MURDER AT GREYMOUTH.
We have published, in a telegram and in other ways, that Mr George Dobson — who was connected with the Survey Department of Canterbury, and was the son of the Chief Surveyor of that Province —had started one evening to go a few miles on the Grey Diggings, and had not afterwards been heard of. Search parties were sent out, but they searched uselessly; and a general fear had come to be entertained at the date of the last papers from Greymouth, that Dobson had been mistaken for a gold buyer, and had been murdered by some of the desperate men known to be in the district.
We regret to say that there is now reason for supposing that that belief was correct; for last evening, a telegram was received from Canterbury, by the Commissioner of Police, stating that "Warrants have been issued by the bench at Greymouth, for the arrests of the persons described below, charged with having murdered George Dobson, on the 29th ult."
The "persons named" are three daring scoundrels well known in Otago, being no others than Richard Burgess alias Hill, Thomas Kelly alias Hanson, and John Joseph Sullivan, who, in the early days of Gabriel's Gully, stuck-up some men near Wetherstones, and afterwards fired upon the police.
The men are thus described in the telegram: — Burgess: 36 years of age, 5ft. 4in. high, fresh complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes; has a gun-shot wound on the back. — Kelly: 39 years of age, 5ft. 5 1/2 in. high, sallow complexion, brown hair, hazel eyes, face wrinkled; marked with a mermaid and sailor on the right arm, and a cross on the breast. — Sullivan: 40 years of age, 5ft. 9in. high, fair complexion, stout build, short brown hair inclined to grey, long face, square forehead, blue eyes, firm mouth, small fair whiskers, no moustache, broad shoulders; has the appearance of an "old hand."
The three men were captured here by Sergeant Bracken (now of Hokitika), and Sergeant Trumble. The officers traced them to a tent at the outskirts of Wetherstones, but they bolted as the officers neared the tent, and Burgess (or Hill) and Kelly (or Hannon) escaped. Trumble had previously noticed a very lonely tent four or five miles from Wetherstones, and he made up his mind to search it. He and Bracken got to the tent just before daylight. Bracken got off his horse, undid the tent, crept in, revolver in hand, and found the two men asleep. They awoke to find themselves completely covered by Bracken's revolver; and they believed in the earnestness of Bracken's threat, that the first that stirred would certainly die on the instant, and that the chances were strongly in favor of the fate of the second being similar. Meanwhile, Trumble had crept in behind the villains, and taken from under their heads two revolvers and two guns. Then their capture was easy. Burgess and Kelly were found guilty of shooting with intent to kill, and also of stealing a gun; and they were sentenced to penal servitude for three years and a half. They were discharged from prison on the 11th September last.
Early in 1863, Burgess once or twice caused great danger in the Dunedin Gaol. Once, he contrived to communicate with the notorious Garrett and others, so as to concert a breaking out; and he contrived to break through a thick stone wall and to enter the adjoining cell. On another occasion, he and Garrett each barricaded the door of his cell, and set the officers at defiance until the door had been battered down. Those doors, and others in the Gaol, then opened inwards — a stupid arrangement, which — was speedily altered. Burgess was flogged; and he bore his punishment with seeming indifference. It may be said here, that Garrett, who for a long while absolutely would not do work of any kind, has for some time been thoroughly well behaved, and has worked regularly and hard. Sullivan was found Not Guilty; and as soon as he was at liberty he sailed for Sydney. The telegram received last evening was the first intimation to the Police here that he had returned to New Zealand; and now, unfortunately, he and his mates are charged with murder. All three of the men have undergone long periods of penal servitude in Victoria; and Burgess' s wound in the back was received while he and several others were attempting to escape from the hulk in Hobson's Bay; Burgess was formerly a mate of the notorious Capt. Melville; and he has the reputation of being one of the most cool and daring criminals in the Australian Colonies.
The intelligence of the murder of Mr G. Dobson has created excitement in Christchurch; and Mr Dobson, senior, started yesterday, from that place, for Greymouth.
A late West Coast Times states that Mr Dobson "was last seen on the Arnold River, and declined a proposal made to him to return with a party by a boat to the Grey, stating his wish to examine the Arnold tracks which it may he remembered was cut originally under his supervision. We learn from the Grey that the impression prevails that Mr Dobson has met with foul pay at the hands of some of the desperate fellows who now infest that district. It is rumored that a storekeeper who intended visiting the Arnold, to buy gold, received information that there was an intention of sticking him up on his way back, and that he succeeded in securing the services of a constable as an escort, spreading the report that he should return by the track. Having thus, as he supposed, put any intending assailants on a wrong scent, he came back by boat instead of by the track, and arrived in safety. It is known, as we have said, that Mr Dobson declined to come by the river, and the conjecture is that on his way back by the track, he was mistaken for the storekeeper by parties lying in wait, and that he was either robbed, and in the discovery of their mistake by his assailants detained, or else that a worse fate befell him. One man has already, we understand, been arrested on suspicion of having some complicity in the foul play, if such has taken place. He came to the camp at Greymouth, volunteering some information as to parties lying in wait on the road; but the circumstances under which he made his statement, and the manner in which he made it, were so suspicious that he was detained in custody. A party of police are out searching for Mr Dobson, and also Mr Harman and Mr Bold of the Survey Department; but neither have yet returned. Nothing is now left but to hope for the best."
It may be added that, after the arrest of the three villains here in Otago, it was ascertained that they had been some time wailing for a favorable opportunity of sticking up a gold-buyer who was in the habit of passing from Wetherstones to Waipori. -Otago Daily Times, 16/6/1866.
PROVINCE OE CANTERBURY,
WESTLAND PISTRICT.
£250 REWARD.
Whereas, on Monday, the 28th of May, Mr GEORGE DOBSON, Assistant District Engineer, left the Arnold township with the intention of proceeding to Greymouth, where he expected to arrive that evening, and whereas he has not since been heard of, it is feared that he must have come to some untimely end.
Notice is hereby given, that a reward of Two Hundred and Fifty Pounds will be paid by the Provincial Government to any person or persons who may give such information as will lead to the discovery of the body; and, if murdered, to the apprehension and conviction of the offender or offenders.
Description: — About 26 years of age; 5ft. 7in. high, slight build; fair complexion; fair hair; small fair whiskers; small moustache; thin face; dressed when leaving Greymouth for the Arnold Township in light colored coat and trousers, the latter worn inside his boots; dark colored vest; wore strapped on his shoulder a black glazed leather despatch bag.
The Governor will extend her Majesty's Free Pardon to any person implicated in this matter (not being the actual murderer) who will give the required information.
R. C. SHEARMAN, Commissioner of Police. -Grey River Argus, 23/6/1866.
The Lyttelton Times. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26, 1866.
The death of Mr. George Dobson would have been learned with regret, and regarded as a serious loss to the community, under whatever circumstances it had occurred. A young man of high intelligence and great energy, who had already done so much, who had succeeded in identifying himself with the first great wants of the colony — exploration and the opening up of communication between the different districts — could not but be missed. It is such men that bind together our remembrances of past difficulties overcome with anticipations of steady progress in the future. A small community can ill afford to lose one such man.
But it is something painful and irritating to the last degree to feel almost certain that a useful and honourable life has been sacrificed, not through ordinary sickness or accident, nor from the hardships and risks attending a bold and venturesome career, but by the hands of convict ruffians. From this unhappy event we learn that there are at present on our West Coast a small band of lawless marauders, who live by plunder, and who conceal their robberies by the murder of their victims. This is something too horrible in itself and too new in our provincial experience, to be recognised by us with the comparative indifference with which it might be greeted in colonies whose antecedents are widely different from our own. -Lyttelton Times, 27/6/1866.
THE MURDER OF MR. GEORGE DOBSON.
RECOVERY OF THE BODY.
We are happy to be able to announce that the search-party which has been out for the last four days, under Mr Inspector James, was yesterday successful in recovering the body of Mr George Dobson, who was murdered on the Twelve-Mile track about six weeks ago.
In our last, we detailed the proceedings of the search-party during the first day (Tuesday). On Wednesday, the search was continued near the spot indicated in the instructions received by the police, about a mile on this side of the coal-pits, until dark, but without any result. They had scoured the bush, waded every creek in the vicinity, and underwent an amount of fatiguing labor which was enough to dispirit the most sanguine; but Inspector James determined not to give up the search until he had found the body, and, accordingly, the party returned to the coal-pits, where they spent the night. On Thursday morning the search was again commenced with renewed vigor; and as Inspector James thought the spot indicated might be on the track above the coalpits, the search was there continued until midday, but without success, and the party were retracing their steps when they were met by special constable O'Brien, who had arrived in town on the previous evening, and had that morning started up the river to deliver to Inspector James the tracing which he had brought from Nelson of the supposed spot where the murder was committed. The party thus strengthened, found the spot pointed out in the sketch, and the remaining portion of the day was spent in searching this spot and its vicinity, but without any result. Again, on Friday morning, the party commenced their weary search through the bush; and Inspector James, feeling convinced that the murdered man was buried nearer town than indicated on the tracing, directed the search to be made about a mile further down the track, below the upper or small island, while on the plan it is pointed out as being considerably above the small island. It will be remembered that in his confession Sullivan mentioned that a man and a woman passed the tent about the time when Mr Dobson was murdered. On inquiry, it was found that this man and woman did not reach the coal-pits until after dark, and this circumstance led Mr James to the conclusion that the scene of the murder must have been nearer the town than the spot indicated on the sketch. He despatched one of the constables to the Arnold Gully, in order to find out who this man and woman were, and to endeavor, if possible, to bring one of them back to point out the spot where the tent which they passed was pitched. The search-party was thus reduced to Mr Inspector. James, Constable McIlroy, and special constable O'Brien, and they continued the search, as we have said, a mile below the spot pointed out in the sketch.
At five minutes to 12 o'clock, the party were following up a blind dry creek, and Inspector James was at the foot of a large fallen log over the creek, when he remarked to Constable McIlroy, who was following, that he felt a most unusual smell. Constable McIlroy immediately observed lying in the creek a brandy bottle, and he replied that he thought the smell came from the brandy. Mr James said it was not that, and an examination of the bottle showed that the label was quite fresh, and it could not have been there long. A close search of the ground was immediately commenced, footprints were seen, and within three yards of the spot where they were standing Constable McIlroy observed the toe of a boot sticking up about an inch above the ground, and in a minute the party had the satisfaction of knowing that their labors had terminated successfully. The body was buried under a high terrace and it was rather mortifying for Mr James to see that on the first day of the search he had been on the top of this terrace, within about thirty feet of the spot where the grave was. We may here notice it as a strange coincidence that at the same time and on the same day last week, the bodies of the four men murdered on the Maungatapu were recovered, and that Constable O'Brien was present on both occasions.
A few minutes after the discovery, Mr James cooeyed to O'Brien, who was on the track, and he was answered by Mr Russell, a storekeeper, who said there was a large party coining up to join the search, and Mr James delayed further proceedings until this party arrived, which they did in about half an hour. This party consisted of Mr. Todhunter, the brother-in-law of the murdered man, Mr Bain, district surveyor, and a number of gentlemen who had that morning volunteered to assist in the search. The earth was then removed from the body and it was found to be lying full length covered by from ten to twelve inches of earth. The murdered man's coat had been taken off and thrown over the legs and the lower part of the body, his gold chain hung on his vest, his silver watch was in his left-hand vest pocket. It was taken out, and it was observed to have stopped at 28 minutes to four o'clock. On removing the coat from the legs they found the murdered man's compass in the case, his field book and tape, and four straps lying loose, and his hat. The body was removed as nearly as possible in the position in which it laying and the earth was not removed from the face; but it was noticed that the lower part of one of the jaws was injured, which may have been caused by decomposition. The trees near the, spot leading on to the track were marked, and the grave was found to be thirty yards off the track. The body was removed on a stretcher, which had been taken up by the first party, and conveyed to the boat which had come up that day.
The whole party, with their melancholy burden, arrived in town about three o'clock yesterday. A large crowd assembled on the river bank, and followed the corpse as it was borne into the Union Hotel, where an inquest will be held to-day at noon by Mr Warden Revell.
We cannot conclude this notice without stating that the best thanks of the community are due to Mr Inspector James, and the other members of the police force who were engaged in this search, for the hearty and determined manner in which they both entered into and prosecuted the search, and we must congratulate them upon its successful termination. -Grey River Argus, 7/7/1866.
THE FUNERAL.
On Sunday afternoon the mortal remains of Mr George Dobson were buried in the Cemetery, South Beach. Unfortunately the weather interfered sadly with the event, which was intended to be a public one, as the rain commenced to fall early in the day, and continued to pour down almost without intermission until night. Notwithstanding this, the inhabitants of Greymouth turned out in large numbers, and we were glad to observe that representatives of every class of the community and of nearly every business house in town were present. The chief mourners were Mr Dobson, sen., the father of the murdered man, and his two sons-in-law, Dr Haast and Mr Todhunter. They were followed by his Honor the Superintendent of the Province, Mr Commissioner Sale, Mr Warden Revell, Mr Warden Kynnersley, and a number of the personal friends of the deceased. The melancholy procession, which was preceded by the Lord Bishop of Christchurch in his surplice, passed down Mawhera and Richmond Quays, then over the bridge at the Lagoon, and down the South Beach for nearly three miles before the Cemetery was reached. The coffin was carried by a number of gentlemen who gladly rendered their services, and after crossing the Lagoon bridge a dray was in readiness to convey the coffin over the beach, but they refused to part with their melancholy burden, and carried it the whole distance. At the grave the very impressive funeral service of the English Church was read by the Lord Bishop of Christchurch, and was listened to with deep attention by the large crowd assembled round the grave. We must no omit to mention that during Sunday all the vessels in port displayed their ensign half-mast high. -West Coast Times, 11/7/1866.
To-day our readers are presented -with the first public telegraphic despatch, by the new line to Greymouth. We may add that we have made arrangements for supplying our readers with all the important telegraphic news from the various stations in the Middle Island. The inhabitants of Okarita and its vicinity have been deprived of their usual means of communication with Hokitika, owing to the withdrawal of the steamer Bruce to Dunedin for repairs. A contract has been made for a weekly overland mail, at the rate of £10 per week; the contractor being Mr Allan, a packer.
It will be seen from a report in another column that the inquest on the body of the late Mr George Dobson was finished on Tuesday and that the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown. During the proceedings the prisoner James Wilson, alias James Murray, who is accused of the murder, was present. At first he did not appear to take much in interest in the evidence given, but towards the end, where the witnesses began to speak positively as to the men they met on the track where Mr Dobson was murdered on the day of the murder, and on the following day, he became greatly interested, and twice he asked permission to put a question to the witness. The Magistrate refused to allow him, telling him that he was not on his trial then, and that the jury had nothing whatever to do with him, but had simply to determine how, where, when, and by what means, the deceased came by his death. When the room was cleared for the jury to consider their verdict, it appeared evident the prisoner fully believed that he was then on his trial, for he shouted out that "they were swearing away an innocent man's blood, without giving him an opportunity to speak," and that "if they would allow him he could tell where he slept on the night of the 28th. We understand that the prisoner maintained the utmost coolness and composure until Saturday last, when he heard in Court for the first time that Sullivan had confessed, and that the body of Mr Dobson had been discovered. On Sunday he sent for Mr Inspector James, and in a very excited state begged him to put another prisoner in the cell with him, as he feared he was going mad, for "He was continually seeing such dreadful sights." Mr James very properly refused the request, and we believe that since then the prisoner has expressed great fear of Sullivan, and has been in a constant state of excitement, crying and praying at intervals. He was sent to Hokitika by the coach yesterday, Having been remanded thereby the Magistrate on Saturday last. This was done because the attendance of the Magistrate will be required in Hokitika, at the Supreme Court, probably for the next fortnight, and no business will be transacted at the Court, Blaketown. -Grey River Argus, 12/7/1866.
George Dobson's murderers, with the exception of Sullivan, were hanged in October of 1866 at Nelson. The memorial to George and other men, was originally set up in a prominent Hokitika intersection, and shifted to the cemetery in 1880 to make way for the clock tower.
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