THE BREELONG BLACKS
CROWDS FLOCK TO SEE CAPTURED OUTLAW
Jimmy Governor's Confession
POOH! THAT'S NOTHING! GO TO THE DEVIL!"
"You bushranging Blower, Come With Me!"
During, the afternoon the report goes on, there was the intensest excitement in town, hundreds of people, men, women and children, coming in from all parts, desirous of getting only a sight of the notorious criminal, and these arrivals continued up to nearly midnight. In the meantime, Sergeant Hogan arrived, and later Constable Stein, who did all their duty would allow them to gratify the pardonable curiosity of the people.
On Sunday morning; the people again began to flock in, and continued to do so throughout Sunday. But their curiosity was not gratified. The excitement all over the district was intense when it became known that Jimmy was captured. A report was circulated in Taree on Saturday that Jimmy Governor was to be taken to the Gaol at Taree on Sunday, and all day hundreds of people waited in front of the courthouse, but had to retire disappointed.
Superintendent Cotter arrived at Wingham on Sunday and took charge of the case. He had been kept busy since receiving and despatching wires. Sub-inspector Saunders and Sergeant Mayo arrived on Monday, also a number of police officers.
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Jacky Underwood's Confession.
A resident of Mudgee district expresses the opinion that the police should be distributed in the country centres in parties of four each, with trackers. This, he points out, would possibly enable one of the parties to be near the fugitives when their whereabouts is reported. At present the police are frequently far away when the murderers are seen, and much time is lost before the police can get on the newly-found trail.
Jimmy Governor, he remarked, has shown great ingenuity and resource like his grand father, Wandong, and is going through the country in a circular way, Jimmy's grandfather was once known to lead a party of four, with a tracker, over 70 miles in circles. Instead of them following him, he was in reality follow
ing them. The same method is being adopted by the grandson.
With regard to the Governors being seen atTambar Spring, their whereabouts was discovered accidentally. Sergeant Borthistle, of Gunnedah, had a new rifle, and he said to a companion, 'I must try this rifle.' He fired it off in the direction of the bush, and it so happened that the blacks were in the vicinity. They were on the top of the mountain and, thinking they had been deliberately fired at, replied. The result was the interchange of seven shots by the police and four by the Governors.
The Governors were seen at Mr. Neville's, five miles from Yarraman, on Tuesday. Neville's family shifted to a neighbour's (Horan's) house half a mile distant, and at 7 o'clock 10 shots were fired into the latter house.
Jacky Underwood was brought up at the Gilgandra Police Court on Wednesday, and charged with murdering Percival Mawbey, Mrs. Mawbey, Grace Mawbey, Hilda Mawbey and Helen Kerz. A. F. Garling, who took Mrs.Mawbey's dying depositions, said Mrs. Mawbey deposed:
'Jimmy Governor hit me with a tomahawk. I also saw Jacky with a tomahawk. I saw two of them. There were more outside. Jimmy Governor had his wife with him. I am sure it was Jacky Underwood who hit Percy.'
On being asked if he had any questions, Jacky said:
'Jimmy hit the boy. The woman was lying on top of the boy when I came. Jimmy told me to go outside and see if anybody went outside through the windows. I saw two girls go through the window, and came back and did not tell him. George Mawbey deposed to hearing Jimmy Governor address another as 'Jacky.' Accused then made a statement, after which he was committed for trial.
Jacky Underwood made the following statement : —
'Jimmy Governor did all the most murder. I hit one girl in the room ; She was not dead when I put her back in the room. The woman and the boy lay there, the woman on top of the boy. Jimmy told me to go outside of the house. I went outside, and I see two girls running on the road. I then came back. Jimmy said, 'Did you see anyone ?' I said, 'No.' He then went out back, I go out same way. I saw two boys — one go out of the window, and another was lying under the bed. Jimmy asked me whether any more in the bedroom. I said no, they were all gone. Jimmy asked me how many I killed. I told him I killed one. He said again he do all the most murder I think. I said, 'I think you do more.' After that he went back to the crossing, and he see one of the girls crossing the creek. He run to the creek, and the girl then fall down. Jimmy knock 'em on head. He then started back, and met the school teacher about 100 yards from the house, and killed her. He saw one girl running along with nightdress on. She laid down and tried to plant. Jimmy said, 'You can't plant there; I see you, and I'll have you.' He came back and went in to all the rooms. I put one girl under the bunk, and put the blankets over her till I see Jimmy go outside. Then the girl come out from under the bunk, and sat down on the floor. I told Jimmy I would shut the door and not let him come into the room any more. He said, 'No, I'll go down the creek.' I then went to a fire about a mile from there. I waited for him there, but he never came. He went on to camp.
When I got to the camp they were leaving camp and going across the creek, 300 yards from camp. They waited for me to come, Jacky Porter and Mrs. Jimmy Govornor would not walk that
night. Jimmy made up all about going to kill his missus and the baby. Jimmy said, 'The first railway line we come across we are going to capsize a train— I think the line running to Muswellbrook, Glen Innes, or Tenterfield.' They are going to follow up the ranges into Queensland to Toowoomba and come into the ranges there, then follow the range on to the Dawson. They can go anywhere they like then. They will follow the sea to Townsville. If they
once get into the big mountain there they will be right. Nobody knows them about there. We were going to murder a man and a boy near Mundooran who gave us tucker. Joe said, 'Come on, we must get to Merrygoen.' We got there at dark, and stopped till 9 o'clock, then went through the paddook, and Jimmy collared a draught mare belonging to Merrygoen, rode her a mile, and camped that night. Jimmy asked me how far to Digilah. I said I did not know.
Jimmy said, 'We will smash this house and go in and murder the man and woman, baby and boy. We did not do it, but went on a bit farther, and came on a bark hut. Jimmy went inside and took a cotton shirt (produced), a tin of jam, a tin of tea, a box of matches, some tobacco, socks, a cap, a tin of fish, two calico bags, and some sugar. Me and Joe told him not to kill the man and woman. That was about two miles from Merrygoen. We went on a bit further and boiled our billy of tea just before the men came who fired at us. They did not hit anyone. We split up from there. I never saw Jimmy or Joe since.
I went into a paddock and stopped there that night. I could not find my matches, so I made towards Mudgee. I went across by Redbank, and came to a house where they gave me a feed, then told me about the great murder at Breelong, and about one of the murderers being lame. That was me. I told them I knew nothing at all about it. I then seen two young fellows coming to the house; one had a rifle and the other a breach loading gun. They asked me where I came from. One of them said he knew me, and I said, 'Yes that's me.' He told me to come to the police at Cob
bora, but the other one said, 'Take him to Leadville,' and they took me to the lockup.
The night before the murder Jimmy had a row with Mrs. Governor, and came down to my camp, and said, 'You me are mate now, Jacky ; come on, we murder all Mawbeys.' We went down to
murder Mr. Mawbey, but were frightened when we got to the old hut.'
SYDNEY, Monday.
The Governors were seen near Jenning's Creek on Saturday morning by a man named Nixon, at whom they fired two shots, and luckily missed him. The fugitives then decamped. Jimmy Governor declares that if they are hard pushed he will shoot Joe Governor (his brother) and then shoot himself.
When they stuck-up Bayliss' place they made indecent overtures to Mrs. Bayliss, but her husband appearing on the scene they left the house. Previously they had compelled her to throw up her hands and also supply them with food. Jimmy Governor throws all the blame for the murders upon his wife, adding that if it had not been for her the murders would never have been committed.
Source: The Clarence River Advocate (NSW : 1898 - 1949) Tue 28 Aug 1900 Page 2
