Sub-Inspector Burns
Source: Illustrated Sydney News (NSW : 1881 - 1894) Sat 6 Jun 1885 Page 9
NEWS ITEMS
1885 - Sub-Inspector Burns.
The subject of our sketch was born in a country village, Castletown, county Donegal, Ireland, and followed the pursuit of farming. In 1862, induced by the lectures of the Hon. W. B. Dalley, he sold out his interest in the farm and emigrated for Queensland, taking with him two men. When he arrived at Sydney, the account he heard of the gold diggings caused him to alter his mind, and he went with his men to the Ten Mile Rush. He was very unsuccessful, and lost everything he was possessed of. He then returned to Sydney. Being a good horseman, and of a roving disposition, he joined the Mounted Police at the age of 20. He was sent, after the usual training, to the Mudgee District. Bushranging was rampant. A band was formed in Mudgee District, stations and stores were stuck up, and Alex. Musson, of Pyramal, and Cordwell, of Hargraves, were shot by then). Burns arrested two, Edward McQuirk and Campbell, and this broke up the Mudgee gang. Shortly after, Constable Ward was shot by Sam Poo, a Chinaman. Burns came on him in a scrub. Sam Poo was armed with a double-barrelled gun. Burns came on him suddenly, and Poo raised his gun, but the officer sprang at him and smashed his empty rifle on the head of the Chinaman. Poo recovered, and was hanged at Bathurst. For this Mr. Burns received promotion, and was sent to Mundoran, where his success in running down cattle stealers, &c,. was proverbial. He has been stationed since then at Orange, Mudgee, and finally Gulgong.
When the men escaped from Coonamble gaol, Superintendent Burns (as he then was) was under the care of Dr. Kealy. But discarding all consideration of self, he proceeded in pursuit, first to the Warrumbuagle Ranges, through the gorges on foot, back by Cobbora, and finally came upon them at Bellinfante Bridge, after four weeks unceasing pursuit. What came of that meeting, the unfortunate death of Stewart, and the shooting of the murderers, Thurston and Angel, has already been recorded.
Stewart's Store, Bellinfante Bridge, near Gulgong.
Interior of Store, Murder of Stewart by Thurston, and Shooting of the Murderers by the Police
Police Encounter with the Coonamble Murderers.
1885 - THE COONAMBLE GAOL TRAGEDY. THE INQUEST ON THE BODY OF ANGEL.
The inquest on the body of Thomas Angel alias Hobson was commenced at Gulgong Hospital on Monday, April 13, before Mr. P. Snape (coroner) and a jury of 12, Mr. John Scully, Mayor, being appointed foreman. The jury having been duly sworn and having viewed the body, the Coroner adjourned the inquest to the courthouse.
Sergeant Burns gave evidence which was a repetition of what was adduced in the inquiry into Stewart's death.
Patrick Mulloy deposed: I am a tailor by trade; some time since I was at Coonamble; I knew a man named Angel; he was working there as a butcher; I heard of him getting into trouble about some cattle; I saw a dead body yesterday at the hospital, and recognised it as Angel; I knew his voice when he was being brought into the hospital.
A dying deposition of Angel, taken before J. F. Plunkett, J.P., was then put in, acknowledging that his name was Thomas Angel Hobson.
Senior Constable McKinley
Thomas McKinley, a constable, also gave evidence similar to that in Stewart's case.
Senior Constable Day
Constable Ernest Day deposed: I am a constable stationed at Gulgong; on the 10th instant I accompanied Sergeant Burns and Constable McKinley to a store kept by Charles Stewart, at Belinfante Bridge. About 8 o'clook at night the sergeant stationed me under the counter on the left-hand side entering the door; the sergeant informed me that he would conceal himself in the passage leading from the store to the back door; Constable McKinley was placed at a window looking into the store; I was to remain at my post, and not to remove from under the counter until the challenge was given by the sergeant; I remained there for about four hours when I heard horses crossing the bridge in the direction of the store; shortly afterwards I heard steps to the verandah and a knock at the door; a voice said, "Are you in bed? I want some tobacco;" the footsteps appeared then to retreat from the door for about a minute and then returned; the door was then unlocked, and some persons entered the store; some one again asked for tobacco, and Stewart came round the counter; just as he got to my position he cried out, "For God's sake, don't shoot me, put away those things;" another voice said, "Come now, no nonsense, come back here, we want no tobacco;" Stewart left from behind the counter, and I next heard Sergeant Burns call out, "Police! surrender!" I jumped up immediately, and as I did so I heard a report of firearms and saw smoke coming from the right-hand side of door, coming in; I saw Stewart sinking down; then followed two reports of firearms almost simultaneously, smoke issuing from the window and door where Constable McKinley and Sergeant Burns were posted; I saw Thurston totter backwards, and Angel rushed towards the inner door; I fired at him as he passed my position, he staggered on into the back room where Sergeant Burns was standing; I lost sight of him then, and heard a report of a firearm, and saw a man rush out towards the front door, he was crouched down, and for a second I could not tell who it was, on reaching the door he stood up and faced me, and I fired at him again; I heard a body fall on the ground outside, and someone scrambled past the window on right hand side going out; I crouched under the counter, thinking he might shoot at me through the window; I went round the counter and out at the back door; Sergeant Burns and I went out together, and on our left hand I saw a man scrambling along and fall; we went within about 10 yards of him; the sergeant told me to watch the fallen man from there, while he went back into the store; in a few minutes he returned with Constable McKinley, and we went together to where Angel lay; McKinley took a revolver from his hand, and we carried him back to the store; he seemed delirious, and cried out several times "Open the door, Billy, let me out;" the sergeant got a mattress and laid him on it; I saw at that time that the storekeeper and Thurston were both dead; I also saw that there had been a barrel discharged from eachof the two revolvers that McKinley had taken from the man; I went to Gulgong for the doctor, and assisted him in dressing Angel's wounds; Angel was then placed in a cart and taken to Gulgong Hospital; when Stewart was sinking down Angel was in front of him, and Thurston on his left front. When Thurston fired his revolver pointing towards the sergeant, McKinley, or Stewart; I am positive that no one but Thurston could have shot Stewart; the counter was between Sergeant Burns and Stewart, McKinley and Stewart, and myself and Stewart; before we went inside the store that night the sergeant addressed us, saying that we belonged to two countries whose men were famous all over the world for coolness and determination, and that he hoped we would prove ourselves worthy of it that night; so long as we kept cool there would, he said, be no danger, and that he would not be frightened of both himself.
Joseph Patrick Kealy deposed: I am a duly-qualified medical practitioner, at present residing at Gulgong. On the morning ot the 11th April I was requested by Constable Day, on behalf of Sergeant Burns, to proceed at once to Belinfante Bridge to attend a man named Angel, who had been shot by the police; I proceeded at once, and on arriving there I found Angel lying on the floor of a store; I ordered his removal at once to an adjoining room, and on examination found that he had been shot in two places; I treated the wounds, and applied the usual restoratives; at the sergeant's request I remained with Angel until 9.30 same morning, until he was removed to the Gulgong Hospital by Inspector Carter's permission; there he received every possible attention until the following morning, when he died; by desire of Mr. Snape, P.M., I made a post-mortem examination of deceased at the hospital, on Sunday night, 12th April; on the body, which was well nourished, I found there had been five wounds, caused by the penetration of two bullets; the cause of death was two-fold, viz. —hemorrhage from penetration of lung, and peritonitis caused by inflammation.
Sergeant Burns deposed: I produce a bullet which I picked up at the left-hand side of Stewart's door; it is partly flattened on one side, as if it had been in contact with some hard substance; I saw Constable Day fire a shot at Angel, and I believe it is the bullet from Day's revolver, from the position that Day and Angel occupied.
There being no more evidence, the Coroner informed the jury that it was now their duty to return a verdict. The jury almost instantly did so through their foreman, by bringing in a verdict of justifiable homicide, with a rider that the police were deserving of great praise for the courageous manner in which they had done their duty.
At the adjourned magisterial inquiries into the cause of the death of the storekeeper, Charles Stewart, and the escaped criminal, Thurston, the verdict in the former case was that death was caused by a gunshot wound inflicted either by Thurston or Angel, and in the latter justifiable homicide.
The presiding magistrates found that the deceased, William Thurston, came to his death by a gunshot wound inflicted by the police during the execution of their duty, and desired to express their highest approbation and admiration of the courageous manner in which the police had acted in ending the career of two such criminals. They also notified their intention of forwarding to the head of the department their wish that the services of the police should receive some recognition. Mr. Snape, police magistrate, and Mr. S. T. Bishop, J.P., also endorsed all that had been said, and were much gratified and pleased that the Gulgong police had the honour of capturing the men. Mr. J. F. Plunkett, J.P., added that he had known Sergeant Burn some years, and was aware that it was not the first time that he had been in desperate hand-to-hand encounters with outlaws, and that he had always distinguished himself by his coolness, determination, and bravery. Sub-inspector Carter returned his warmest thanks for the commendation which had been bestowed on the police, which he knew they heartily deserved, and said he would only be too happy to convey the opinion of the magistrates to the proper quarter. Senior-sergeant Burns briefly returned thanks, and was evidently much affected.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) Thu 16 Apr 1885 Page 4
