Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article625463

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73 corrections, most recently by Stephen.J.Arnold - Show corrections

Trial of Insurgents &c.

MARCH 16

This day the Court assembled at 10 o'clock,   when John Lynch, Thomas Shanks, John Morgan, Laughlan Doyle, Timothy Mala- hoy, John Brown, James Conroy, and Patrick Ross, stood indicted for feloniously entering the house of Thomas Neal, of Rich- mond Hill, Settler, on the 22d of February last, and taking therefrom one bushel and one   peck of wheat, his property.

The evidence for the Crown being called     John Kable deposed, that he was at the  

house of Thomas Neale on the 22d of    

February; that about 4 o'clock in the afternoon,     3 men surrounded him as he was going out, one of whom had a musket in his hand and the other a cutlass; they desired him not to   be discouraged, for that they would not mo- lest him if be made no resistance. Conroy and Lynch he identified to be two of the said three men. They then entered the house, and asked the deponent if he had anything   for them to eat, he gave them a piece of cake, they demanded meat, but the deponent an- swered, that there was none in the house;     they then took about a peck of wheat :- Wil-

liam Lane at this time entered the house with a bushel of wheat in a bag; this they   took from him, ground it, and cooked two pots of dumplings, taking away such of the meal as remained uncooked. Eight others had entered shortly after the three first, of whom he identified Shanks, Ross, and Morgan. They staid in the home some time,     took two muskets and a quart pot away with them, leaving the deponent, Thomas Neal, and two other men who were in the house, tied hand and foot. All the delinquents went away together, and Lynch it was that

had taken down the muskets.

Thomas Neal deposed, that on the said   22d of February, upon his return home, he saw some men in the house dining; they de-   sired him not to be alarmed, for they would not hurt him. His testimony exactly cor- responded with the former, as to their conduct

in the house.  

He also deposed, that one of the muskets

taken away by the prisoners, who were ele- ven in number, was his property. He then         positively identified Shanks, Lynch, Conroy,   Brown, and Morgan.

William Lane deposed, that he was at the house of Thomas Neal when the above felony was committed That one the Muskets   taken by them was his property, and   thus after they had ground and cooked a

part of the wheat, as before stated, they

took away the remainder, leaving him and     three others bound hand and foot. Lynch,   Conroy, Brown and Shanks, he positively    

swore to.  

The evidence being closed, the Court,   after some minutes deliberation, returned a  

verdict, --- all Guilty --- Death!

John Taylor was indicted for feloniously stealing, from the house of Robert Foster, of Hawkesbury, Settler, on the 13th of January,   1803, articles valued at 21s. the property of Thos. Tilley.

Mr. Glover deposed, that he had taken the     prisoner at Toongabbee, on an information           being lodged against him by Tilley, and that he then wore a jacket and shirt, which he, the said Tilley, had identified.    

The Court found the Prisoner Guilty; but, in consideration of his former good character,

sentenced him to One Year's Labour for the Crown.

William Jones and Mary White were last   indicted, robbing Thos. Harley, of Prospect, Settler, on the 17th of January last, of property to a considerable amount, greatest    

part of which was laid before the Court.      

The Prosecutor deposed, that Jones was his    

servant and was left by him in charge of his house on the said 17th of January; but on       his return found that the prisoner had absconded; that his trunk had been broke open,

and robbed of 2 watches, 3l. in copper, 2 pair of women's shoes, linen and checque, some silver spoons, a pair of knee-buckles,  

coat, jacket, &c. all which he identified.

Fergus Callaghan, deposed, that the pri-

soner came to his house on the evening of the

17th of January ; said he had both money and   property, and tendered him a watch, as a compensation for concealing him three days ; that he; the deponent, consented to conceal

him, but refused to take the watch. The prisoner the same evening told the deponent that Mary White, one of the prisoners now at   the bar, had a part of the property concealed.

The deponent went to her, but she denied all knowledge of it. He then gave information       to the Chief Constable at Prospect of the above      

circumstance, and assisted the next morning in apprehending the prisoner Jones.

John Nichols, Chief Constable at Prospect, deposed,that in consequence of Gallaghan's information he had apprehended Jones : who, when taken into custody, wore a jacket and waistcoat now sworn to by the prosecutor,   and had in his possession a handkerchief, con- taining a part of the property produced in Court.    

Here the evidence closed, and the prison- ers put upon their defence. Jones requested     that a paper might be read, which contained a confession of the charge IN TOTO, so far as related to himself, but denying that Mary

White had any concern in the offence.

The Court shortly after returned a Verdict,   Wm. Jones Guilty --- Death. Mary White Acquitted.  

M. M'Cormick, Rich. Ward. and W. Ram- say were Discharged by Proclamation : the two latter detained for having absconded from Castle Hill on the 15th of Feb. last, to be disposed of as HIS EXCELLENCY the       GOVERNOR should think proper.            

The prisoners who had been capitally con-      

victed (14 in number) were again brought   to the bar; and the JUDGE ADVOCATE,              

after a pathetic admonition to sue for that                                 forgiveness in Heaven, from which the crimes                                   of some among them had precluded them on Earth, pronounced the awful sentence!   At one o'clock the Court broke up.

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