Black Creek News - 1839

The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser Saturday 5 January 1839

Murder.—A murder is said to have been committed lately at Harper's Hill, at a place near to Black Creek. The victim was the keeper of a sly grog-hut in the neighbourhood, and was found murdered in the bush with her skull broken in. It is supposed that those in custody murdered her from motives of revenge on account of her refusal to supply them with liquor when they had no means of paying for it.

The Australian Tuesday 4 June 1839

Property taken from Mr Pringle's dray, near Black Creek, by the fellows who robbed Mr Butler, J. P. has been found in the hut of some splitters in that neighbourhood through the instrumentality of a man named Cutts, which men are still at large a terror to the neighbourhood.

Poor Cutts was nearly murdered by them as they entered a hut, in which he was asleep, and after waking him gave him five minutes to pray whilst one of them stood over him with a pistol. Cutts knocked the man aside and escaped through the window, in his shirt, after standing the tire of both, providentially, with slight hurt, except dreadful lacerations in the feet through running bare- footed through the bush. He is now in pursuit of them, accompanied by three mounted police and a constable.

The Colonist Saturday 9 November 1839

Thursday, November 7

Before the Chief Justice.    

James Davis, Alexander Talfourd, and Archibald Taylor, were indicted for the wilful murder of James Maher, at Black Creek, on the 19^th July last, by shooting him with a pistol. Deceased was going up with some other servants in charge of dray belong to Mr. Scott, of Glenlyon. Shortly after they had encamped for the night, three men came up to the dray. Deceased got up from under the dray, and asked who they were, and was immediately shot. The other servants made off. One of them, Hughes swore that the prisoner Davis was one of the three, but the other witnesses did not identify any of the prisoners.

From the evidence of Charles Wilson, district constable of the Wollombi, it appeared that the prisoners were known bushrangers. He received information that Mr. Wiseman's farm had been robbed by bushrangers and set out in pursuit. He was accompanied by John and George Bridges, and some blacks, in order to track the robbers.

About five miles beyond Mr. Wiseman's, they discovered the prisoners seated together on a ledge of rock. Constable Wilson challenged them, and they presented their arms; he then called out to his associates to fire, and shots were exchanged. Taylor fell, the other two made off. Wilson and one of the Bridges followed; when they passed Taylor he was gasping as though he were dying. On nearing Davis and Talfourd, Wilson again challenged him. Davis turned, and presented his piece; he pulled the trigger, but it snapped; Wilson ran up to him, and he then threw down his arms. Talfourd followed his example and Wilson handcuffed them both. He then took them back to the place where he had first seen them, and where Taylor fell. When they arrived there Taylor was gone.

There were guns, pistols, and a quantity of property belonging to Mr. Wiseman. There was a bag and a half of biscuit, some tea, sugar, and flour; 3 canisters of powder, and a bag of balls, and some jewellery belonging to Mrs.Wiseman. Wilson knew them to be bushrangers; he met them on horseback some three weeks before; he did not challenge them then because he had some prisoners with him, but he made enquiries, and found that they were the bushrangers who had been robbing the neighbourhood. They were dressed in Mr. Wiseman’s clothes when they were taken. The Jury returned a verdict of guilty against all the prisoners, who were immediately sentenced to death.