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Cassilis - 'On Saturday morning, May 6th,
Constable Rutledge was escorting three prisoners from Cassilis to
Merton. He left Peberdy's Inn in
the morning, and when he arrived at a station of Captain Pike's, five miles from Peberdy's, he entered the hut with
the three men, leaving his gun outside. Two of the prisoners were
handcuffed, and one loose; the latter stepped out of the hut, and taking
up the gun presented it at Rutledge, demanding his ammunition. The
constable attempted to wrest the gun from the prisoner, and was shot
dead by the bushranger, who immediately took the ammunition belt from
the body of the deceased and decamped. The other two prisoners returned
to Peberdy's, and reported the melancholy occurrence. It is said that
many bushrangers are about the district.
'
Soon after
a twenty five pounds reward or a Free Pardon was offered for his
capture: -
'Whereas it has been represented to the government, that constable
Rutledge, of the Cassilis Police, was, on the 6th instant, shot dead at
a station of Captain Pike's, about twelve miles from Merton, by Benjamin
Harris, a prisoner of the Crown, per ship James Laing, on escort from
Cassilis to Merton, who is now at large, having absconded with the
Constable's arms and ammunition: - His Excellency the Governor directs
it to be notified, that a reward of Twenty five pounds will be paid to
an fre person or persons who may apprehend and lodge the said Benjamin
Harris in any of her Majesty's gaols; and that if the said Benjamin
Harris be apprehended and secured by a prisoner of the Crown,
application will be made to her Majesty for the allowance to him of a
free pardon.
DESCRIPTION: Benjamin Harris, per ship
James Laing, a runaway from the
Newcastle Boat's Crew, 37 years of age, born in Staffordshire, a
soldier, 5 feet 5 3/4 inches in height, sallow complexion, brown hair,
hazel grey eyes, JHEHJ knot, wreath, BH inside lower right arm, sun
inside lower left arm, heart and 7 dots back of left hand.'
It was
coming into winter when Harris escaped and he spent seven long weeks on the
run. With a free pardon or £ 25 reward offered and sympathy and
subscriptions for his victim's wife and family raised, he wouldn't have
found many friends. He was finally run to ground on the 28th June: -
'Harris, the bushranger who murdered
constable Rutledge, of Cassilis, while under escort en route
to Merton, was captured on the 28th ult., by Constable Doyle of the
Cassilis establishment; and the prisoner is now on his route to Merton,
in which district he stands charged with the murder of Rutledge. Doyle
is a prisoner of the crown holding the governor's ticket, and it is to
be hoped that his Excellency will for the praiseworthy conduct he has
displayed on this occasion grant him a free pardon. He has been out for
a month, fully determined to apprehend Harris, and he captured him
without assistance.'
There was great sympathy for the family of Constable Rutledge and even
as Harris was being escorted to Newcastle gaol, already plans were
underway to assist the family. A subscription of
£50
was raised in the Cassilis district to add to a similar amount given by
the government for the use and support of his wife and three children.
Benjamin Harris was admitted to
Newcastle gaol
where it was recorded that he had been a groom in his native
Staffordshire and arrived in the colony on the James Laing in
1834.
He was
ordered for execution at Newcastle on the 17th October. Mr Keck came
from Sydney by steamer to superintend the execution. Benjamin Harris
was hanged about 9am, probably near the site of the gaol (above
Newcastle beach) and was attended 'on the awful occasion by several
gentlemen of the Wesleyan Methodist connexion. He met his fate with
great fortitude and died without a struggle.'
Maitland Mercury 13 May 1843
CO 13 May 1843
Maitland Mercury20 May 1843
Maitland Mercury 8 July 1843
Maitland Mercury 15 July 1843
SMH 1843 23 September
Maitland Mercury1843 14 October
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