"Drop your pick!" shouted the policeman, as he came near the bottom of
the shaft--at the same time covering the convict with his revolver.
The murderer saw the folly of resisting. It was impossible for him to
escape--even could he have killed the officer, and a dozen more besides.
Some of the "Queen's Jewellery" was soon adjusted upon his wrists; and
the rope, having been fastened around his body, he was hoisted up into
the light of heaven.
The policemen were going to stop, until they could examine the body of
the murdered man; but they perceived that the indignation of the crowd
was fast rising to such a pitch, that it was necessary for the prisoner
to be carried to some place of security--else he might be taken out of
their hands.
None of the spectators seemed anxious either to rescue, or kill the man.
Each one appeared to be satisfied by getting a kick or blow at him.
The mind of every honest miner on the ground had been shocked by the
cruel crime that had been committed; and each appeared to think he had
himself a score of revenge to wipe off against the perpetrator.
Each wished to calm his outraged feelings, by inflicting some
chastisement upon the criminal; and still leave to the justice of God
and the law, the task of punishing him for the murder.
The police did their best to protect their prisoner; but on their way to
their station, they were followed by an indignant crowd of miners, who
kicked and scratched the old convict, till he was nearly lifeless in
their hands.
When the body of the murdered man had been brought out of the shaft, it
was found that the sharp point of a pick-axe had been driven through his
skull. The wound was in the back part of the head--proving that the
victim had received the blow from behind, and most probably without any
warning. A similar fate would undoubtedly have befallen his friend, had
he not made the discovery which enabled him to avert it.
The murderer was sent down to Melbourne to be locked up, till the
sitting of the Criminal Court.
The day after the funeral of the murdered man, the only one of the three
partners left to work out the claim, made his appearance upon the spot.
Before commencing work, he came over to me; and we had a long
conversation together.
"If I had only myself to think of," said he, "I would have nothing
farther to do with this claim. It cannot be very pleasant to me to work
in it, after what has occurred. The young man who has been killed, was
my playmate in boyhood, and my constant companion ever since we left
home together. I shall have to carry back to his father, mother, and
sisters, the news of his sad fate. His relatives are very poor people;
and it took every penny they could scrape together to furnish him with
the means for coming out here. My duty to them, and to his memory, is
the sole cause of my continuing any longer to work the claim. However
painful the task may be, I must perform it. I shall obtain all the gold
it may yield; and every speck to which my murdered friend should have
been entitled, shall be paid over to his relatives. I know that they
had rather see himself return penniless to them, than to have all the
gold of Australia; but for all that he shall not be robbed, as well as
murdered.
"I have often heard him speak of the pleasure it would give him to
return to his relations with his gold. I can only show my respect for
his wishes, by taking them the money to which he would have been
entitled, had he lived, to work out his claim. It shall be done without
his aid; but his relations shall have the yield of it, all the same as
if he had lived."
Whenever the windlass was to be used in bringing up the "wash dirt" from
below--or the surviving partner wanted assistance in any way--it was
cheerfully rendered by the miners at work in the adjoining claims.
By the time he had completed his task, he was summoned to Melbourne, as
a witness on the trial of the murderer; and, after his leaving the Avoca
diggings, I saw him no more.
I afterwards learnt from the Melbourne Argus: that the old convict was
found guilty of the murder, and ended his earthly existence on the
gallows.
Volume Three, Chapter IX.