AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGING MICHAEL HOWE AND HIS GANG.

AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGING

MICHAEL HOWE AND HIS GANG.

In early life Howe had been a sailor on a British
man-of-war ; but he grew weary of ship's discipline,
deserted, and next appeared as a highwayman on English
roads. He was soon caught, convicted, and transported
to Van Diemen's Land, arriving there in 1812.
On arrival he was assigned to a merchant and stockholder
named Ingle; but Howe had large ambitions.
"I have served the King," he said, "and will be no
meaner man's slave." Upon which he took to the
bush, and gathered round him the most troublesome of
all the gangs then abroad. When Macquarie made his
offer of pardon, Howe and his companions came in
with the rest, and took a holiday in Hobart Town ; but
life was soon tired of town life, and took to the bush
again under Whitehead, who was the leader of a gang
of twenty-eight.
The gang plundered in a most systematic and relentless
way, and did not scruple to shoot down any
who made an attempt at remonstrance or resistance.
Attacking the settlers of New Norfolk, they took
away their firearms, broke open their homesteads,
burned their wheat stacks and houses, and carried off
all the portable property upon which they could lay
their hands. Even the Police Magistrate and the district
constable at Pittwater had a fire-stick applied to
their stacks, and counted themselves fortunate not to
have lost house and life as well. A second attack on New
Norfolk was unsuccessfully opposed by a mixed force
of settlers and soldiers : the bushrangers shot two,
captured a third, and drove their opponents from the
settlement. But a second party of soldiers, sent post
haste from Hobart Town on receipt of the news, surprised
the gang in the midst of its marauding, and
mortally wounded its leader. Two others were captured,
but Howe and the rest got clean away in the
darkness of the night. When Whitehead was wounded
he immediately appealed to Howe to cut off his head,
so that the pursuers should not get the reward ; for it
had been arranged between them that whichever survived
should do his fallen comrade this service. Howe
carried out the agreement, but the head was found in
the bush later on, and the body was carried to Hobart
and gibbetted at Hunter's Island.
After the death of Whitehead, Howe assumed the
leadership of the gang, and at once led them on to
fresh depredations. Their movements were very
rapid, and covered a large area of country ; one day
they were reported at Launceston and shortly afterwards
at Bagdad, a hundred miles off, where their
scouts had given them news of rich booty.
Howe assumed the airs of a chief, and introduced
naval rule into his camp. The members were compelled
to subscribe to articles of obedience, the oath
was administered on a Prayer Book, and penalties
were exacted for any breach of discipline. He styled
himself "Governor of the Rangers," as opposed to the
representative of Royalty in Hobart Town, whom he
called "Governor of the Town."
In all his marauding expeditions he was attended
by a faithful aboriginal girl named Black Mary, who
must have been invaluable to him both as scout and as
servant. But his gratitude was as feeble as his morals,
and her fidelity had but ill reward. Some soldiers of
the 46th, who had been despatched in pursuit of the
gang, once came across Howe and Mary apart from
the others. Howe ran for his life : the girl could not
keep up with him ; he saw that the soldiers must overtake
her and capture him if he remained with her ; so
he turned and fired upon her. She fell and was seized.
Her master, throwing away his knapsack and gun,
plunged into the scrub, through which his pursuers
could not follow him. In the knapsack was a primitive-
looking book of kangaroo skin, upon which were
recorded, in letters of blood, the dreams of greatness
which filled the bushranger's mind.
Mary could not forgive her faithless lord. The
wounds were not mortal, and when they had healed
she determined to have her revenge. Leading his
pursuers, she tracked the hunted bushranger from
place to place, until the chase grew so close and hot
that Howe offered to surrender on terms. He wrote
to the "Governor of the Town" and managed to get
the letter forwarded by a person who was able to go
between the two "Governors" without injury to himself.
And, strange to say, Governor Sorell entertained
the proposals made by "Governor" Howe, and
actually sent one of his officers to treat with him.
Outlaws have dictated terms on many occasions,
but never, I venture to say, under such conditions.
Society, as West says, must have been on the verge of
dissolution when letters and messages could pass between
the Government and an outlaw. The surrender
took place in due course, and Howe was once more a
prisoner.
His gang, however, was by no means dispersed.
Howe had promised to betray them, but the information
he gave was of very little use, and things were
soon worse than ever. A reign of terror began. The
richer settlers abandoned their homes and took refuge
in the town. The boat that carried provisions between
Launceston and Georgetown was seized, and
recruits obtained from its crew. The Governor appealed
to the public, who raised by subscription a reward
for the gang's capture. A party of soldiers ran
them to earth, but could do nothing against their well
posted force but kill its new leader.
During this time Howe was in prison. Notwithstanding
his previous character, he was allowed
considerable freedom of movement by the authorities,
and soon took advantage of it. He pleaded ill-health,
was allowed to walk abroad in charge of a constable,
and walked very much abroad, leaving the constable
in the rear. Soon he was again at the head of a party,
which included some of his old companions in arms.
But one night trouble arose ; two of the gang incurred
the anger of the leader, who decided to make short
work of them. At midnight, while both were sleeping,
he crept upon them, and put an end to one by
cutting his throat from ear to ear, and to the other by
clubbing him on the head with the stock of a gun.
By degrees the gang was reduced to three
—
Howe, Watts, and Brown—and more trouble came.
Brown surrendered himself to the authorities, and
Watts plotted against his leader to save his own life.
At this time there were rewards out for Howe and
Watts amounting to £100 each, and knowing this,
the men were increasingly watchful ; but Watts placed
himself in communication with a stock-keeper on a
station near, and elaborated plans for capturing Howe.
The latter suspected that something was wrong, however,
and accused Watts of infidelity, which the latter
denied ; as a proof that he was prepared to argue the
matter calmly he suggested that each should knock
out the priming of his gun before coming to an explanation.
Howe agreed : Drewe, the stock-keeper
(probably an old confederate), came up, and the three
proceeded to "camp." As Howe stooped to fan the
fire into a blaze with his hat, Watts suddenly pounced
upon him, threw him down, and with Drewe's assistance
secured his hands. They then took his knife
and pistols and went on with breakfast, giving Howe
to understand that they intended to take him straight
into Hobart Town. When all was ready they started
on their journey. Watts going first with a gun in his
hand ; Howe, with his hands bound, coming next ; and
Drewe bringing up the rear. They had not proceeded
far, however, when the bound leader suddenly exerted
his giant strength, snapped his bands, and sprang
upon Watts, stabbing him in the back with a dirk
which his captors had overlooked in their search. As
Watts fell Howe seized his gun and fired at Drewe,
shooting him dead. Strange to say, he did not stop
to complete his work on Watts, but left him where he
had fallen, doubtless thinking that the slow death
would be a greater punishment. Watts managed to
reach the town, however, and give information, afterwards
being removed to Sydney, where he died of his
wounds.
Once more free, Howe determined to act for himself,
without trusting his liberty to companions ; but
he spent a terrible time. The Governor added a
second hundred pounds to the first reward, as well as
a free pardon and a passage to England to any prisoner
who might succeed in bringing him to justice.
Hunted more persistently than a wild dog would have
been, Howe betook himself to the mountains, and
only appeared when hunger or lack of ammunition
forced him to the settlements : at such times his reputation
and his savage looks gained him time to seize
the supplies he wanted before his victims could make
up their minds to resist him.
Bonwick, who was well acquainted with the locality,
thus describes his hiding place :—"Badgered on
all sides, he chose a retreat among the mountain fastnesses
of the Upper Shannon, a dreary solitude of
cloud-land, the rocky home of hermit eagles. On this
elevated plateau—contiguous to the almost bottomless
lakes from whose crater-formed recesses in ancient
days torrents of liquid fire poured forth upon the plains
of Tasmania, or rose uplifted in basaltic masses like
frowning Wellington ;—within sight of lofty hills of
snow, having the Peak of Tenerifife to the south.
Frenchman's Cap and Byron to the west. Miller's Blufif
to the east, and the serrated crest of the Western Tier
to the north ; entrenched in dense woods, with surrounding
forests of dead poles through whose leafless
passages the wind harshly whistled in a storm ;—thus
situated amidst some of the best scenes of nature,
away from suffering and degraded humanity, the
lonely bushranger was confronted with his God and
his own conscience."
In October, 1818, a former accomplice in the pay
of a man named Worrall, who had determined to capture
him, lured him to his fate by promises of food.
The story of his capture is given in the captor's own
words in the Military Sketch Book, and I cannot do
better than repeat it here :
—
"I was now," says Worrall, "determined to make
a push for the capture of this villain, Mick Howe, for
which I was promised a passage to England in the
next ship that sailed, and the amount of reward laid
upon his head. I found out a man of the name of
Warburton, who was in the habit of hunting kangaroos
for their skins, and who had frequently met Howe
during his excursions, and sometimes furnished him
with ammunition. He gave me such an account of
Howe's habits, that I felt convinced we could take him
with a little assistance. I therefore spoke to a man
named Pugh, belonging to the 48th Regiment, one
who I knew was a most cool and resolute fellow. He
immediately entered into my views, and having applied
to Major Bell, his commanding officer, he was
recommended by him to the Governor, by whom he
was permitted to act, and allowed to join us ; so he
and I went directly to Warburton, who heartily
entered into the scheme, and all things were arranged
for putting it into execution. The plan was this :
—
Pugh and I were to remain in Warburton's hut, while
Warburton himself was to fall into Howe's way. The
hut was on the River Shannon, standing so completely
by itself, and so out of the track of anybody who might
be feared by Howe, that there was every probability
of accomplishing our wishes, and 'scotch the snake,'
as they say, if not kill it. Pugh and I accordingly
proceeded to the appointed hut. We arrived there
before daybreak, and having made a hearty breakfast,
Warburton set out to seek Howe. He took no arms
with him, in order to still more effectually carry his
point, but Pugh and I were provided with muskets and
pistols. The sun had just been an hour up when we
saw Warburton and Howe upon the top of the hill
coming towards the hut. We expected they would be
with us in a quarter of an hour, and so we sat down
upon the trunk of a tree inside the hut waiting
their arrival. An hour passed but they did not come,
and I crept to the door cautiously and peeped out.
There I saw them standing within a hundred yards of
us in earnest conversation ; as I learned afterwards
the delay arose from Howe suspecting that all was not
right ; I drew back from the door to my station, and
about ten minutes after this we plainly heard footsteps
and the voice of Warburton. Another moment
and Howe slowly entered the hut—his gun presented
and cocked. The instant he espied us he cried
out Ts that your game?' and immediately fired, but
Pugh's activity prevented the shot from taking effect,
for he knocked the gun aside. Howe ran off like a
wolf. I fired but missed. Pugh then halted and took
aim at him, but also missed. I immediately flung
away the gun and ran after Howe ; Pugh also pursued ;
Warburton was a considerable distance away. I ran
very fast ; so did Howe ; and if he had not fallen down
an unexpected bank, I should not have been fleet
enough for him. This fall, however, brought me up
with him ; he was on his legs and preparing to climb
a broken bank, which would have given him a free run
into the wood, when I presented my pistol at him
and desired him to stand; he drew forth another, but
did not level it at me. We were then about fifteen
yards from each other, the bank he fell from being
between us. He stared at me with astonishment, and
to tell you the truth, I was a little astonished at him,
for he was covered with patches of kangaroo skins,
and wore a black beard—a haversack and powder horn
slung across his shoulders. I wore my beard also as
I do now, and a curious pair we looked. After a moment's
pause he cried out. 'Black beard against grey
beard for a million !' and fired ; I slapped at him, and
I believe hit him, for he staggered, but rallied again,
and was clearing the bank between him and me when
Pugh ran up and with the butt end of his firelock
knocked him down, jumped after him, and battered his
brains out, just as he was opening a clasp knife to defend
himself."
So closed the last act in Howe's career. His head
was cut off and exhibited in Hobart Town, and those
who had feared him felt safe at last. Many murders
were attributed to him besides those referred to. It
was said that among his victims were two of his boon
companions, who had committed some trifling offence,
and concerning one of these it was said that Howe
tied his hands and feet before shooting him.
The remaining members of the original gang all
met a deservedly ignominious fate, most of them before
Howe's death. M'Guire and Burne were tried
and executed for the murder of Carlisle. Geary, who
assumed command during the interregnum caused by
Howe's temporary surrender, was shot dead in an encounter
with the police. Lepton had his throat cut
by a recent addition to the ranks named Hillier, who
also nearly "did for" Collier at the same time. The
latter was subsequently hanged in Hobart, after being
tried in Sydney and convicted. Other men who
joined the gang at different times also came to a
violent end.

History of Australian Bushranging
By CHARLES WHITE

ANGUS AND ROBEETSON
London : The Australian Book Company
38 WEST SMITHFIELD, E. C.
1900