History of the Australian BushrangersBoxall, George
History
History of the Australian Bushrangers
Boxall, George
Bushrangers -- Australia
O'Leary, of Poolamacca; robbed and murdered a hawker at the Barrier
ranges, and stuck up and robbed a number of people on the roads about
Tiers, Gummeracha, and other places near the Murray River, on both
sides of the New South Wales-South Australian border. When Bertram was
captured, Baker endeavoured to induce a young man whom he met to join
him, telling him that they could easily raise £200 to £300, but the
young fellow replied that he "didn't want to be hung yet." Baker was
extradited to New South Wales, and was tried and hung at Bathurst early
in 1871.
On May 20th, 1870, _The Queanbeyan Age_ reported the finding of a
mail bag near the Big Hill. The bag was still locked and the seal
intact, but the bottom had been ripped open. It had evidently, from its
appearance, been lying in the bush for a long time, probably several
years. It was referred to as "a relic of the bygone bushranging era in
the district."
The Muswellbrook and Cassilis coach was stuck up at Wappinguey, on
November 1st, 1870, by two armed men. When ordered to bail up, E.
Cummins, the driver, enquired "What for?" "You'll soon see. Drive into
that bit of scrub," was the reply. Cummins did as he was ordered, and
when the coach was out of sight of the road he was made to get down and
hold his horses while the robbers went through the letter bags. When
they had finished, they told him to gather up the letters and go.
On the 3rd, Mr. Bellamy was lying under his cart asleep, about three
miles from Forbes, on the Currajong Road, when he was awakened by
some one calling "Come out o' that." He asked what was the matter,
and was told to come out unless he wanted his "brains blown out." He
crawled from under the tarpaulin which covered his cart, and handed
the bushrangers three £1 notes. "Where's the rest? We know what you
got for your load at Forbes," said one of the bushrangers. "I paid it
away to a man I owed it to," replied Bellamy. "That won't do. You never
stopped anywhere; we were watching you. Where is it?" As Bellamy still
persisted in saying that he had paid away the money, he was compelled
to stand with his face to the wheel and was tied there. A handkerchief
was also tied round his head, with the knot thrust into his mouth, as
a gag. They shook out Bellamy's blankets, searched the feed-bag of his
horses, and hunted everywhere, until at length they discovered thirteen
£1 notes tucked under the tilt of the cart. Having secured their booty
they cautioned Bellamy not to move for an hour under pain of being
shot, and went away. Two of them jumped over the track in what was
called the road, to avoid leaving footmarks in the dust, but the third
appeared to be stiff and walked across into the bush. After they had
been out of sight for a time, Bellamy began to struggle. He capsized
the spring cart before he succeeded in breaking the rope, but as soon
as he got loose he walked back to Forbes and informed the police of
the robbery. The robbers were followed and found in a public-house
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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