Clarence and Richmond Examiner (Grafton, NSW : 1889 - 1915)(about) |
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Saturday 28 September 1907
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Career of ex-Superintendent Casey
The Bushranging Days.
An old police officer who saw a good deal of exciting service, both in Victoria and in New South Wales, was the late ex-Super- intendent W. C. Casey, I.S.O., whose death occurred the other day.
Some little time prior to his death Mr. Casey related something of his career to a "Sun" representative. He was born, he said, at St. Helens, Lancashire (Eng.), in 18?7, the son of the late John Casey, sur- geon in the Royal Navy. He was first edu- cated at the Whalley Grammar School, on the borders of Lancashire, and afterwards studied at Queen's College (now the Uni- versity), Birmingham, at that time being intended for the medical profession. But in those days surgical operations were car- ried on without the aid of chloroform, and young Casey used to shudder at his fa- ther's account of how they were performed, for many of them were little less than butcheries. So the younger Casey made up his mind that whatever else he might be he would not go in for surgery.
" So I decided to come to Australia," said Mr. Casey, in continuation of his nar- rative, " and took the Red Jacket for it — one of the fastest sailing vessels that ever traded between England and this country.
On arriving in Victoria I found nearly everyone suffering from the gold fever. I landed at Williamstown, and the first thing I did was to join the Victorian police. I was very young, and was stationed at the
Cadet Barracks, and there I remained for some time. Then I was sent to Yan Yean, where they were at that time constructing the great Yan Yean waterworks that now supply Melbourne with water. In 1854 I was among those sent up to suppress the Ballarat riots, and was at the attack on the Eureka Stockade, when, as you know, there were a good many casualties, both among the troops and among the diggers. But that is an oft-told tale.
" From Ballarat I went on escort duty between the Ovens diggings and Melbourne in very troublous times. We were right through the country in which the Kelly Gang afterwards operated. At that time there were a good many bushrangers look- ing out for gold, and amongst the most
notorious was Black Douglas — so called be- cause he was a very dark man, with black hair and beard. He was a terror ; never- theless we always got safely through with the gold.
"But, like others, I had got bitten at last with the fever, and resigned my posi- tion in the police, and thought I would see a bit of digging life from the actual exper- ience of a miner, rather than as one who was conveying their gold safely to the cap- ital. But I had no great success at the game. I gave Victoria best, and in 1857 I came over to New South Wales for the first time. I took passage from Melbourne, and
went straight up to the Turon diggings.
I followed the career of a digger with more or less success — a great deal of the latter — until 1860, when I joined the Western
Mounted Patrol, under Captain Battie — one of the great fighting Batties — and was shortly afterwards sent in charge to Cow-
ra, then an important out-station. I was attached to Sir Frederick Pottinger's par- ty during the whole of the bushranging time.
"At this period bushranging was ram- pant. Many townships round Bathurst were stuck up, and mails and gold escorts treated in the same way, while horse-steal- ing and murder were rife in all directions. In those days you must remember, there were no telegraphs, and the country was not fenced, as now.
"Oh, yes, I was mixed up with several of these affairs, but it's no use speaking about them — they are a part of my record. I can tell you one thing, however, and that is that whenever, we had come across bush- rangers they were far better mounted, than we were. When horses were stolen they were the very best in the countryside, far and wide. It was most difficult to get information about the bushrangers. No- body would tell you anything. They were probably afraid.
" As an incident of the bushranging days let me tell you of an incident about Ben Hall that has never been published, so far as I know. He come to the police barracks at Cowra in the middle of the night, and woke me, saying, " Would you like to know where Gardiner is ? Gardiner had, a short time before, been wanted by the police at Foggs, on the Fish River. I replied, ' of course I would.' At that time Ben Hall was a respectable man, living on his own property at Wheeogo.
" 'Then, ' said he, ' he is in Paddy Pow- er's house, and Mrs. Power is attending to him.' You see, he had been wounded by
the police in an encounter.
" This was news to us, so I organised a party, and went out at once to try to catch the King of the Road, as Gardiner was known. At the place appointed I found a matchbox, with a note in it, from Ben Hall saying,'' He is all right. Camp in the Quandongs, and I will see you early to-morrow morning,' Whilst we were camp- ed a boy came along looking for a cow. He rode right into the camp. But we know he was what is termed in the country a ' bush telegraph'-- that is one who gives informa- tion to the bushrangers from place to place, and there were many of those in the country. We at once collared the young gentleman. I had a consultation with my men as to whether , we should tie him up and keep him there or whether we should try to frighten him not to tell, and then let him go. In the end we decided to let him go, as we made sure he would be miss-
ed if we detained him.
" Ben Hall did not turn up according to the promise in his note. We went down then to Wheeogo, and searched the whole of the station, but found no traces of Gar- diner. We had been ' sold ' somehow.
" Afterwards I went to Bogolong, which is an out station near Wheeogo, and re- mained there until I was sent to Sofala, where I remained for some years. There was plenty of crime in that district, but no bushranging.
" Then I succeeded Mr. Garvin, our pre- sent Inspector-General of Police, as clerk in Superintendent Lydiard's office at Bath- urst. From there I was promoted, and sent to take charge of the Temora dig- gings, and from Temora again promoted to Wagga Wagga — another lively place in those days, what with murder and cattle-duffing.
" On account of ill-health I applied to- wards the end of 1882 to be removed to a position at Braidwood, and my application was granted, and there recovered my health. In 1887 I was promoted to be in- spector, and was sent to Grafton to re- lieve Mr. Garvin, who had just been pro- moted to the position of superintendent at Armidale. After remaining at Grafton a few years (pretty lively times there too), I was promoted to the position of superin- tendent of the Tamworth district.
" I had only got settled in this district when the Barraba outrage took place. I was at Barraba on the night before the oc- currence, and was walking about with the unfortunate gentleman who was shot the next morning. As you know, he was the manager of the local bank. The two ruf- fians, Lee and Cummings, got into the bank between 11 and 12 o'clock in the daytime, and stuck it up. I had left for Bingara early that morning, and had driven about 40 miles when a messenger, who had come out to meet me, told me the dreadful news that the manager was shot dead. I at once returned to Barraba, and organised a pur- suit of the criminals who did not get a penny-piece by their crime. It appears that each one thought the other had the booty, and did not discover their muddle till they were some distance away from the scene.
" The pursuit was successful and Cum- mings was captured coming out of the ranges in the direction of Boggabri. The other offender, Lee who was a foreigner, was met and accosted several times by the police, but he told them a yarn in broken
English that he was a runaway sailor from Newcastle, looking for work. He was, how- ever, captured a few days later. They were both tried at Tamworth, convicted, and hanged in Tamworth gaol. At the trial the Judge highly complimented me on the
organisation of the pursuit and the cap- ture of the murderers."
At the last examination for the Public Ser- vice only four Queensland candidates were suc- cessful. Tutors at Nudgee College were dissat- isfied with the results obtained by a youth named Morton, and they asked for a re-exam- ination af his papers by the examiner, who, on reconsideration, gave Morton the highest pass.
Swine fever has again brokon out on the Manning.