Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal (NSW : 1851 - 1862; 1872; 1882; 1885 - 1897; 1899 - 1904), Tuesday 20 October 1891, page 4


"JACKEY-JACKEY."

One of the most notorious bushrangers of the early days was "Jackey-Jackey." He was not an aboriginal, as may be thought from his cognomen, for his proper name was West-wood, and he had been transported from County Kent in 1837. In 1840 he was assigned to Mr. Phillip King, at Gid-leigh, but absconding from his service in the following year,

he took the bush and joined a most determined scoundrel and murderer named Paddy Curran, the pair committing many depredations together. But on one occasion Curran attempted to illtreat a woman at a house they had "stuck up," when Jackey-Jackey defended her and threatened to take Curran's life and then left him. Curran was captured and hung at Berrima in 1841, but Jackey-Jackey carried on his profession single-handed for some time afterwards. He was arrested at Goulburn in June, 1841, but escaped from the lock-up at Bargo, taking the arms and accoutrements of one of the police. A day or two after his escape he stuck up Mr. Francis McArthur, and took from that gentleman's carriage on Goulburn Plains a valuable horse. He then proceeded to Gray's Inn, about two miles from Berrima, when he was set upon by Mr. Gray, who was assisted by his wife and daughter, Miss Gray displaying remarkable bravery in the encounter. A carpenter named Waters also joined in the attack, and felled the bushranger by a blow on the head with a shingling hammer, and then captured him. Mr. Gray received the £30 reward which had been offered by the Government for Jackey-Jackey's capture, and Waters, who was a convict, received a free pardon. Jackey was sentenced to imprisonment for life, and after an attempt to escape from Darlinghurst gaol, he was sent to Cockatoo Island, from which place he, with twenty-five other convicts, attempted to escape by swimming to the mainland, bnt the gang were followed by the police in their boat and all captured. Jackey was then sent to Tas-mania on board the "Governor Phillip," with other prisoners. The convicts were all confined in the hold of the vessel, nearly naked and chained to a cable, but on the way they managed to get loose and attempted to take the ship, but were over-come by the guard. After great difficulty they were landed at Hobart Town, whence they were sent on to Port Arthur. Here again Jackey escaped, but after nine days' starvation on that inhospitable place was captured, one of the convicts who had escaped with him, Frank Bailey, being shot. Twelve months afterwards he again succeeded in making his escape to the mainland, but was again captured and placed in Hobart Town gaol, whence he was sent over to Norfolk Island. Here, in 1846, he led the convicts in a mutiny, in which the officers were murdered and the mutineers marched to Government House; but they were overpowered by the soldiers, and Jackey, with seventeen others, found an end on the gallows. (To be continued.)