Читать книгу Grand Deceptions - G. S. Willmott - Страница 17

Gold

It’s there for the taking

Chapter 10

The three comrades began planning their next robbery. One lesson learnt from Mathew and John’s experience of bailing up the stagecoach was they needed two guns each. This would make their appearance more intimidating and, they hoped, would deter the police from firing on them.

Mathew was able to purchase the additional weapons on the basis he needed them to protect the hotel. The pistols he chose were .31 Colt Revolvers acquired from the gun dealer; Ninnis of 82 Little Bourke Street East. He paid £15 each, a sizable sum.

George was assigned the task of observing the loading of the gold security boxes onto the coach. He discovered over a period of three weeks that the gold run was always on a Thursday departing at 3 pm. He also concluded that the weak link in the steel boxes was the Chubb padlocks.

John purchased several of the locks in Melbourne to determine how they could be broken open. He discovered that an American tomahawk would accomplish the task with relative ease. John purchased two from the local general store.

After the initial robbery, the word had spread from Ballarat to Melbourne that there were two female bushrangers calling themselves the Banshees bailing up stagecoaches along the gold route. Most of the diggers and the police were sceptical; surely, they wouldn’t strike again? After all, they were women.

April 30, 1857

The three friends met in Mathew’s suite to determine their preparedness for the next robbery.

They had made a list the previous meeting, and now it was time to tick off all the items.

Purchase four pistols ✓

Buy ammunition ✓

Determine how the strong boxes can be accessed ✓

Acquire three pack horses or mules ✓

Discover what day and what time coach departs Ballarat ✓

Fit up George for his disguise ✓

Determine bail-up point on the Melbourne Road ✓

All the points were ticked off, and they all agreed they would bail up the gold coach the following Thursday, 4 May.

May 4, 1857

The first banshee, George, rode out of town on the Melbourne Road at midday. No one paid any attention to him as he was obviously heading to Melbourne for supplies with the pack horse accompanying him. He rode for two hours until reaching the rendezvous point; a bend in the road with a large rock formation on the side giving the bushrangers significant cover.

The other advantage of this site was a large cave one mile inland where they could break open the strong boxes and distribute the gold. They would then change back to their street clothes and head back to Ballarat the following day.

The next to leave Ballarat was John who departed at 1 pm with a packhorse in tow. He arrived at the bail up point at 3 pm.

Finally, Mathew rode out at 2 pm, so all three banshees would rendezvous at 4 pm giving them ample time to get into their disguises and wait for the coach.

All were nervous, particularly Mathew. He was concerned that the coach had an escort of four police officers, making it entirely different from the first robbery.

Five pm came and went without any sign of the coach at 5.30 they were becoming concerned that it wasn’t coming at all.

‘Where is the bloody thing? it’s way overdue,’ fretted Mathew.

‘Maybe there wasn’t enough gold to take into Melbourne. They may have cancelled the run,’ said John.

‘I bloody hope not,’ said George.

John held up his hand. ‘Hold on, I think I hear something.’

‘You’re right!’ George said. ‘I can hear wheels on the road. Quick, pull the log across the road.’

Mathew said with suppressed excitement, ‘Mount up boys; this is it.’

The coach rounded the bend then pulled up quickly to avoid the obstruction. From behind the rocks came the three Banshees wielding their Colt pistols.

‘This is a bail-up! Everybody get out of the coach,’ yelled John in his best female voice.

A shot was fired by one of the policemen, missing the three bushrangers. Mathew responded immediately firing a shot into the coach, wounding a policeman in the arm. The police decided enough was enough and alighted from the coach with their hands up. The Banshees confiscated their manacles and handcuffed them all to the spokes of the coach. The driver and co-driver were told to get into the cabin of the coach.

After grabbing the six strong boxes, the men tied them to the packhorses. The Banshees mounted up and shouted, ‘Tell them the Banshees bailed you up.’

They then galloped off down the road, and after a mile, the bushrangers headed inland to their secret cave.

The three Banshees arrived at the cave, tied up the six horses, removed the heavy boxes from the packhorses and carried them into the cave.

‘Right, John, I hope you’re right about these tomahawks.’

‘Only one way to find out, Mathew.’

John swung the small axe with significant force, hitting the padlock square on. It didn’t break, so he swung it again and again and finally the lock sprang open. John eagerly opened the lid and stared at the contents, as did his two companions. The box was full of gold nuggets and bags of gold dust.

He handed the other tomahawk to George while he continued to open the other boxes. The two men cracked open all six in thirty minutes. Every box was the same; full of gold.

The Banshees waited until 1 am before heading back to Ballarat. They arrived at 4 am, the return journey slower due to the weight the packhorses were required to carry. They quietly stabled the horses, relieving them of their heavy load. John went ahead to ensure the way was clear, and the three men carried in one box at a time. Eventually, all six were safely stacked in Mathew’s suite. When weighed the estimated value of the haul was £15,000.

‘We have to be careful, boys. If we start spending this booty foolishly around town we’ll bring suspicion upon ourselves. My suggestion is we use George’s mine as a ploy. We’ll bring the gold up from the mine in small amounts; word will get around that George has a winning shaft.’

‘You never know, when we’ve finished our bushranging careers I might be able to sell the bloody thing for a handsome figure.’

‘You wouldn’t deceive an innocent miner would you, George?’ said John.

‘Don’t forget, mate, this bloody shaft produced a sixty-two-pound nugget. It could do it again.’

‘Let’s hope we find another one, then we could cease putting our lives on the line,’ said Mathew.

July 15, 1857

Mathew heard two Cobb & Co-drivers who had too much to drink talking in the bar about a big shipment leaving for Melbourne on July 17. He called a meeting of the Banshees in his suite that night.

‘I think this might be the shipment we’ve been waiting for. It’s been ten weeks since the last one.’

‘As you know, the gold we plundered last time has been signed and accounted for by the Gold Commissioner. As far as he’s concerned our gold is legitimate,’ said George.

‘So what you’re intimating, George, is it appears the mine’s gold has dried up,’ suggested Mathew.

‘Exactly. If we don’t keep the flow of gold coming the other miners will think it’s a dead shaft.’

‘So we’re all in agreement? We ride again in two nights’ time.’

‘Agreed.’

‘Have we got any idea when the coach is due to depart Ballarat?’ asked Mathew.

‘I’ll find out and report back,’ said John.

‘I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same old 3 pm. These fellows don’t seem to be very imaginative,’ said George.

John wandered down to see his friend at Cobb & Co. He hoped he would be cooperative, considering John let him win at poker the last time they played.

‘Hello, Frank. How are things with you?’

‘G’day John. Are you here to try and get your money back?’

‘No, you won fair and square, mate.’

‘What can I do for you?’

‘I was hoping to catch the coach to Melbourne tomorrow.’

‘You’re in luck. There’s one leaving at 10 am.’

‘Oh, I’m afraid I won’t be able to catch a morning coach. Have you got one departing in the afternoon?’

‘Sorry, mate, the only afternoon coach is leaving at 3 pm tomorrow but it’s closed to passengers.’

‘Oh, that’s a shame. I’ll have to delay my trip. Thanks anyway, Frank. See you at the next game.’

‘See you John, and sorry I can’t help you.’

John headed for the Golden Nugget to inform Mathew of the tidings. He found him in his office. ‘Busy at it I see,’ he observed.

‘Hello John; yes, there’s always paperwork to take care of.’

‘I was hoping to catch the Cobb & Co coach to Melbourne tomorrow afternoon but apparently it’s not taking passengers.’

‘That’s a shame, mate. What time is it leaving?’

‘Three pm apparently.’

‘Can I shout you a beer, John?’

‘Thank you, but no, I’ve got some things to take care of.’

John headed back to his cottage to prepare himself for the big night.

John’s Cottage

The three friends arrived at Mathew’s suite at 7 pm. The object of the meeting was to go over their plans for the following night.

Mathew had reconnoitred the road soon after the last hold up to discover a suitable place which would allow the Banshees cover. It was important to change their bail up locations to ensure the element of surprise. The location he chose was only an hour out of Ballarat. What the bushrangers didn’t know was that the Victorian Police Commissioner, Francis O’Connor, was due to be riding in the coach with four of his finest; Edward Reilly, William Campbell, John McNally and Robert Strahan. This gold shipment would be the most valuable transported to Melbourne to date, valued by the Gold Commissioner at £25,000.

July 17, 1857

The modus operandum remained the same. George, leading a packhorse departed first at 1 pm. John left thirty minutes later and Mathew at 2 pm. They all met up at Leigh Creek where they changed into their disguises and waited for the coach to round the bend just before the bridge. A large log had been placed across the road.

At five minutes past three they saw the coach coming down the road. The driver sighted the obstruction, pulling up the four horses just in time.

The Banshees rode out in front of the coach yelling in their shrieking voices that it was a bail up.

The three female bushrangers were brandishing their pistols and demanded that the police get out of the coach with their hands up.

Constable Edward Reilly leant out the window and shot at George causing a flesh wound to his left arm. John reacted immediately, shooting Reilly, who received a mortal wound. O’Connor instructed his men to vacate the coach with their hands up for he didn’t want any more casualties.

While George covered the police, Mathew and John unloaded the ten strong boxes from the roof of the coach. After securing the police to the wheels of the coach they apologised for the shooting, justifying it as self-defence.

‘Rest assured you will be caught and hanged for this outrageous and brutal crime,’ said the Police Commissioner.

John approached the commissioner and looked into his cold dark eyes. ‘If your man hadn’t tried to kill us he’d still be alive.’

The Banshees mounted their horses and led away their packhorses, which were struggling with the weight of the strong boxes, filled with gold.

They arrived at the cave an hour later and proceeded to break open the boxes. They were delighted at what they found.