Australian Desperadoes by Terry Smyth

Author:Terry Smyth
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780143782384
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia
Published: 2017-07-03T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Law and disorder

It is near midnight now, as, at vigilante headquarters, Jim Stuart, bargaining for his life, continues to make his confession.

‘Two days after I had been on board the prison brig a constable came down from Auburn and identified me as shooting the sheriff of Auburn,’ he says. ‘Two or three hours afterwards, two more constables came on board – one from Foster’s Bar and one from Marysville. The one from Foster’s Bar identified me as the man having committed murder at Foster’s Bar.’1

The sheriff of Marysville came armed with a warrant, issued by Judge Russell Sackett, to take Stuart to Marysville for trial. But when Frank Pixley, appearing for Stuart, claimed the warrant was not legal, the sheriff had to return to Marysville to fetch another warrant.

‘I then gave Mr Pixley my bag of gold dust to weigh out $600 and an order for $130, which he told me he had got and would pay me the next day.’2

But Stuart did not wait for his lawyer to return the next day. That night, he escaped from the prison brig.

‘I walked to Dry Creek, halfway to Stockton, and the next day got into Stockton, disguised myself and came to San Francisco on a steamer – somewhere in the middle of December, then stopped in Edwards’ house in Sydney Valley.’3

He claims John Edwards was unaware he had escaped from the brig. ‘I never went out of the house during the day. During the night, I went to Port Phillip House, kept by McCormick and Whitaker. Jansen at that time lived next door to Whitaker’s.’4

For the Coves, it was straight back to business, with mixed results. ‘Whitaker had got information of there being $800 or $900 in a butcher’s shop in Broadway,’ Stuart says. ‘Myself, John Edwards, Whitaker and George Adams went, took the window out, got the safe into the street and could get it no further.

‘The next thing was [shipping agent] Charles Minturn’s safe. We got this information from Belcher Kay. Kay had gone several times during the three days previous to inquire about the money. He was acquainted there. Myself, Edwards, Teddy McCormick, Whitaker, George Adams, Belcher Kay and Bob McKenzie took a boat with us, made shears to take with us, put a feather bed in the boat, augurs and saws to cut away with, and went pretty well armed.

‘We managed to get inside, three or four of us, and moved the safe somewhat, made a few augur holes in the floor, and intended cutting the floor away.

‘Someone came to the door – a false alarm. We had to run! McKenzie spoilt it by not knowing his instructions. We should not have stirred for one man or two, with so big a haul. McKenzie gave the wrong signals, and we jumped into the water and swam away.

‘The next thing was a jeweller’s shop Belcher Kay had examined. He allowed that there was $2,000 or $3,000 in diamonds etc. We went to look at it at night, myself and Edwards.

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