Documents

Lot 609    SESSION 2 (11.30am Tuesday)    Documents

Estimate $3,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au

BUSHRANGER DOCUMENT, confidential letter dated 17 July 1879 from Sergeant of Police to Manager, Union Bank, Daylesford, a small town 36kms north east of Ballarat. The letter is a warning to be on the look-out for a group of criminals, including Andrew G. Scott, alias "Captain Moonlight" (Scott actually spelt his alias as Captain Moonlite) who had left Melbourne in company. A rare piece of Australian history (32cm X 20cm). Three horizontal letterfold lines and a few minor rust spots, very fine.

Transcript of the letter, "Confidential / Description of Criminals who have left / Melbourne in company / Andrew G.Scott alias "Captain Moonlight" the / Edgerton Bank Robber. 35 years old. 5ft 8 3/4 inches / high. fresh complexion - brown hair - blue eyes / scar back of right-hand. May be slightly ...... / of your address. Native of C'Down Ireland / James Lyons. alias. Nesbitt. Victorian - 22 / years old. 5 ft 9 1/2 inches high. fresh complexion / dark brown hair - hazel eyes. two brown spots / on right cheek bone. scar left jaw / Robert P.Wilson. Irish 52 years old. 5 ft 9 1/4 / inches high - slight build. fresh complexion / brown hair - hazel eyes. Scar top & centre of / forehead. nose inclined to the left. scar / left side of upper lip. mole on left jaw / Cooper - 25 years old. 5 ft 3 or 4 inches high / fair complexion. brown whiskers 7 moustache / All are armed with revolvers and / may try to rob a bank Just four months after this warning was sent, on 13 November 1879, Captain Moonlite's gang, which included his best friend, and some speculate lover, James Lyons alias Nesbitt, also mentioned in the warning letter, robbed a store at Clarendon near Wagga Wagga. They then bailed-up MacDonald's Station and the Inn at Wantabadgery. After a shoot-out they escaped to McGlede's farm where another shoot-out took place. Constable Edward Webb Bowen was shot dead and Nesbitt and another gang member, Wernicke, were killed. Moonlite was caught off guard and the rest surrendered. All were tried for the murder of the Constable, found guilty and sentenced to hang. Two had their punishment commuted to life imprisonment and Moonlite and Rogan were hanged on 20 January 1880. Moonlite went to the gallows wearing a ring made from Nesbitt's hair and asked to be buried with him. This request was rejected and he was buried at Rookwood Cemetery howevevr in 1995 his body was exhumed and buried alongside his "friend" James Nesbitt at Gundagai Cemetery.