History of the Australian BushrangersBoxall, George
History
History of the Australian Bushrangers
Boxall, George
Bushrangers -- Australia
On Tuesday, May 18th, 1841, a gentleman, mounted on a spirited horse,
pulled up at the tollbar on the Parramatta Road, Sydney, and asked
the toll-keeper if he could oblige him with a pipe of tobacco. The
toll-keeper gave him a piece, and the gentleman dismounted and filled
his pipe. As he stood at the door of the toll-house he remarked a
firelock hanging over the mantelpiece, and asked what it was for. "For
bushrangers," replied the toll man. "But there are none now. I've never
seen it taken down since I've been here." "Did you ever hear of Jackey
Jackey?" enquired the gentleman. "Oh, yes," replied the toll man,
"but he's a long way away. He never comes to Sydney. If he did he'd
soon be caught." "Not at all," replied the gentleman laughing. "They
don't know how to catch him, nor to keep him when they do catch him.
I'm Jackey Jackey." He raised the lappels of his coat as he spoke and
showed a brace of pistols stuck in his belt on each side. The tollman
looked very much alarmed, but the bushranger said to him, "Don't be
frightened, I am not going to hurt you. I've been in Sydney for three
days and I'm going back to Manaro." He informed the tollman that he
had taken a horse in Sydney, but that he was too old and stiff, so he
had taken the liberty of exchanging him for the one he had with him
at Grose's Farm. "Ain't you afraid of being took?" asked the tollman.
Jackey laughed. "I'd like to see who'll stop me while I've these little
bull-dogs about me," he said, tapping his pistols. He stood chatting
while he smoked regardless of the fact that Grose's Farm, now the
grounds of the Sydney University, was within a stone's-throw of the
tollbar. He offered the tollman some money and asked him to go to the
public-house for some rum. The tollman replied, "I can't leave the
bar." "All right," returned Jackey, "then I'll get it myself." He went
away to Toogood's Inn and returned in a few minutes with half-a-pint of
rum. He gave some to the toll-keeper and took a stiff glass himself.
Then he shook hands with the tollman, mounted his horse, and rode on
towards Parramatta.
On the 8th of July a great commotion was caused in George Street,
Sydney, by a soldier arresting a well-dressed man and asserting that he
recognised him as Jackey Jackey. A large number of people assembled and
there were plenty of them quite ready to assist in the capture of the
noted bushranger. On the prisoner being taken to the police court proof
was soon forthcoming to show that he was a free man. He was discharged
and the soldier was censured for being too officious. Since the visit
of the bushranger in May had become known a constant look-out had been
kept in case he should repeat his visit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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