_THE EUREKA HOTEL MURDER._
At last an incident caused the long-smouldering elements of disaffection
to burst out suddenly in a blaze of infuriated indignation.
A digger named Scobie met an old chum of his, and being overjoyed at the
unexpected re-union, hastened to show his good-fellowship by "shouting."
In the course of the day the two became drunk, and attempted to enter
Bentley's Eureka Hotel. Being refused admittance, Scobie got
troublesome. An altercation ensued with the people of the hotel, during
which his head was split open with a spade. The blow killed him.
Bentley's Hotel was held in disrepute by respectable miners, and its
proprietor was considered a bad character. An inquest was held on the
body of the murdered man. It was not conducted with the care and
discrimination which should attend such an inquiry. The coroner's
verdict, "that the deceased died from the effects of a wound inflicted
by a person unknown," was so at variance with public opinion, that
another official investigation was held, which indicted Bentley for the
killing of Scobie. At the police court the landlord was acquitted, but
the manner in which the case was conducted made it patent to all that
justice had been trifled with. The Police Magistrate was known to be
intimate with the prisoner, and was believed to be a sharer in his
illicit gains. The trial was so injudicially carried out, that the
Junior Commissioner, Mr. Johnston, took copies of the evidence and
forwarded them to the Attorney-General.
The diggers became furious upon hearing of this acquittal, and on the
17th October 1854 assembled in great numbers around Bentley's Hotel.
They expressed dissatisfaction at the result of the trial, and
subscribed money for the purposes of bringing the case before more
competent authorities, and of offering a reward for the capture of the
dastardly murderers of Scobie. Soldiers were told off to the gathering
to nip in the bud any rebellious exhibitions of wrath. While the diggers
moved round the spot, listening to indignant invectives of their
spokesmen, a lad in the crowd threw a stone which narrowly missed a
trooper, and smashed into pieces a pane of the lamp in front of the
hotel. The police immediately tried to arrest the offender, and then the
surging crowd gave free vent to its feelings. Stones and missiles of all
kinds were thrown until every window in the hotel was broken into atoms.
Madly infuriated, they rushed against the front door, almost battering
it to pieces; and whilst the tumultuous crowd were attacking the front
of the building, a man with a bundle of paper and other inflammable
materials got into the bowling-alley at the rear and set the place on
fire. The soldiers made strenuous efforts to disperse the people and
save the hotel; but all in vain. Bentley succeeded in escaping during
the melée, and on a swift horse rode to the Commissioners' camp for
additional assistance. Presently more soldiers arrived on the scene, but
it was too late to stop the flames, which had by this time taken a firm
hold of the building. The immense blaze drew from the gravel pits all
the diggers, excepting those who happened to be below and were unable to
come up to the surface without the help of their mates at the windlass,
who had impetuously left their posts in order to take part in the
demonstration against officialism and injustice. The enveloping flames
continued the work of destruction by greedily licking up the wooden
beams and heavy columns, and finished by reducing the whole building to
a spread of ashes.
For setting fire to the hotel three men well known on the diggings were
arrested. This so incensed the diggers that they meditated an attack on
the Commissioners' camp and a forcible release of the prisoners.
However, after a time milder propositions prevailed, and it was agreed
that nine of the diggers should offer bail. Accordingly, a deputation
from the diggers went to the Commissioners, and succeeded in bringing
away the three men, although at first the turbulence of the crowd led
the officials to think that the offer of bail was merely a _ruse_ to
rescue the prisoners by force while the bail-bonds were being prepared.
When the deputation came out of the camp with the three released
captives, the crowd of diggers greeted them with such an impetuous rush
that it required the prompt efforts of both the deputation and its
charge to prevent a collision with the soldiers. A monster indignation
meeting followed, at which the diggers collected £200 to be paid to the
discoverer of the murderer of Scobie. They would have collected more had
not the Government also offered a reward and as well rearrested Bentley,
who this time was tried, convicted, and sentenced to three years' hard
labour. The corrupt Police Magistrate shortly afterwards departed for
more congenial scenes.
The trial of the three men for the burning of the hotel was held in
Melbourne, and a number of the diggers attended. The prisoners were
convicted, but with a strong recommendation to mercy, the jury adding
that they would not have had their painful duty to perform if those
entrusted with the government at Ballarat had done their duty properly.
This rider to the verdict was received with loud and prolonged cheering
by the crowded court. The three men were severally sentenced to three,
four, and six months' imprisonment. This sentence was considered so
unjust by the diggers that they promptly sent delegates to Melbourne to
demand the release of the prisoners.
On the 27th of November the deputation (Messrs. Humffray, Kennedy, and
Black) waited upon His Excellency the Governor. He listened to their
remonstrances, but was so displeased with the haughty tone assumed by
them that he said, as representative of Her Majesty, he could not allow
their peremptory demand. However, it was intimated that if a proper
memorial was sent to the Government the prisoners might be released from
custody. But the delegates were forbidden by the indignant diggers to
plead with the authorities, and therefore returned, leaving the object
of their mission unattained. The people on the diggings were further
incensed at this failure, and many now busied themselves in preparing
arms and ammunition, while committees and leagues sat night and day.
The Government expected a violent outbreak of passion, and made
preparations for eventualities by concentrating all available troops at
Ballarat. The ill-feeling of the gold-fields' population soon manifested
itself, several detachments of troops being pelted with mud and other
missiles while marching along the diggings' thoroughfares. On the 28th
of November, as a party of soldiers from Melbourne were approaching the
camp at Ballarat, some diggers in ambush suddenly made a raid on the
military waggons, in the hope of obtaining arms. They wounded a few
soldiers, and managed to overturn several waggons and rifle their
contents. But when in the vicinity of their camp the soldiers rallied,
and, with the assistance of the mounted police, put the marauders to
flight, wounding some of them. A crowd of men from the surrounding
gullies left their tents and came up to see the conflict, but were soon
driven away panic-stricken. It was eleven o'clock before the troops
quartered, but the noise made by the diggers in keeping up huge fires,
and continually discharging fire-arms, prevented them from obtaining any
rest that night.
A LOYAL TOAST.
An episode which occurred on that turbulent evening shows the general
feeling of dissatisfaction at the conduct of the officials. It is
related by Mr. Samuel Irwin, a correspondent of the _Geelong
Advertiser_:--
"A dinner was given by the American residents of Ballarat to the
American Consul, and most of the leading residents of all nationalities
were there. Just as the toasts were about to be proposed, a message was
received by Mr. Commissioner Rede, stating that an attack had been made
on some troops coming from Melbourne when they reached the workings on
the Eureka lead. The Commissioner and other officials withdrew at once,
as the report was that several lives had been lost. When the toast of
the Queen was proposed, a significant fact was disclosed--for several
minutes no one would respond to it. The duty of responding had
originally been allotted to the resident Commissioner, who had left for
the scene of the outrage. Many British subjects (business men and
miners) were present, yet they sat without the slightest attempt to show
their loyalty until the chairman said if no British subject would
volunteer for the duty, he must do so himself. At length a gentleman
undertook to respond. He very pithily said, 'While I and my
fellow-colonists claim to be and are thoroughly loyal to our Sovereign
Lady the Queen, we do not and will not respect her man-servants, her
maid-servants, her oxen, or her _asses_.' The last word was delivered
with an emphasis, and received with tumultuous applause."
BURNING THE LICENSES.
We learn from Withers' _History of Ballarat_ that a monstre meeting was
called by the reform league for the 29th of November, on Bakery Hill, at
which some thousands were expected from Creswick, besides delegates
from all the other gold-fields; for the movement had now become general,
and emissaries had been sent all over the colony to enlist sympathy,
procure help, and, in fact, make the rising national, if not
revolutionary. At the meeting on the 29th, Humffray and the other
delegates (Black and Kennedy) gave in their report of the conference
with the Governor.
Some 12,000 men, it is said, were present at the meeting. A platform was
erected, and on a flagstaff was hung the insurgent flag--the Southern
Cross. The flag had a blue ground, on which, in silver, the four
principal stars of the constellation of the Southern Cross were shown.
Mr. Hayes was the chairman, and the site of the meeting was on the
adjoining area, now occupied by Victoria Street, between East and
Humffray Streets. Besides the committee of the league and the delegates,
there were reporters on the platform, and two Roman Catholic
priests--the Rev. Fathers Downing and Smyth. The Catholic Bishop had
also come to help to maintain peace.
Resolutions condemnatory of the action of the authorities were adopted
unanimously. It was proposed:--"That this meeting, being convinced that
the obnoxious license fee is an imposition, and an unjustifiable tax on
free labour, pledges itself to take immediate steps to abolish the same
by at once burning all their licenses. That, in the event of any party
being arrested for having no licenses, the united people will, under all
circumstances, defend and protect them."
And again:--"That as the diggers have to pay no licenses, it is
necessary for them to be prepared for the contingency, as it would be
utterly inconsistent, after refusing to pay a license, to call in a
Commissioner for the adjustment of such disputes; and this meeting
resolves, whenever any party or parties have a dispute, the parties so
disputing shall each appoint one man, the two men thus appointed to call
in a third, and these three to decide the case finally."
Mr. Humffray proposed, and Mr. Kennedy seconded:--"That this meeting
protests against the common practice of bodies of military marching into
a peaceable district with fixed bayonets, and also any force, police or
otherwise, firing on the people, under any circumstances, without the
previous reading of the Riot Act; and that if Government officials
continue to act thus unconstitutionally, we cannot be responsible for
similar or worse deeds from the people."
The proposals were received with acclamation, and carried vociferously;
and had it not been for the chairman and his supporters' interference,
the men that ventured to hint of milder and more constitutional measures
would have been torn limb from limb by the infuriated diggers.
Bonfires were made of licenses; guns and revolvers were discharged; and
league tickets of membership were issued to the crowd. Troops were under
arms in the gully beneath the camp all the time, waiting in readiness
for an outbreak.
THE LAST DIGGER-HUNT.
"With incredible want of prudence, the authorities chose the juncture
marked by the meeting of the 29th of November for a more irritating
display than usual of the so long condemned practice of digger-hunting.
On the 30th of November the last raid of this kind in Victoria occurred,
under the direction of Commissioners Rede and Johnston, and the
authorities by that act destroyed the remaining influence of the friends
of moral force among the diggers. The police, supported by the whole
military force available, with skirmishers in advance and cavalry on the
flanks, formed on the flat south of the camp, and advanced upon the
Gravel Pits, as the Bakery Hill diggings were called. This cleared the
swarming crowd of diggers collected there, the diggers retiring as the
troops advanced. At certain parts of the main road, however, the diggers
made a stand, and received the troops with a running fire of stones and
occasional gun-shots. The troops took some prisoners, and returned to
the camp. Soon after that the Southern Cross was again hoisted on
Bakery Hill; the diggers knelt round the flag, swore mutual defence, and
implored the help of God. New leaders came to the front, as the
advocates of moral force were discomfited by the authorities and the
more turbulent insurgents." Peter Lalor, a native of the Queen's County,
Ireland, who has since become one of our most prominent and respected
legislators, assumed a foremost position at this dangerous turn of
affairs. A fiery-spirited Italian, named Carboni Raffello, was another
who then placed himself in the front rank of the diggers' movement.