| THE LATE GOLD ROBERY AT THE IRON BARKS DEATH OF GERMAN DAN. FEBRUARY 21, 1866 _From our correspondent to the S. M. Herald._ At an adjourned magisterial inquiry, held this 8th of February 1866, at Iron Bark_s in the colony of N.S.W, touching the death of one John Garvey, who was found dead on Tuesday, the 6th instant-present: Messrs. J. Milburne Marsh, P.M; and G. Kroff, J.P.- Henry Laurence, being dully sworn, deposed: I am a licensed butcher residing at Iron Bark diggings, near Wellington; I recollect some time in the evening of Tuesday the 6th February, being occupied killing an ox at the back of my house; my partner W. Bragg, was with me at the same time; I saw several men coming from Mr. Smith_s engine, amongst whom I recognized James Osborne, German Dan, _the man now wondered_and another, a partner of theirs called Jack, who was carrying the gold in his two hands; just at the same time I saw two men on two bay horses, whom I took for blackfellows, coming towards the men at full canter, and I heard these two men call out either _put it down,_ or _drop it;_ immediately afterwards I heard a shot fired, and saw the dust fly from the bullet striking the ground. The shot was fired from the two horsemen towards the men with the gold; at the same time I heard shouts from the diggers calling out _help Murder,_ bushrangers_ I turned to my partner, William Bragg, who was standing by me and said; where_s the gun_ He went inside his house, and said _it_s not loaded,_ and I said load it, by this time, whilst my partner was inside his house loading the gun, I heard several shots fired by the bushrangers towards German Dan _that is Daniel Heinzberg_, and the last shot with a rifle, about ten yards distance, at German Dan, by the tallest of the bushrangers, who was then dismounted, and standing near Dan, as if to pick up the gold; and after the shot was fired I heard a cry from German Dan, who staggered back a few paces and got behind a stump on his hands and knees; all the other men _the Diggers_ were scattered in all directions, and all unarmed; I then saw the bushranger who shot Dan mount his horse, as if he picked up the gold and had it before him; I was about one hundred yards off; by this time the other bushranger had turned his horse_s head up the hill east ward towards Muckerawara; he was about twenty paces ahead; by this time my partner had come out of his house with his gun, which he had just loaded _one barrel_; I said to him _look sharp_; we both went towards the gully which divided us from the bushrangers; by this time the bush rangers had got from thirty to forty yards from where they had taken the gold; I said to my partner, _now is the time_; _let them have it,_ or _give it to them_; I meaning thereby and my partner understanding that he was to fire at the bushrangers who were then about one hundred and twenty yards off; I do not recollect telling my partner which to fire at; the tallest of the two who shot Dan was the nearest to him by two or three paces; I saw my partner _Mr. Bragg level his gun at the nearest bushranger; I heard the report of the gun, and I watched the bushranger to see what effect it had taken; immediately afterwards I saw the horse he was riding gather himself up as if he was shot; of frightened with the report; I did not see the bushranger move in the least, nor did he appear to be shot; at this time the house was going at full speed; the other bushranger was further ahead than ever; I saw them both for about fifty yards further, when they were lost to sight on account of the scrub; I then went over to the wounded digger, Dan; I saw him sitting on the bleeding from a wound in the right breast, with some of his mates around him; I stayed some little time _ it might have been half-an-hour; by this time the police had come, and I then showed them the direction the bushrangers had taken; my self and several others followed the police up the hill, when we heard that a house with saddle and bridle on was galloping round the hill, and some of the party said _lets go and search, we might find the man;_ we went a little farther; then I heard a shout, saying _here he is_; I went up and saw the bushranger whom I had previously seen shoot German Dan, the gold-digger, and whom I believe my partner shot at as he _the bushranger_ was ridding up the hill; he was then lying dead, and I perceived he was not a blackfellow, as I originally thought, but a white man, with his face and hands disguised with a blue color; I saw the rifle he shot German Dan with, which was just taken I believe from alongside him; I did not recognize him, as I did not know him, but I heard others identify him as the old man at Bell_s crushing-machine, and who has been sworn to as John Garvey; I saw the dead bushranger _John Garvey_ removed in a cart shortly after to the lock-up, where I saw the dead body the next morning, previously to the magisterial inquiry being held; I helped to carry home German Dan, the wounded digger, who was not expected to live, owing to the wounds he had received from the bushranger now dead. Viz.; John Garvey; I was present at the inquiry yesterday, but was not called; the bullet with which I believe my partner loaded his gun and fired at the bushranger John Garvey was molded by him-self, and was an ounce weight, and used for killing bullocks; I saw the bullet taken from the hoses neck by Dr. Rygate, and it corresponded in size with those my partner was in the habit of using; the gun out of which my partner fired was a smooth boar, and not rifled, and fired at a distance of. I believe one hundred and thirty yards, which I stepped afterwards. From James well what a yarn_ You know I could see the butcher at work killing the ox. I could feel his partners anxiety as he tried to load his gun. I could feel the fear from the Diggers as they were shot at, and the haste in the Bushrangers as they carried out there task. When reading this yarn I was transported back in history to a time when a person could and would look after his mates. Can you pitcher the mate of the butcher taking aim a hundred and thirty yards with an ounce slug out of a smooth boar, what a shot_ Glad it was not me that got hit with that slug. |
