File 4: Hassall family, correspondence, volume 4, pp. 1343-1673, 1818-1895

1670a

To The Reverend Tho. Hassall

Sir,

I hope you will excuse me, for writing these few lines to you, but hearing of your strict integrity, and your love of justice, and your Christian feelings, and that you are the Chaplain of Berrima Gaol and hearing of your practical knowledge with [indecipherable] of that Establishment, induces me to write to you about a prisoner named C. Williams, who is doing a sentence of 7 seven years, unjustly, innocent, and who is the victim of a rascally plot. Got up by a man named Stewart, myself, and a Mrs Pyne of Mudgee, to get Williams into Gaol, so that Stewart would be able to get his wife Mrs Stewart back, that was living with Williams. Our plot succeeded, and Stewart got his wife back. Sir, I have known the man Stewart for the last thirty years, he was in the Army with me, and sorry I am to say that I allowed him to make a dupe of me, to get an innocent man convicted. Sir, The reason I write this, is, I am leaving the country, and my conscience prompts me to tell the truth, so that it may do some good for Williams. Sir, I have made two Statements of what took place, and I sent one to Judge Fawcett and the other to G.H. Cox of Mudgee, and I sent the boots that I wore, the time of the Plot, to Mr. Cox also. Sir, I went to Williams house, pretending I was looking for work, and he gave me leave to stay at his house for three or four days, and Williams being afterwards away with his coach, I found his working boots & allowed mine to correspond with his, by knocking out some of the nails. And his boots helped to convict him. Sir, if

1670

Williams has these boots yet, and if they were produced, something might be done for him. Sir, Will you be so kind as to ask Williams if he has those boots still, and if he has, I am sure they will correspond to the boots I wore, and which I have sent to Mr. Cox. Sir, It would take too long to tell you what took place. I have written the full particulars to Judge Fawcett & G.H. Cox. Sir, Please ask Williams if he has these boots yet. O Sir! see what can be done for the injured man & for your assistance may God forever bless you and yours will ever be the prayers or

A. Repenting Man.

1671

Mail after robbing it at one OClock, or shortly before and in two hours or even two and half hours reach Boro, thirty three miles away, on that dark night? Much more could they have passed the Braidwood Mail and buggy then return to Goulburn and Sidwells, making 24 miles more in so short a time and yet travel 113 miles in 24 hours?

I would now refer to the depositions kindly allowed me by Mr Walsh Solicitor in Goulburn.

and 1st. Berriman. A most important party in the affair proves clearly an alibi as he had more time and reason, finding the others convicted.

2nd. Conroy's evidence is clear he states that "one man had a sharp cracked voice". These men have not. "The shirt was similar" (to the one taken from the box) "now produced". "I saw it by the light of the Lamps and the small bars on the sleeve looked like one." I have personally consulted Conroy he has still a difficulty in recognising the shirt on acocunt of the bars on the sleeve looking like one. In no other way does he prove anything or suppose anything,

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3rd. Richardson swears to a patched shirt but all men shirts are worn in sleeve first, and patched if hard working men. He contradicts himself about the voice and says "I cannot say I recognised the voice then. It appears that the name of Keevil was called improperly in the Goulburn gaol, so that the voice had not to be discovered.

4th. Mr. Elery's evidence is the most important of the whole but he also contradicts himself stating first, "Keevils shirt was a Crimson with bars on it," "similar to the one produced I only saw the breast of it". When recalled after talking to the Police I am informed he stated, I saw it when he was putting coat on with only one arm in his coat. I have written to Mr Elroy about this but received no answer and it is important because Keevil and Vennel notwithstanding all this, affirm that Keevil bought a new brown shirt in Goulburn and never wore any other until he reached home, and that whatever Mr Elroy may say he had on this dark shirt at his Puiblic house.

5. Sidwell's statement I can also explain. His wife can prove that Sidwell exchanged his grey mare with Vennel on the road home from Goulburn.

I cannot go so fully into matters that I have searched up but would willingly attend any further enquiry of Sheriff or another. I believe the men are not guilty. Whatever Vennel character may have been Keevil has no charge against him previously I believe.

At the same time I feel assured that the robbery was planed to take place when these men left Sidwell that the suspicion might fall upon them, which it truly has, and that the same parties who stuck up the Yass Mail and shot Mr Longfield a few days after the apprehension of these men (Keevil and Vennel) are identical.

I trust that every attention will be paid to these facts and the men discharged. If it is thought necessary that they should be punished more than they have already suffered for using the Chesnut Mare or stealing her if that was their intention I have no reason to complain of its justness.

I remain, Dear Sir Yours truly

J. Hassall