Power the Bushranger--His Escape--The Squatter's Gold Watch--£500
Blood-money--A Peacock as a Sentinel--Caught by the Heels--Some of
Power's Adventures--His Sentence--Gamekeeper to Sir William Clarke.
Power was a desperate ruffian. He had been convicted several times
of different offences. He was under sentence when he escaped from
Pentridge, previous to his turning bushranger. He managed his escape
in a most extraordinary manner. The prisoners were carting rubbish in
a small go-cart from the stockade outside the walls. Power was one
of the men drawing the cart. There was a large heap where they were
tipping up the cart. Power got under the rubbish unobserved by the
sentries. The other prisoners, taking no notice of him, drew the cart
back, while Power remained in his hiding-place until evening. When the
prisoners were mustered he was missing. Search was immediately made
for him, and the spot where he had secreted himself was discovered,
but he had disappeared. Information was given to the police, and
every effort was made to find him, but without success. Power at once
commenced his bushranging career. He told me afterwards his first idea
was to get a change of clothing, as he had nothing but his prison
dress. This difficulty was overcome by stealing a suit of clothes from
a farm-house. His next trouble was to procure arms. He found a blade of
an old sheep-shears, fastened it on the end of a long stick, and made a
kind of a lance. With this weapon he started bushranging. Before long
he came across an old gentleman riding along the roads, and he took
a revolver and some money from him. Thus armed he began his career,
which lasted over eighteen months. He was the most fortunate bushranger
(so he considered himself) we ever had in Victoria, and he boasted of
having stuck up thirty men in one day.
The plan he adopted was as follows:--He chose a suitable position along
a main road, where he could be quite unobserved by passers-by. He would
probably take a coach road, wait until the coach came within ten or
fifteen yards of him, then call out to the driver to surrender--"Bail
up, or I will blow your brains out," at the same moment pointing a
double-barrelled gun at him. The driver in every instance obeyed his
orders. The bushranger would then order all the passengers to throw
up their hands, and one by one to get out of the coach, and stand on
the road, and turn their pockets inside out, letting the contents fall
on the ground; Power himself keeping them all at a distance of twenty
yards. He then made them march into the bush and sit down on a log
about thirty or forty yards distant from the road. He was careful to
select a suitable position in which to place his victims, commanding a
view of the road as well as of those he had already captured.
On one occasion he stopped the coach with six male passengers, and two
females, and he remained on the road three or four hours sticking up
every man who passed by, till he had thirty under his control; he then
mounted his horse, which was hidden in the bush, and told his victims
they might go home, he taking all the cash and jewellery they had in
their possession.
Power used to take most wonderfully long rides, frequently covering
sixty and seventy miles a day. He had hiding-places in the mountains
where he kept spare horses, and if hard pressed would make for one of
these. He informed me the secret of his success was that he had no
companions and never spoke to a woman. When captured, he was full of
anecdotes. He was a very vain man, and had in his possession extracts
from papers referring to his exploits, and had not the least hesitation
in telling of his different robberies, and how he had escaped the
police. He was a thorough bushman, and knew every gap and hiding-place
in the mountains. The police were out after him day and night for
eighteen months, and no money nor trouble was spared to effect his
capture, many of the best bushmen amongst the police being selected
from all parts of the colony, and sent into the district he frequented
to try and capture him.
Captain Standish sent for me one day, and told me that Sir James
M'Culloch (the Chief Secretary) had directed him to instruct me to
proceed at once to the North-east district, and gave me _carte blanche_
to do anything I chose, and incur any expense I thought advisable. I at
once wired to my clerk, who had a thorough knowledge of the district,
and whom I had previously sent up to make some inquiries, to meet me
at a certain spot in the bush on the following Sunday. I, accompanied
by one of my brother officers, left Melbourne on Friday at six a.m.,
and reached the meeting-place arranged on Sunday evening. We had also
secured the services of a black tracker, and we all remained that
night at a squatter's station, some miles from Benalla, who had himself
been stuck up by Power whilst engaged with his sheep on the run. Power
had stolen the squatter's gold watch, which was an heirloom, and very
much valued by the gentleman. He knew Power very well, and had been
very kind to him, and as he naturally felt very much hurt at being
robbed in this way, we could not have stayed at a house where we were
more welcome. Power had sent a message to this gentleman (the squatter)
that if he was anxious to get his watch he would return it to him if
he sent £15. The difficulty we had to contend with was to get some
trusty person, who had Power's confidence, to take the money to him and
bring back the watch. After a day or two we were introduced to a man
whom I must call L----. It was a very delicate matter we had on hand,
but my brother officer, who was used to dealing with men of this kind,
undertook the task.
The Government had offered a reward of £500 for the capture of Power,
and my brother officer offered this tempting bait to L----. The man
threw all kinds of difficulties in the way, but we both stuck to him,
till at last he gave way and consented to undertake the task. We had
no end of obstacles to overcome, but we were determined to succeed. The
first thing we had to do was to find a route in the mountains where we
could travel unseen, as Power had so many spies--"bush telegraphs," as
they were called--throughout the district, that had we been seen by any
one, our chances of success would have been small. The next thing was,
to get the £15 from the squatter to send to Power. I put my initials
on the coins, and we started away on Thursday morning, the party
consisting of L---- as guide, my brother officer, myself, my clerk, and
a black-fellow.
We left the station early in the morning, unobserved by any of the
station hands, with one day's rations, as we expected to be in the
vicinity of Power's whereabouts some time next day. We found our guide
was a very bad bushman and was constantly losing himself, but my
clerk had a good idea of the country, and we got on tolerably well.
We travelled in a most inaccessible country, on the tops of mountains
very thickly timbered, and with great difficulty managed to get through
creeks, gullies, and sidlings. The first night we came upon a deserted
house, which was locked up, but we put the black-fellow down the
chimney and made him open the door. The only food we found was some
tea and sugar, so we camped there that night, my brother officer and
myself lying on an old bedstead with a sheep skin as covering, the
clerk and black-fellow before the fire on the floor.
Next morning we caught our horses, which were hobbled, and while the
black-fellow was catching them I saw a fowl on the roof of the hut,
and with some difficulty I managed to secure it. Not wishing the
black-fellow to see I had taken the fowl, I wrung its neck, tied it
up in a bag, and fastened it in the front of the saddle used by the
black guide. We had not been mounted ten minutes when I turned round
and saw the darkie laughing very heartily. I said, "Donald, what makes
you laugh?" He replied, "I 'mell him, I 'mell him!" I said, "What you
'mell?" He said, "Chicken, ha ha!" I asked, "Where?" "In my swag," he
replied. I was very much astonished at his smartness. This was the only
food we had besides a bone of a shoulder of mutton.
As I said before, we expected to have been near Power on the Friday
morning. We rode all day, and about sunset arrived at a deep gully,
where the party were to remain whilst L---- went to a farm-house to
endeavour to ascertain whether it was safe to approach Power. The
farm-house was occupied by a notorious family, two or three brothers,
all of whom were convicted thieves and bushrangers. L----, on leaving,
led us to believe that he would return early the next morning, as he
had only to ride about ten miles. We made a meal off the fowl, but
it was the poorest creature four men ever dined off. We had great
difficulty with our horses, they were tired, cold, and hungry, as they
had travelled two days with very little food, so we merely sat on a log
all night waiting for daylight to appear, holding the horses. No tents
or covering of any kind, except one rug amongst us!
Saturday morning came, and there we remained all day, without food. It
was raining in torrents, and the cold was intense, and no fire. We sat
waiting all Saturday, the water pouring down the sides of the mountain
like rivers, but L---- did not return, and we began to think we had
been made fools of, when about four o'clock in the afternoon we heard
the sound of horse's hoofs, and to our great joy found it was L----.
Our first greeting was, "What luck have you had?" He made no reply,
dismounted, took a handkerchief out of his pocket, untied it, and there
displayed the squatter's watch and chain. We saw at once that L----
must have had an interview with Power, and we made him relate all that
had happened during the time. He told us the Quinns doubted his honesty
in wishing to see Power, and he was obliged to remain there for a day
before he could even broach the subject of an interview with him, but
after a good deal of caution Quinn consented to one of his associates
taking L---- to Power's hiding-place in the mountains.
These Quinns were the only people in the colony who knew where Power
was hidden. L---- used to be a great companion of Power, and used to
be paid well, both in horses and money, for any information concerning
the movements of the police, but the temptation of getting the reward
of £500 was too much for him, so he consented to sell his friend
for the blood-money. We then took counsel with L---- as to the best
course to adopt in order to reach Power's place of concealment. L----
suggested waiting till Sunday night, forgetting that our party had had
scarcely any food for two days. He threw every obstacle in the way
of our starting that evening, telling us that if we were seen about
the Quinns' house that night he would be shot, and that it was quite
impossible to pass the house, which we should have been obliged to do
to get into the mountains where Power was, as the rivers were all
flooded, and the house watched by dogs, so that neither man nor beast
could pass without being observed, and if we were on foot we should
certainly be torn to pieces. Besides this, he said there was a peacock
which always roosted on top of the Quinns' house, and no stranger could
approach without the bird giving notice by uttering a shrill cry.
However, we were all determined to start that night, and we did so. We
arranged our plans so as to pass Quinn's house about two o'clock in the
morning, thinking as it was Saturday night that they might have been
up late, and would be asleep by that time. Just as we were starting
a terrific storm of rain came on, and our horses refused to face it.
L----, being superstitious, took it for a bad omen, but we made a
fresh start after the rain had stopped. We had a difficult gap in the
mountains to cross, and L---- was in a terribly frightened state, and
would have given anything to have retracted his agreement, and bolted
from us, but we were firm and severe, and threatened to shoot him if
he attempted to escape. We got through the pass much quicker than we
anticipated, thanks to my clerk, and found ourselves within five miles
of Quinn's house at about nine o'clock at night. Here we resolved to
remain till twelve o'clock, and then make a fresh start. My brother
officer and myself spent most of the time in walking up and down
endeavouring to get warm, leaving my clerk, Donald, and L----, with the
horses.
We were greatly excited at the prospect of securing Power, as he
had baffled so many officers and men for the last eighteen months.
At twelve o'clock we mounted our horses, and L---- was to lead the
way to the place arranged, within sight of the Quinns' house. When
there, we could decide on what was best to be done after seeing the
surroundings of the house. We started away and got entangled amongst
high ferns, logs, and creeks. We kept on riding for miles, and at last
found--whether designedly or otherwise--that L---- had lost himself
utterly. We were in despair! I asked the black-fellow whether he could
find his way back to the point from which we started. He replied, "Yes,
you have been going round and round all night." He then took the lead,
and in half an hour showed us the log we had started from. We again set
out, my clerk leading the way, as he alone besides L---- knew anything
about the country, and in an hour's time we arrived in sight of the
long-looked-for house. We decided to leave our horses in charge of
Donald, about 300 yards from the Quinns' house, while the four of us
endeavoured to pass the house unobserved.
No sooner had we dismounted than a terrific fall of rain commenced
again, which was very much in our favour, as the dogs no doubt would
seek shelter, and the peacock put his head beneath his wing. It was a
most exciting moment. Strange to say, we passed the door in safety,
having to keep within a few feet of the house, where some of the
biggest ruffians in the colony were sheltered. Very much relieved
at having succeeded, we began the ascent of the mountain behind the
house. L---- had given us a good description of the locality where
Power was camped. He told us it was a most difficult place to find.
He had followed a track for some time, and had dropped pieces of bark
and leaves of trees, so that we might know it again. He also described
a hollow tree along the track, with a few old rags in it, within 200
or 300 yards of the spot where Power had his gunyah. We searched and
searched for this track, but could find no trace of it. Our excitement
was growing intense. It was just getting daylight, and it was more
necessary that we should reach Power if possible before he awoke, as,
in addition to being well armed, the country was so rugged that if
he saw or heard us approach he could escape, and it would be next to
impossible to find him.
In despair we held a council of war, and I suggested that the
black-fellow should be sent for to endeavour to find the tracks of
L---- and his friend on the previous day. My clerk opposed the idea
of leaving our horses without protection, as they were sure to be
stolen or let loose. But both my brother officer and I agreed that the
black-fellow should be given a trial; so we sent the clerk back alone
to get the black-fellow, and strange to say, they managed to pass
unmolested or observed by the house, without either rousing the dogs'
or peacock's attention. All this time my brother officer and self had
our work to do, endeavouring to look after and quiet L----, who did
nothing but cry, and try to escape from us. I never saw a man in such a
terrible fright!
We thought the black man could be of little use after such a heavy
rain. However, he appeared to get on a track of some sort, and followed
it till he came upon the hollow tree described by L----, with a bed
inside it. My brother officer, who was with the black tracker, beckoned
me and pointed out the tree. I then said to Donald, "Can you see any
smoke?" for we imagined Power by this time would have been up and had
his fire alight. Donald replied, "Yes, fire up there along mountain."
We started off at once in the direction the black-fellow pointed,
and came upon a track, leaving L---- at the hollow tree. We ran up
a steep hill and saw the smoke ourselves. We continued running, my
brother officer leading the way, till we saw the fire and a kind of
shelter under some gum trees, and as we approached I saw a pair of
legs sticking out beyond the shelter. I went straight up to the legs,
revolver in hand, and, in less time than I can write this, seized hold
of the ankles, and pulled the man from under the shelter and away out
of reach of his fire-arms. He was fast asleep, and uttered a tremendous
howl, like a man in a nightmare, but there he was lying helpless at
our feet. The first words he said were, "What police are you, and how
did you get up here?" I replied, "We came from Melbourne, and passed
the Quinns' house;" he said, "No fear, you could not have passed
without the dogs and peacock giving the alarm." I replied, "We did
pass there." The clerk put a pair of handcuffs on Power, then went to
look after the horse. Power, meanwhile, dressed himself, and told us
he had a presentiment that night, somehow, that something would happen
to him, and hardly closed his eyes all night. At daylight, he got up
and lighted his fire, and put on a "billy" of water to boil, and while
waiting had lain down and fallen asleep.
We then searched his tent, and found his six-chambered Colt's revolver,
loaded; and from the ridge-pole of his tent hung his double-barrelled
shot gun, fastened by two strings, commanding a view of the path we had
come up. It was loaded with slugs, and doubtless had he been awake, we
should have had the contents in our bodies; but it was not to be.
The first thing we did was to ask Power to give us something to eat,
as we were starving. He said, "If you go to that tree," pointing to
it, "you will find some fine corned beef;" and so it turned out. We
also found some tea, sugar, and bread in his tent. We threw away the
water that was boiling, for fear it might have been poisoned, refilled
the "billy," and made some tea. When the black-fellow saw the bread
and meat he exclaimed, "Oh, golly, what a feed we shall have!" And so
we did. Power tried to eat some breakfast, but complained that we had
taken his appetite away. The only money we found in his tent or gunyah
consisted of the three five-pound notes with my initials on them.
The spot on which the gunyah was situated was a most commanding
position, and it would have been almost impossible to approach it
without observation, had Power been awake. It was within half a mile
of Quinn's house. I found out afterwards that the signal given by the
Quinns when danger was near was the crack of a stock-whip, which meant,
"Be on the look-out." The dogs and peacock were also signals, but, as
luck would have it, appeared to be off their guard that night.
The place where Power was captured was about fifty miles from the
nearest watch-house, and after breakfast we started on our journey.
The first difficulty we had to contend with was how the two of us,
viz., my brother officer and myself, were to pass these desperadoes at
Quinn's house without an attempt at a rescue. The clerk had aroused the
Quinns when he had passed to secure the horses, and when we were within
sight of the house, we saw six or eight men standing at the door, and
the dogs were barking at a great rate, and the peacock shrieking. My
brother officer went in advance with Power, revolver in hand, while I
remained some distance in the rear armed with Power's double-barrelled
gun, so as to protect them if an attempt at a rescue had been made, but
no attempt was made, not even a remark while he passed. Of L---- we
saw nothing more; after we found the hollow tree he returned to Greta
as fast as he could, without, as far as we know, being seen by any
one. We mounted Power on the black-fellow's horse until we were able
to secure another for him, and at seven o'clock on Sunday night we had
him in the Wangaratta lock-up, safe and secure. During the journey he
related many of his exploits, and seemed quite proud of his doings.
Many of his stories were most amusing, and whenever we met any one on
the road he called out, "They have got poor Power at last, but they
caught him asleep."
On arriving at Wangaratta, we found the inhabitants were all going to
church; in some way it became known that Power was captured, and in a
few moments the churches were emptied, and every one flocked to see the
notorious bushranger who had kept the whole colony in such a state of
excitement for so many months.
It would take me too long to relate one tenth of his anecdotes, nor had
I any guarantee as to the truth of them, but I may give one or two for
a sample. He stated that he had robbed a number of stores and draymen,
at Bright. The morning before he committed the robbery he changed his
clothes, putting on very old ones, and mounted a miserable old roan
horse which he had picked up for the occasion, leaving his own horse
and clothes in some secure place in the bush. After committing the
robberies, he started off to his retreat in the mountains, riding in
the most unfrequented passes. About sunset in the evening, he met three
young men who appeared to him like office lads, or bank clerks; each
of them had a revolver round his waist. They came up to him, and said,
"Have you seen a man riding a roan horse?" at the same time describing
the dress Power had worn in the morning. He replied, "No; who is he?"
The young men replied, "We are looking for Power the bushranger, who
has stuck up a number of drays and stores near Bright this morning."
Power then told them he had seen no one answering the description they
gave. Power asked them where they intended spending the night; they
said they were going towards Myrtleford; he said he was going in that
direction also, and would accompany them in their search for Power.
They rode along talking about the robberies, the three young fellows
never dreaming they were talking to Power.
After they had gone some distance, Power got them in a certain
position, and ordered them to hold up their hands on pain of being
shot, at the same time pointing his revolver at them and informing
them he was Power the bushranger. He made them all dismount from their
horses, undo the belts of their revolvers, let them drop on the road,
and move away from them. He then ordered them all to undress and place
their clothes on a log, even down to their shirts, and ordering them
away from the log, lit a fire and burnt every article! He let their
horses go, and then told them they might return to Bright, and inform
their employers they had seen Power! I never could ascertain whether
this story was true, beyond the fact of his having stuck up the stores
and draymen on that road.
Another story Power told me is worth recording. He said he had stuck up
a number of draymen on the road between Avenel and Seymour, and after
stopping some eight or nine of them and seeing another approach him,
he stepped from behind a tree, and ordered the driver to "bail up,"
calling out, "I am Power, the bushranger," at the same time covering
him with his double-barrelled gun. The drayman pulled up his horses,
and Power demanded his money, but the driver, who proved himself to
be a Scotchman, most positively declined to hand it over. He said, "I
have worked hard for my money, and have only £9 upon me, and nothing in
the world will induce me to give it up." Power replied, "You see all
these gentlemen here," pointing to the drivers of the other waggons,
"have given me up all their money, and you will have to do the same."
The drayman still remained obdurate, and Power then said to him, "Look
here my good man, you see the position I am in; if I allow you to
pass without giving me your money, my occupation will be gone. I am a
bushranger, and make my living as a highwayman. Suppose I let you pass,
the next person I stick up will also refuse to hand over his money, and
the public will say I am afraid to shoot a man. I will therefore give
you five minutes to think over the matter, and if after that time you
still refuse, I will have to shoot you." Power said to me, "I did not
want to shoot the poor fellow, so I left him and went behind a tree and
prayed to God to soften his heart, and the Lord answered my prayer. At
the end of the appointed time, I again called on the drayman to hand
over his cash, and he handed it to me without a murmur."
Power was a most careful man in his dress. No one would have thought
he was a bushranger, his clothes were always so clean and neat, and
he always rode splendid horses (of course, stolen property). After
his capture I was a good deal with him. I drove him to Beechworth in
my buggy, and he talked all the way; and subsequently I was asked by
Captain Standish to bring him from Beechworth to Melbourne by coach,
and all the way down he related his adventures and experiences since
his escape from Pentridge. On his arrival in Melbourne by the coach,
which carried the mails, we stopped at the post-office, where a large
crowd awaited his arrival. He put his head out of the coach window and
took off his hat to the people, and then, when the coach arrived at
Cobb's office, he wanted to make a speech to the crowd, but I prevented
his doing so.
On the way from Beechworth after the sentence was passed, he thanked me
for all my kindness towards him, and told me he would like to make me
a present of a magnificent black mare he had in the mountains (telling
me where she was). I asked him how she came into his possession, but he
replied, "You must not ask me that question." I said, "Did you get her
on the square?" His reply was "No." "Then I can have nothing to do with
her," I replied. He afterwards offered me his pipe, but as I was not a
smoker I declined the offer.
Power was put on his trial at Beechworth, charged with highway robbery
under arms, which meant sticking up the Myrtleford coach and robbing
the passengers. He pleaded guilty to one charge, and was sentenced
to fifteen years in Pentridge; he served over fourteen years of
this sentence, and was then released. He was afterwards employed
as gamekeeper to Sir William Clarke, at Bald Hill Station. I had a
conversation with him whilst there. He appeared very dissatisfied at
the unexciting life he was leading. He was a hale, strong man even
then, very fond of telling his experiences to any one who would listen
to him.
Our guide, L----, I never saw again after leaving him at the hollow
tree the morning of Power's capture. I had letters from him, and paid
the £500 reward promised to him, to a gentleman he named, who paid him
portions of the sum as he required it, but he made no good use of the
money. He squandered it, and it became known in the district that he
had informed against Power, in consequence of his having so much money
at his disposal. He was galloping his horse one Sunday after he had
drawn the last instalment, and in riding home from the hotel, where he
had been drinking heavily, he fell from his horse and broke his neck.
Power himself never suspected L----, but thought the Quinns had given
information, or, as it is termed, "put him away;" he thought it quite
impossible for our party to have passed Quinn's house unobserved.
I might add that afterwards the squatter who had given us £15 to obtain
his watch, and through whose instrumentality the capture was made, sent
in an application to the Government to refund the amount, but the Chief
Secretary point blank refused the request.