THE JEWBOY GANG

SCONE ’S TRAGIC ENCOUNTER WITH BUSHRANGERS

 The ‘Jewboy Gang’ so named due to the religious faith of its 26 year old leader

terrorized the Maitland and Woollombi area during 1939/40.  The members of the gang were easily recognized by their outlandish clothing they wore.  Broad brimmed Manilla hats with the brims turned up at the front, decorated with red and pink ribbons.  Brightly coloured satin neck cloths, and their many broaches, rings and watches.

Suspected of many crimes that had taken place in a large area stretching from the Hawkesbury River in the south, to Tamworth in the north,[1] and believed by some to live in the Liverpool Ranges, others were convinced they had a rendezvous in the Maitland district, where they had bailed up Major Sutton following his attendance at the Maitland courthouse, and robbed many people.[2]

Following this episode a strong body of mounted troopers was allocated the task of apprehending them, on the 16^th December 1840 , the Governor of the Colony Sir G Gipps, announced that a Free Pardon and Passage to England would be granted to any convict, who gave information that lead to the capture of the gang.[3]

The gang moved from the Lower to the Upper Hunter area, where they looted stores and homes over a wide area.  On the 13^th November 1940 they held up and robbed Ben Singleton, Edward White and Warrah Station then in quick succession attacked and robbed John Larnach’s farm, Cohen’s hotel and the mailman between Patrick plains and Muswellbrook taking $500 from the mail.[4]

Four Bushrangers thought to be members of the Jewboy Gang had been captured at Murrurundi in May 1839, these four had been aided and abetted by two young Aboriginals who had stood guard over their victims while the gang went about their work of robbing them.  If these men were in fact members of the Jewboy gang their capture did not have any effect on the number of holdups that were credited to this gang,

 For the first twelve months after Edward Davis, James Everett, alias Ruggy, John Marshall and John Shea, had formed the gang they had been untroubled by the law.[5]  This continued until the gang reportedly captured a Chief Constable, troopers and some volunteers relieving them of their horses, guns and money before leaving them stranded.[6]

During the holdup of Henry Cohen’s Inn , Black Creek, the bushrangers had greeted the bullock drivers who had been drinking at the Inn , providing them with free drinks.  Such was the manner of the fraternizing between the bullock drivers and the bushrangers that the Maitland Police Magistrate, Mr Edward ‘Denny’ Day cancelled the tickets of Leave of two of the bullock drivers.[7]

Richard Glanville joined the gang on the 29^th November 1840 .[8]  And two days later they were joined by two others one of whom was Robert Chitty..[9]

All members of the gang were single, and only Davis and Everett were able to read and write.

Davis , had a great dislike for anyone who ill-treated his servant’s and had boasted that he was out to avenge these crimes.[10]  He had always insisted that their escapades be free of bloodshed, but at this stage things changed as Marshall took a more dominant role in leading the gang.  This became evident when Marshall a man noted for his quick temper tied Captain Pike to a ring bolt imbedded in a tree and gave him 50 lashes, after he considered his judgements harsh.  Captain Pike, a farm overseer from Merton, had acted as a magistrate at John Bingle’s property at Upper Dartbrook , Scone .  The gang on several occasions called at Mr Pilchers farm unsuccessfully looking for his overseer, Shea had earlier absconded from Pilcher’s farm and may have sort to settle a grievance with the overseer [11]

On their arrival at the Wollombi property of C. E. Close at daybreak on the 17^th December they surprised two Constables who were still asleep, after destroying their firearms they forced the Constables to carry bags of feed for their horses up a steep mountain.  Following this daring raid they went to the home of Mr Robert Crawford from whom they stole a horse, after they had entertained his servants and plied them with spirits they found in the house.[12]

They then raided the home of J. M. Davis and his family who were eating dinner in the company of Mr Dunlop a Police Magistrate, the gang made the family and their guest stand while they seated themselves at the table, before they robbed the house and stole three horses.  They then raided The Rising Sun Inn and robbed the licensee Mr Thomas Prendergast thirteen pounds, recognizing a former policeman Mr McDougall they attempted to stab him then almost flogged him to death.  Mr McDougall died with in days of the beating he endured.[13]

Travelling north through Jerry’s Plains and Muswellbrook on Sunday the 20^th December 1840 they raided the Station of Sir Francis Forbes, Jones a ticket of leave man lost no time in reporting this robbery to Day, who was visiting Muswellbrook at that time.  Despite the late hour Day recruited a party with the hope of apprehending the Gang.[14]

The party consisting of Edward White, Mr Eales Superintendent.  Richard. C. Dangar, Edward Warland of Page’s River, The Muswellbrook Chief Constable and five Ticket of Leave men John Nolan, Peter Daws, Martin Kelly, William Evans and William Walker and an assigned servant Martin Donohoe and a Aboriginal boy set of from Muswellbrook at 7am on the morning of the 21^st.[15]

Unaware of this the gang at 6am the same morning raided the home of William Dangar at Turanville.  Here they stole a mare and destroyed a great deal of property including the fire arms they found.  Before the seven members of the gang raided the St Aubins Arms, an Inn at Scone , from which they stole 70 pounds ($140), they then destroyed the guns of two of the border police who were at the Inn , before turning their attention to Thomas Dangar’s store on the opposite side of the road.[16]

The store was managed by Arthur MacAlister the Postmaster, who was also Clerk to the Bench of Magistrates.  John Graham, a 21 year old native of Inverness , Scotland was the storeman.  Witnessing the arrival of the gang at the Inn , Graham had armed himself with a musket from Dangar’s quarters before he confronted two members of the gang, who he unsuccessfully fired upon.  Graham then set off on foot in the direction of the home of David Cormie a carpenter who lived in Main Street , pursued by a member of the gang who shot him in the shoulder mortally wounding him.  Davis expressed his regret at the shooting of Graham, saying that he would have given a thousand pounds that this had not happened but believed that now that they had the blood of one man on their hands it may as well be a hundred.  The gang then mounted their horses and departed.  Graham died shortly after [17]

James Juchus the saddler at Dangar’s store and a man names Mills also tried to warn others of the raid, but on hearing the shot went to Graham’s assistance, Graham told Juchus “They have shot me, I am a dead man.”  Juchus, Mills and George Gray the Blacksmith and his assistant were then guarded while the store was robbed.[18]

Travelling north the gang robbed Messrs Paterson and Goldfinch, then Mr Nortly from whom they stole money and feed for their horses, after robbing two young men who were droving cattle they adjourned to Mr Atkinson’s Inn .  Which along with Rundle’s store they robbed before having their horses groomed while they took refreshments at the Inn [19]

A rider from Scone met Day and his party after they crossed the Hunter River at Aberdeen and told them of Graham’s death.  Day’s party then hastened to Scone where court was in session, Day requested a fresh horse for himself and some additional men to join his party.  His requests were ignored by John Anderson Robertson a twenty four year old who had been appointed Scone Police Magistrate on the 11^th February 1840 .  Day berated the Scone police Chief Constable Dunn and Sergeant William Shields for their lack of action, before travelling further north.[20]

The pursuing party was forced to halt at Page’s River (where Dr John Gill of ‘Wickham’ joined them) by a heavy downpour, which made it necessary for them to dry and reload their pistols before proceeding to climb the Liverpool Range .[21]

At Doughboy Hollow just eleven hours after the shooting of John Graham, the outlaws were sighted.  During the ensuing gun battle the Gang fired eighteen shots at Day’s party.  Robert Chitty who was captured before he could reload fired only one shot.  Davis fired at Day twice and got off a further two shots before he was shot in the shoulder by Day and was narrowly missed by a following shot that tore through his clothes at which time he surrendered.[22]

Marshall had got off only two shots before he was the next captured.  Shea and James Everett, who were higher up the hill looking down on the battle, fired ten shots before Shea was wounded in the leg and they too were captured.  The capture of five of the gang took only five minutes but two of the gang had made good their escape.[23]

Richard Glanvill’s was one who had avoided capture but his luck ran out the following day when he too was captured, by five of the party who had pursued him.  He is thought to have only fired one shot before escaping the battle.[24]

On the following day while escorting their prisoners to the lock-up at Scone , Day’s party was met by a group of men who had been sent by Robertson to assist in escorting the prisoners.  Day considered that as his party had ridden 80 km in eleven hours and carried out the capture of all but one of the Gang they could bring them in unaided.[25]

The prisoners were housed in the Scone lock-up and were expected to be committed in the Scone court on the Wednesday morning.  The apparent feud between Day and Robertson continued when Robertson despite the availability of witnesses in Scone , failed to commit the Bushrangers from the Scone Bench they were eventually committed from the Muswellbrook Bench the next day.[26]

On the 31^st of December 1840, the Editorial, of the Sydney Herald.  Was severe in its condemnation of John Robertson claiming that they [The Sydney Herald] had received over twenty accounts of the events that had culminated in the capture of the Gang and not one failed to point out the failure of duty by John Robertson.  The general consensus was that neither Robinson nor any residents of Scone took any part in the capture of the gang.  The Editor agreed with one of his correspondent who wrote of Day.  “Fortunate indeed are we to possess one Magistrate on the Hunter who has judgment to guide him, and courage to act in time of need.”

The captured men all assigned convicts who had absconded, were tried and convicted in the Supreme Court of bushranging and murder, Dr Isaac Haig of Scone said he had examined Graham’s body and believed he had died from an internal Haemorrhage which no amount of medical intervention could have treated.  All members of the gang were sentenced to hang.  All but Everett expressed remorse for the crimes they had committed and believed their sentence to be a just one.  Chitty, Marshall and Glanville surprised the large crowd that had gathered at the rear of the Sydney Gaol to witness their execution on the 16^th March 1841 .  By spontaneously singing the opening verse of the morning hymn “Awake my Soul, and with the sun...”[27]

Other recorded incidents from Scone involving Bushrangers occurred ten years earlier on the 9^th August 1830, Hugh Cameron’s home at Kingdon Ponds was robbed by four men, armed with a sword, pistol and musket.[28]

And on Friday 13 January, Scone ’s Chief Constable William Shields outwitted Thomas (Long Tom) Forrester and George Wilson when he captured them at Belltrees.  Both men were hung at Newcastle in April 1843.

© Harry Willey 2005