STEWART

Headstone in Gulgong Cemetery

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The inscription reads:

This Memorial

WAS ERECTED BY THE GOVERNEMNT

to
CHARLES STEWART

NATIVE OF ABERDEENSHIRE SCOTLAND

AGED 56

He was shot dead in his house near Gulgong on the of 10th April 1885 during an encounter between the police and armed criminals.

10.04.1885

CHARLES STEWART [STUART], a storekeeper aged 60 years, died from “GUNSHOT WOUNDS INFLICTED BY ARMED ROBBER”. [Victim of Angel and Thurston]. (NSW BDM 11986/1885)
R ACHESON, Coroner JP
Place of death: Green Swamp
Place of burial: Gulgong (C of E)
Witnesses: JESSE BENNETT and JAMES LEWIS
Born in SCOTLAND. Parents unknown.
Length in Colony: unknown
Marital status: Olive Olivia Marie Stuart, of Cudal (listed as beneficiary)

Source: Gulgong death records to 1910

NEWS ITEMS

1885 - The Coonamble Tragedy. ESCAPEES SHOT.

Gulgong, April 11.

There was great excitement here this morning when the news was brought that Thurston and Angel, the Coonamble gaol escapees and murderers, had been shot, the former dead. Certain information had been given to the police, and, acting on it, Senior-Sergeant Burns and Constables M'Kinlay and Day secreted themselves in the store of Mr. Charles Stewart, at Slasher's Flat on the Mudgee-road, nine miles from here. Thurston and Angel came to the store about 12 o'clock last night, and compelled Mr. Steward, who was sleeping in an adjoining hut, to open it. They then shot Stewart dead whilst on his knees begging for his life, whereupon the police opened fire, shot Thurston dead, and wounded Angel in three places. Dr. Kealy was brought from Gulgong, who at once recommended Angel's removal to the hospital, which was done, and it is the doctor's opinion that Angel cannot recover. A magisterial inquiry was held on the body of Charles Stewart by Mr J F Plunkett, JP, and the evidence of Sergeant Burns and Constable M'Kinlay was taken, when the inquiry was adjourned until Tuesday next. Dr. Kealy is now making a postmortem examination of the bodies.

Sergeant Burns has been sent out ever since the prisoners escaped from Connamble, and by his knowledge of the country he tracked them from place to place.

Constable Thomas McKinlay, sworn: Am a constable stationed at Gulgong; I have seen the dead body of a man named Charles Stewart in his store near here; I went in company with Sergeant Burns and Constable Day to the store on Thursday night last ; we remained there all night, anticipating that the place would be robbed ; we went there again last night, about 8 o'clock ; I see the plan produced ; I was placed in a room by Sergeant Burns ; there is a little window in it looking into the store, at which I was posted; about a quarter to 12 a man came into the verandah ; he sang out "Old man, I want some tobacco" when I heard him speak I said to the sergeant, "That is Billy Thurston's voice, I know it;" about five minutes after I saw a light coming past the store window deceased opened the door ; I then cocked my rifle ; the two men followed deceased into the store ; deceased came round the counter past my window; the two men covered deceased with their revolvers, and told him to bail up; they told him to come back from behind the counter ; the deceased came back and said "For God's sake don't shoot me; you can have what you want;" he then went on his knees ; I covered Thurston; just then there was a report from, I think, Thurston; I then fired; both men had the old man covered; the deceased, when the shot was fired by Thurston, was facing Angel, at least he was so facing when he knelt down; the light was all the time on the counter; I saw the back of the deceased's head from where I was standing, as he knelt on the floor ; shots were fired by both the sergeant and Constable Day ; I believe there were three ; Thurston went out at the front door and fell ; Angel rushed into the passage, and into the room where I was ; I thought at first it was Constable Day, but when I found it was one of the men I fired at him with my revolver; the man staggered and rushed out of the front door ; I followed him, and found him lying down on his face, about 50 yards away ; he was wounded ; I took a revolver (produced) out of his hand ; the revolver did not belong to any of our party ; I examined the revolver after we carried Angel in, and found it to have been recently discharged; an empty cartridge case was in it ; Sergeant Burns had previously examined it ; we took the man back to the store, and he told me his name was White, after wards he said his name was Angel ; I heard him tell Dr. Kealy that he was out a month from Coonamble;  I fired a rifle (a Martini-Henry) at Thurston in the store from my position at the window; that shot could not have hit the deceased; no object was visible between me and the man I fired at; deceased was on his knees and the counter intervened between us ; did not fire a revolver shot through the window ; when we came back with the wounded man we saw Thurston lying at the door dead; I then recognised him as William Thurston ; I had known him since 1879 ; there was a warrant out against him for murder ; I took a revolver from him when I went after Angel ; it is a Colt's — the police do not use them ! there were five barrels loaded ; one barrel was recently discharged ; I found deceased lying dead where he had knelt down ; I saw him with a wound above his left nipple ; I believe that was the only shot fired by the men, by Thurston. The inquiry was adjourned until 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the 14th instant, at Gulgong.

The deceased, Charles Stewart, was universally liked and respected for his gentle kind disposition. Dr. Kealy made a post-mortem examination and found a bullet in the right shoulder. It had struck the left shoulder, smashing the collar-bone, and had cut through the large vein of the heart, and then into the front of the right shoulder. Death must have been almost instantaneous. Angel died at 20 minutes past 9 on Sunday morning. He made a statement to Mr. Dobson, Church of England minister, and also to the policeman, that he did not shoot Mitchell, but that Langley the warder had done it in the scuffle.

Source: The Colonist (Maryborough, Qld. : 1884 - 1952)  Sat 25 Apr 1885 Page 16