Black Creek News - 1846

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Wednesday 14 January 1846

Early this morning a pane of glass in the shop window of Mr. E. Avis, near the Bush Inn, was broken, and a pair of trousers and other articles taken through the opening. A man named William Colley, who slept in the shop, being awakened by the noise, went out, and endeavoured to secure the thief, who, however, escaped from him. Colley being certain that he recognised in the robber a man named Charles Sandy, went to the lockup for the constable stationed there, with whose assistance Sandy's hut was searched ; Sandy was found in bed, and the stolen articles laying under him. As Sandy has resided here many years, this matter has occasioned no little stir amongst us.

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Saturday 17 January 1846

Alleged Robbery. -A  man named Charles Sandy was yesterday placed at the bar of the police court on a charge of robbing the house of William Colley, of Black Creek, between three and four o'clock on Tuesday morning last. Colley being placed in the witness box, deposed that he was a shopkeeper at Black Creek.

On the morning alluded to he heard a noise at the window, and jumped out of bed and opened the door, but saw no one. He then ran in the direction of the Bush Tavern, and seeing a man, pursued him, and had a severe tussle with bim, but found no property of his about him. He then let him go. When he got home again he found his shop window had been stripped, and trousers, knives, scissors, taken away. This witness was severely questioned by the bench, as to the identity of the prisoner and the articles produced (found in the prisoner's possession), but he persisted in declaring his inability to recognise the one or the other.

The bench told him it was clear he had been tampered with by the prisoner. Henry Smith, watch-house keeper, at Black Creek, was then examined, and it appeared from his evidence that Colley came to him after the robbery, and said he had recognised a man named Charley Sandy outside his window, a pane of which was broken, and that he had followed him and struggled with him, but let him escape. He had picked up his hat, however. The witness afterwards apprehended the prisoner at his house at Anvil Creek, where he found the pair of trousers and braces produced. Colley, on being shown the articles by witness, said the braces were his, and that he had lost a pair of trousers like them. Another pair of trousers was also found in the prisoner's possession by this witness, concealed between the bed-tick and bed-stead.

George Gardener, cook at the Bush Inn, deposed that he lost a pair of trousers, and saw the prisoner in the tavern on the previous evening (25th Dec). Did not think the trousers produced (found by the constable Smith) could be his. The prisoner was discharged, the bench informing him that there could be no moral doubt of his guilt, but he had evidently tampered with the principal witness.

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Saturday 4 April 1846

THE CENSUS.-We have been credibly informed that about ten families on and in the neighbourhood of Dr. Mitchell's farm of Stanhope, near Black Creek, have never been called on by any of the collectors employed in taking the present census. These families comprise probably about sixty persons. If this is a fair sample of the way in which the census has been taken in the country districts, the returns will be almost valueless. It behoves the various benches to take some steps for ensuring accuracy in the returns of their respective districts. 

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Wednesday 8 April 1846

ASSAULT. - James Nicholson, on bail, was indicted for having, at Black Creek, on the 7th March last, assaulted, by cutting and wounding, one Edward Risdon ; a second count laid the offence as with intent to disfigure; a third count as with intent to disable ; and a fourth count as with intent to do some grievous bodily harm.

Mr. Holroyd appeared for the prosecution. Edward Risdon, a labourer, residing in Patrick's Plains, deposed that on Friday or Saturday, the 5th or 6th of March, he went to the house of a shoemaker who went by the name of Watty, with the intention of buying a pair of shoes ; he was accompanied by Dominick Gillespie ; some words passed between Gillespie and the prisoner about a pair of boots which the prisoner asked 8s. for, and Gillespie offered him 6s. ; witness said he was a treacherous old man, and they had better leave him ; with that they went into the street, but the prisoner followed and knocked down witness with a large piece of wood ; he was insensible at first, and was unable to work for a week.

Dominick Gillespie, of Black Creek, saw the assault committed by the prisoner with a piece of wood, which looked like a hand-spike ; he gave Risdon two blows on the head ; the first knocked him down, and as he attempted to rise a second blow made him senseless. Patrick Dent, of Black Creek, also witnessed the assault, of which he gave an account similar to that given by the last witness. None of the parties were drunk. The weapon was as thick as a man's wrist, and three or four feet long.

The prisoner called John Emerton, who said that the prisoner told Gillespie to come in the morning, when he was sober, if he wanted a pair of boots. The first abusive words were used by Gillespie, who both used threats, and stood in a threatening attitude. He also called John Pyne, who could not say much about the matter, as he had left the house because he thought there would be a row. He heard the sound of blows at a distance. Another witness for the defence could only say that he heard the sound of blows at a distance.

The jury retired for a few minutes, and found the prisoner guilty of the fourth count. He was remanded for sentence.

The Sydney Morning Herald Friday 10 April 1846

James Nicholson, indicted for having, at Black Creek, on the 7th March last, assaulted by cutting and maiming, one Edward Risdon ;a second count laid the offence as with intent to disfigure ; a third count, as with intent to disable ; and a fourth count as with intent to do some bodily harm.

Mr. HOLROYD appeared for the prosecution. The Jury found the prisoner guilty on the fourth count; and he was sentenced to six months' imprisonment in Newcastle Gaol, with hard labour.

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Wednesday 13 May 1846

MASTER AND SERVANT.-Henry Pike, a man in the employ of Dr. Blick, of Belmont, Black Creek, appeared before the bench yesterday on a charge of having absented himself from his duties. It appeared that Dr. Blick had made an affidavit and obtained a warrant for the apprehension of the man on the 22nd March last, but he having returned to his duty the following day, and behaved well since, no further steps were taken against him. His master did not wish to press the charge against him. The defendant was accordingly dismissed, but Dr. Blick was blamed by the bench for not having given the police information of his return, as they had been caused to waste much time in endeavouring to discover his retreat, not thinking that he was at the very place he was charged with being absent from.

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Saturday 6 June 1846

BLACK CREEK

We have nothing stirring in this neighbourhood, the long continued drought preventing any agricultural operations being proceeded with. Indeed, it is now too late in the season for wheat to be sown, as it would be too far in the season when in blossom to escape the blighting winds. It will be more prudent to have the ground well worked, where it can be done at all, preparatory to sowing some other crop, which will be much more likely to remunerate the farmer than a hurriedly sown bushel of wheat, and which, after all, may never be more than fit to cut for hay. Of grass there is scarcely a vestige left, and the supply of water is very indifferent. Unless rain falls in quantity sufficient to fill the water holes shortly, we shall have to go to the river, upwards of three miles, for home consumption. A great portion of the cattle cannot live if not removed quickly, and so the owners appear to think, as many of them are about to remove their stock beyond the boundaries.

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Wednesday 10 June 1846

BLACK CREEK

Some fine soft showers fell here yesterday and last night, which will be a great relief to the parched vegetation. The river is exceedingly low, owing to the long continued drought. Last week a labouring man procured the assistance of a neighbour to fell a tree, to split for laths. The tree, taking a different direction to that anticipated, fell on a bullock and killed it. Fortunately the owner was a wealthy gentleman, and he merely said it was a loss and there was no help for it. There is some talk of a church being erected opposite the Woolpack Inn, where about two miles on both sides of the road is laid out for a township, and it is in contemplation to add several houses to those already on the ground.

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Saturday 8 August 1846

A Constable on the Spree.- On the evening of the 18th of July last, constable Smith, stationed at Black Creek, entered the public house of Mr. John Lloyd, at that place, about eleven o'clock, and, after partaking of two glasses of brandy, went into the tap room, where a number of persons were assembled, and finding a man there whose physiognomy he was not exactly acquainted with, he immediately proceeded to overhaul him as to his freedom, when a man present, named Walter Ferrett, after in vain guaranteeing his friend's liberty, finding his friendship and veracity thus placed at stake, resolved to strike a blow for freedom : and, so, politely challenged Smith to a set to. Jackets were doffed, and at it they went; but the general feeling being against the " trap,'' all hands present did their best to get a sly dig at him, but were prevented as much as possible by Mr. Lloyd. At last, in the heat of the engagement, the two combatants stumbled against a store-room door, which, yielding on its hinges, the pair disappeared within the dark recess. On a light being thrown on the subject, the member of the strong arm of the law was found to have suffered very severely, and was borne, anything but triumphantly, from the spot. Yesterday morning Ferrett appeared before the police bench, on summons, to answer Smith's complaint, when the above facts came out in evidence. Smith, of course, swore that he was perfectly sober, whilst two or three witnesses proved the reverse ; in addition to which some five or six glasses of rum and brandy were brought in evidence against him. The case was consequently dismissed, the bench stating that however desirous they might be to uphold their officers in the execution of their duty, they could not pass over misconduct, and they certainly thought that any ill usage he had received he had brought upon himself.

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser Saturday 8 August 1846

Gambling.-We were yesterday much gratified at the sight of a very pretty piece of gambling machinery, consisting of a large sized halfpenny hollowed out in such a manner as to receive another, for which it serves as a kind of cover, thus enabling the professional blacklegs in the small way to secure a man or woman as they think proper. This fanciful piece of machinery was obtained from a ticket-of-leave holder of Black Creek named James Wright, who, on being confronted with the evidence of his guilt, stoutly denied ever having seen it before. Some animosity existing between the Black Creek constable Smith, and Wright, upon which the bench animadverted rather severely, made the case doubtful ; but as certain peculiar information had been received at former periods against the prisoner, he was remanded for examination on the charge till Tuesday next.