but hard work;
so they were generally made constables. Conspicuous amongst these was
a man named Fred ----, who, it was said, forged the largest cheque
which had been forged on the Bank of England up to that time. This
was a well-educated man. He could read and write French, Spanish, and
Portuguese, and had once been interpreter for the Court of India. He
had not been in the country long before forgery commenced to worry him
again. For this, a sentence of two years in the Port Macquarie Iron
Gang was given him, and he became the worst man in it, for he fretted.
When a man gave way to the hardship, he became the victim of insects,
and this was the case with him. Small wonder at any man giving way to
the hardship in such a place, for it was nothing but hard work, hunger,
and flogging, the floor to sleep on, and one blanket as a covering.
After this man had finished his two years in the Iron Gang, he was sent
to a road party for about six months, and then became a constable on a
salary of 3s 3d per day. While a constable he wrote to his father, who
was a shareholder in a coal mine at Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, and
received a reply to the effect that if he could get good characters
from the Police Magistrate and a clergyman, he would endeavour to get
him his freedom. Besides this, his father sent him £1 per week, which
with his salary, amounted to nearly £2 weekly; but here the pen and ink
was introduced again, and he forged the very man's name who was paying
him the £1 per week. He was then locked up, tried, and committed,
finally being sentenced to Norfolk Island for life. This ended his
career in Port Macquarie.
Punishment appeared to be no warning to some of these men, and it
seemed that 'just as the twig was bent, the tree inclined.' The misery
that this fellow suffered the second time he was committed should have
been quite sufficient, for most of those who had a taste of the Iron
Gang did not return to it any more. It must have been severe when
the authorities sent Charles ---- from Sydney into the Gang for 12
months, as punishment for the murder of M----, on the Hunter River, and
afterwards burning him to ashes. In this case there was no evidence
except the murderer's own word, but they declined to hang him on that,
both in this country and in England. He was as quiet as a sheep in the
Gang, but, notwithstanding this fact, the boss took good care to keep
out of his way.
L---- was a Jew, and a very old hand in the country. Originally he was
sent to Moreton Bay, but having found Captain ----, who was killed by
the blacks there, he was shifted to Sydney, and was practically a free
man at that place. But he could not keep out of trouble, and for an
offence was sent to a road party in Port Macquarie, from which he did
not get his liberty for about 22 years, and when it did come, the news
was too late. He was working in a party on the road leading from the
coast to the table-land (the New England Road) when his ticket-of-leave
became due, but a few minutes before the news of his freedom arrived,
he was killed by a log rolling on him, and was buried in the vicinity
of the camp. His fellow-workmen cut a stone and erected it on his
grave, as he was very much liked by all the men on the road, but
someone afterwards removed the stone and used it for grinding purposes.
Every day, as soon as this poor fellow had finished his work, he would
retire to his bunk and sit with a needle and thread making cabbage-tree
hats. These hats were always saleable, and making them was the only
means by which a man could earn a few pence to buy tea, sugar, and
tobacco.
Tom P---- was one of the first men sent to Port Macquarie when it was
made a Settlement, and he was a most peculiar individual. Pigs seemed
to be his whole existence, for he appeared to love these animals. He
possessed some 'grunters' nine or ten years old, besides cattle and
horses. Tom used to sleep with the pigs, and even with this precaution
against thieves it was not infrequent that he lost one. Teddy H----
went out to Tom's abode one night and stole a pig. When he returned
another fellow went for one. While the second thief was in the act,
however, of getting his pig, Tom sat up amongst them, and said, "How
many more of you are coming to-night?" But they earned these pigs, for
they had to carry them about a mile. Anyone who saw Teddy the next
morning after this could swear that he had made a rise--for he had such
a corporation--and it was then a password among the men, "Hulloa! Teddy
made a rise last night." Then they said to Teddy, "Have you got any
more for to-morrow, Ted? Perhaps you could give us a leg!"
"Go for it yourselves, you crawling hounds," he returned, "and chance
it. I'm not going to shake it and give it to you fellows that are
frightened of your own shadows. If they grab me I must put up with it
like the rest of you."
Then they used to say to him, "Have you got any cabbage or spuds to
sell, Teddy? We want some onions, too!"
This was how they questioned him, because he had robbed a garden, and
was proved guilty by the police smelling the onions in his breath. So
poor Teddy got "50" on what was termed the "Broad Bean Racket" (robbing
a garden). But what did these men care? If there was a garden handy,
"50" or no "50" they would be into it, as they never got any vegetables
except by stealing. They were merry as crickets, too, when they had had
a good 'blow out.'
A number of the Government men were assembled in a hut at a place
known as the "Stockyard," about a mile from the barracks, one Saturday
afternoon. It was their intention to have a good feed, and they had
a big plum "duff" cooking; besides this, by some means they got some
wine. Three of the number, thinking there was not enough for everyone
to have a decent allowance from, decided to make another pudding
out of pipe-clay. This was done, and, at a given signal, two of them
pretended to start fighting outside, while the other was to remove the
pudding from the pot when nearly cooked, put the pipe-clay padding in
its place, and take the wine also. All at once the cry was raised,
"A Fight! A Fight!" Everybody rushed out to see it, and then the
business was done. The cook afterwards went to see how the pudding was
getting on, and saw the water discoloured with pipeclay. "Dear me," he
said, "the sugar has all evaporated." It was not the sugar that had
evaporated, though; it was the pudding. One old fellow who was nearly
three feet across the shoulders was sitting by, and when he became
aware of what had taken place, he made his usual remark, which was:
"Well, well, well! capitally done!" They did not try feasting in a
crowd again.