Mary Larbourd

116

Tony Beale on 27th April 2021

The Australian (Sydney, NSW : 1824 - 1848) Tue 20 Feb 1838 Page 3 BATHURST. Murder. — A murder of three individuals by an assigned servant, which, for atrocity, exceeds anything that has ever occurred in the district, was committed last week, at the Mudgee River. The murderer is secured and safe in the gaol. The circumstances are as follows : — A man named John Nagle, an overseer to Mr. Kinlay, with his wife, inhabited a hut on the Mudgee River, on Mr. Kinlay's ground; the stock-keeper and the murderer, whose name is Bryan Flannigan, assigned to Mr. Kinlay, lived in another hut adjoining the overseer's. It seems, that Flanagan and Nagle had a quarrel on the day of the murder, but the difference was slight, and had blown over. The stockkeeper went to bed at his usual hour, and a little black boy slept with him. The overseer and his wife had also retired to rest. The stock-keeper soon slept, but the black boy lay awake, and he saw Flanigan seize an axe and approach the bed, on which, he jumped out and ran off, plunging Into the river to save himself. The stock keeper's scull (sic) was cloven in twain by the axe, the one half hanging in front, the other behind, and the brains scattered about the bed. He next proceeded to the overseer's hut, and according , to his own account, he continued striking at random, at the overseer and his wife, until he thought he had made sure work of it. The unhappy woman was within a few days of her confinement, and when the bodies were discovered, she retained her natural warmth, although the bodies of the men were cold and stiff. Nagle himself presented a dreadful spectacle ; he had three or four cuts on the head — one of his arms was literally chopped in two, as was also one of his legs. His poor wife had also about a dozen wounds on her head, legs, and stomach. In her death struggle, she had clasped her husband in her arms, and her fingers were buried in his back from the intensity of the agony. The wretch, after he had committed the murder, proceeded coolly to a woman who lived a short distance down the river, and who used to wash for him — he gave her his shirt and trousers besmeared with the blood of his victims, and desired her to wash them and give them to her husband. To her enquiry what he had been about, he said, 'They'll never come near you again — I've done the job for them.' He was taken about ten miles from where the murder was committed, laid in some weeds, and on his journey to Bathurst, communicated the particulars to troopers Sheedy and Graves, who took him.

116

Tony Beale on 18th September 2020

From Co Maya Ireland single catholic who could not read or write 4' 10" brown and little pockpitted complexion Brown hair and grey eyes New South Wales and Tasmania, Australia Convict Musters, 1837 Assigned to Michael Lahey of Bathurst New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Convicts' Applications to Marry, 1826-1851 Mary Larbourd or Ferguson 20nbond per ship Thomas Harrison to marry John Nagle 36 free (life) per ship Hadlow (2) granted both single Commercial Journal and Advertiser (Sydney, NSW : 1835 - 1840) View title info Sat 5 May 1838 Page 2 SUPREME COURT. Bryant Flannigan was indicted for the wilful murder of John Nagle, at Bunbejong, Mudgee, on the 5th February. This is one of the most atrocious murders upon record. It appears that in consequence of some misunderstanding with Nagle, who was his overseer, he entered the hut at the dead hour of the night, and murdered not only Nagle, but a stock-keeper named Riley and his (Riley's) wife with an axe., He was found guilty upon the clearest testimony, and sentence of- death was passed upon him, to be carried into effect at such time and place as His Excellency may think proper to appoint. The Sydney Monitor (NSW : 1828 - 1838) View title info Fri 8 Jun 1838 Page 3 Advertising SIR-In one of your late Papers I saw a state- ment regarding the murders of John Nagle, his wife Mary Nagle, -—Ferguson, and Patrick Riley, by Bryan Flannigan, which is incorrect in several instances. The following are the facts as I have received them from Michael Lahy, who resides within seven miles of where the murders were committed. On the Thursday morning, John Shearer, an assigned servant to Alfred Kinnerly, Esq , came to Lahy's house about 8'clock and informed him that, Flannigan had murdered Nagle, Big Mary, (a name, by which she was generally known), and Riley, with an axe. Lahy immediately despatched a man on horseback to report the circumstance to Mr. Whiting the nearest Magistrate, which was thirty miles. The man fortunately met with Mr. Whiting, Mr. Beckham, Corporal Sheedy, and a Policeman, about thirteen miles distance, at Mr. Rouse's, they rode to Lahy's, who had fresh horses in his stable, and then proceeded to Bembegong, where the bodies lay in a shockingly mutilated state. The Police not knowing where Flannigan's haunts were, Lahy said, I know his acquaintance and will find him if you return and stay at my house until I come back. Mr. Whiting said, yes, I will leave a man to protect your house. Corporal Sheedyand Lahy then started down the Cudgegong River and turned up the Murrundy Creek to a sheep station belonging to Mr. Cox. When a short distance from the hut Lahy dismounted and went up, but no one was there; Sheedy and Lahy then went to the Creek and lay in wait to see if he would come home with the shepherd. Shortly after, Lahy saw something move at a considerable distance, and said to Sheedy, I see him; Sheedy said, do you see the sheep ? Lahy kept his eyes on the object, and gave Sheedy to understand it was Flannigan. Lahy galloped across the Creek and found Flannigan sitting in the long grass. Corporal Sheedy's handcuffs would not screw on and they were obliged to tie Flannigan; it was then sun-down; they proceeded across the mountains about nine miles, to Bembegon, and thence to Lahy's, which they reached about two o'clock in the morning. Flannigan was taken to Mudgee at day-break; Lahy was not called on to give evidence ; he (Lahy) procured three coffins for the bodies which were buried at his expense. I am, Sir, Yours, &c., ; A SUBSCRIBER.