DRAMATIC ARREST OF NOTORIOUS BUSHRANGER AND TERRIBLE DEATH OF RUNAWAY KITTY

While  the  eight year manhunt for  the  Stoccos is  currently  grabbing  much media  attention  , extensive research  has  produced intriguing   information  about  the  Queensland arrest  of  Frank Gardiner who masterminded Australia’s biggest colonial  gold  escort robbery, escaped the  gallows  and   became an American celebrity.
 

Magnetic  Island  filmmaker , musician and composer , Gary Hunn , engaged in a massive  project  investigating  Australian bushrangers  and the part  they  and  convicts  played  in  the  development  of  the  nation  , will  this   month  take his  film  team  to  Apis  Creek,  north of  Rockhampton ,  where  Gardiner  and  his “paramour ”, Kitty (Catherine)  Brown  ,  hiding from the law , ran  a  respectable  business  which  catered   to  passing  diggers, at times   entrusted  to  look after   large  amounts  of  gold.

 

The  now owner of  the  property  on  which Gardiner was  arrested  will  point out  the  marker  his uncle  placed  in the 1970s  at   the  spot  where  the couple  ran  a  wayside store . 
   

In recent weeks Hunn has been on the telephone  to America  chasing   new  information  about  Gardiner . Gardiner called himself  The Prince of the Tobymen  ( an  English expression  for  a   highwayman)  and The  King of the Road.

Because of  his  dark  skin, he was also dubbed “the Darkie”, and it was both claimed and  denied  that  his mother  had  been  a part  Aboriginal woman ,  Annie Clarke. Interestingly, one  of  his  aliases  was  Clarke . 

Some reports aver  he was  born in Scotland  and  came out  to  Australia with  his  parents , the Christies,   when  he was  four .

So why  the name  Gardiner ? While  not   confirmed , it has been written   that there was a man  he liked  of  that name  who  had  taught him  how  to ride  and  break in horses when  he   was   a   young  man .


Over  the years  many  colourful stories were  penned about  Gardiner,  including his later  life in  America, where  it was  said  he  had  been  killed in  a drunken  row  among  his  customers in  a  saloon and  a  mining camp brawl  . However, Hunn’s  probing  has  turned  up  a  death  certificate confirming   that  Gardiner  died   from   pneumonia  in  1904. 

One  of  the many  fascinating aspects of the Gardiner  saga  is  the  suggestion  that  Gardiner’s twin sons, born in America,  came  out  to  Australia , not once  but  twice , to  retrieve  money  and  gold  their  father  had  stashed  away  as  a  bushranger .

 A  NEW LIFE IN QUEENSLAND

 

In 1863,  after 12 years of  trouble with  the  law  involving horse stealing , highway robberies , assault , attempted murder  of  police ,   a reward of  1000 pounds on his head , and  having   masterminded  the  audacious  June 1862   Eugowra Rock gold escort  robbery  of 2700 ounces of  gold and cash valued at 14,000 pound, said to be equivalent  to  more than $12million  today, Gardiner  decided  to  go  north  and   start a  new  life.

Gardiner  left  his  gang  under the   leadership of  Ben  Hall, whose wife, Bridget ( Biddy ),  was  Kitty’s  sister . Hall  was   shot   dead  in  a hail of  bullets in 1865.  Several other   members  were  also  shot  dead , two were sentenced  to   hard  labour   and  one  was hanged .

Gardiner  and Kitty  set out  for  Queensland  in a  cart  with  a team of   horses , one  of  which, Darkie , a well  known racehorse  stolen  from  Peter Beveridge , a Swan  Hill  magistrate .  Being  known as “the Darkie” himself, there seemed to be an affinity between the two , as    it  readily  responded  to  his  commands and  whistles .

During  the trek north , Gardiner  went  under the  name , Francis   Christie , using   his  Scottish father’s  surname .

STUCK  IN  QUAGMIRE 

Because  of   heavy rain and  flooding  ,  it  was slow going.   Hunn   told  Little Darwin  how  along the way  they helped a couple, Archibald and Louisa Craig, from Melbourne , whose  dray   had  been bogged   in  a  flooded  creek . Darkie , the horse , was used to  help  pull  the Craigs  out  of  the  mud .

The appreciative  Craigs  were  building  an hotel  at  Apis Creek  to cater  for  the many   diggers and others   flocking  to  the  Peak Downs  gold , tin and  copper  field . They were   so  impressed  by  the  couple  who  offered  assistance   that  they  invited  them  to   open  a business  in  the   hotel  building , under the same  roof .

“Mr and Mrs  Christie” accepted this  kind  offer , set up a store,  which  was  popular .  Kitty,  about 25, small, with dark eyes  and  a  pleasant  manner ,  helped  sick  diggers. The  two  were  highly  regarded .The two women  got  along  extremely well .

 

DETECTIVES  USE  SAGO  RUSE  

 Somehow , bearded  Gardiner,  32, strong ,  was   identified  and  authorities  were tipped off  in  Sydney. Like so many aspects  of  the Gardiner  story  there  are varying  accounts of  who  had  been  the  informant .


 One   is  that  Kitty  wrote to  her sister , Biddy , and  this  blew their  cover  in  Queensland . Another was that an auctioneer  recognised him and was  paid  hush money  by  Gardiner  to  keep  quiet.

 

From Sydney  came  three  disguised   detectives, McGlone and Pye , and mounted  trooper Wells , who passed  themselves  off  as diggers  in  a nearby  camp.

 

Daniel  McGlone , a large Irishman ,  supposedly  asked   Kitty for  some  sago  for  his  sick friend . Once  again , there   are  differing  reports that she became suspicious and said  there was none , while  Gardiner did  provide  some .
  

To make sure  it  was  Gardiner, the detectives  took him to  the  pub  part  of  the premises   to  thank  him  for  the  sago,  so that  they  could check out  distinguishing marks, he had on  arms  and  head  ( a bullet graze on his forehead  ) from   his  early  clashes in  life.
 

Distracting  Gardiner’s  attention by asking  him what was wrong  with his  dog,  Hunn  said  McGlone  grabbed   him from  behind when he bent  down to examine  the animal  and  they  fell  to  the ground.

The  detectives drew  Sharp  four  barrel  pistols and ordered  people rushing in  to help , not  knowing what was going on , to  stand or  be shot .

SINGING  NATIVE  POLICE

Also in the  area had  been  a party of native police under  the command of  a Lieutenant   Brown and  it had been arranged  for  them  to be about the  building  at the time of  the arrest.  It  is suggested  the  group  may have    even  marched about  singing  before the arrest so as not to  alarm  Gardiner. (Already  there  is surely  enough material  for  a  movie  and  maybe  even  a  musical. )

The  hotelkeeper, Craig, was  also arrested for harbouring Gardiner , but  it became clear he  did not know his  partner  was  the  notorious  bushranger .

Gardiner , surrounded by five armed police , was  handcuffed , his legs tied under a  horse during  the two day ride to  Rockhampton.  McGlone was  astride  Darkie .

 There was great excitement in the town  when Gardiner  was  taken in chains to the courthouse. Kitty ,  not under arrest ,who had tagged along , arranged  legal  representation. 


 Gardiner was  remanded to  Sydney  and    placed aboard  the  SS Brisbane  for  the Queensland capital. Kitty  and  the horse  were  also passengers  on  the ship .

SOUTHERNERS  ANNOY  QUEENSLAND

The story becomes  stranger and stranger . In Brisbane , according to  Hunn , officials  became   upset  about “southerners” coming  across  the border of  the  recently established  new  state  of  Queensland  (declared June 6 , 1859)  and  making arrests.

No  doubt  due to Kitty hiring  a legal eagle , a  writ of  habeas  corpus  was taken  out  ordering  McGlone  to  hand over  the  prisoner  to  the  local court. Quick thinking McGlone  responded by  removing the prisoner to the  Enoggera  military training field and   shipped  him out  on  a vessel  to Sydney in the early hours of the morning .  Once  again , the  racehorse Darkie  may also  have  been  a  passenger   but   Kitty had  to pay  for and make her own way to  NSW, showing she had a  considerable  amount  of  money  ,  its origins uncertain, to engage  lawyers  and   meet  other  expenditure .

In   the  Supreme  Court  in Sydney, Gardiner  was  found not guilty of wounding  with intent to murder Trooper Middleton , which resulted in cheers , whistles and  clapping . However , appearing  on  a number  of  other charges , one bearing the penalty of  hanging , Chief Justice  Sir  Alfred Stephen  sentenced him to a cumulative  term of  32  years , with hard  labour on the roads.  The  court  was  silent , stunned .

Pleading for mercy , Gardiner  had admitted  robberies,  but  said he had decided to reform and  lead an honest  and  upright life .  He pointed out he  had  left  in  his  care  at  Apis Creek  700 ounces of gold by  the  Clermont  Gold Warden  and   large  amounts of money had been given him  for  safe keeping.

TERRIBLE  DEATH  IN  NEW  ZEALAND

Faithful Kitty, and two of  Gardiner’s sisters , campaigned   for a reduction in  Gardiner’s sentence ;  in the process it was  said  Kitty  impoverished  herself.  

While in Darlinghurst prison Gardiner turned a prayer book  into a    gift   for   Kitty , below , with a  special  inscription to  her on the  title  page : Presented to Catherine by  her   affectionate Frank, 1865  . It was given to her the last time they  were allowed to meet, they having been denied conjugal rights because  she  was not married to him . That unusual  item   is  now  in  the Lambing Flat Folk Museum-Young ,NSW-   and  has  been  perused  by  Gary and  filmed. Kitty had  the  book with her  when  she  worked as  a domestic  at  a homestead,  but  left  it  behind  when  she  departed.

Kitty’s  sister, Biddy ,  who had  married Ben Hall , bore  him a  son  and reportedly later  “ ran off ”  with a man called  James Taylor,one of  those said to have alerted police about Gardiner and Kitty being in  Queensland  .

With  Gardiner likely to  be in prison for a long, long time ,  Kitty   became  involved  with  Taylor’s  brother,  Richard  , reputedly  a heavy drinker, and  went  with him  to   New  Zealand ,  hoping  to  strike  it  rich  on a  goldfield .

Ten days  after  arriving  in the country , however,  she supposedly  put  a gun to  her mouth  and  pulled the trigger.  A  short  suicide note ,  about  which  police  were suspicious, was  found  nearby . She  died  a  painful  death 12  days  later .

One  account  of  her demise  simply said  she passed  away at  Waipatakuha at  the age of 25.  Another seemingly  moralising   comment  read : Such was  the fate of a woman who  left  her  home  and  husband  and followed  the  fortunes  of  an  outlaw.

NEXT: Gardiner’s  imprisonment causes  tension between  the  NSW  premier and  the governor  ,  he  is  released and  deported  ; life in America and  mysterious treasure hunters. 

 

CELLAR NOTE :  During one of  the  long interviews  with  Gary  Hunn  discussing bushrangers , Napoleon and politics he created the  right  lubricated   atmosphere  by  producing  a  bottle of  Baileys  of  Glenrowan  2013 Shiraz , with a label on which there was a convict , the text stating  there  were  19 crimes which  His  Majesty  graciously  declared  were  punishable  by  transportation , kicking off  in  1788. The  label  continued   saying  the  convicts,  as  pioneers in a frontier  penal colony ,  forged  a new country  and  new  lives , brick  by  brick .