A SURPRISE HOLD UP - Dan Morgan

Henry Bayliss, the Wagga Wagga police magistrate, was proceeding on his leisurely way to Urana on court business, when Morgan stepped out of the scrub by the side of the road near Bullengong and presented a pistol aimed to his heart.

Bayliss, accustomed to having his meetings with lawbreakers under strict police control, rather than ranging free in the bush, was outraged. He impulsively put spurs to his horse and galloped away, giving Morgan and his mate a hectic chase during which two shots were fired. Eventually superior horseflesh and perhaps riding ability saw Bayliss caught. On being informed he was holding-up a police magistrate, Morgan was surprised, but on examining the papers Bayliss was carrying with him, was convinced, and allowed Bayliss to go free, on the understanding that he would go easy on him if he ever had the misfortune to appear before him.

Thoroughly affronted by Morgan’s cheek, Bayliss summoned police reinforcements from Wagga Wagga.

The police party, with Bayliss an enthusiastic participant, located Morgan’s deserted campsite and laid out an ambush. During the night, a noise near the camp prompted Bayliss to emerge from hiding to investigate. Morgan’s mate had returned. Seeing the figure of Bayliss, he snapped a shot but missed. The magistrate called on the man to stand or be shot, but the challenge was answered by a second shot, more deliberate than the first, which struck the magistrate first in the hand, then in the arm and finally the body. At the same time Morgan appeared and fired another shot. By this time the police had tumbled out of their shelter, firing as they came, and Bayliss had sunk to the ground, bleeding profusely. Morgan and his mate escaped.

Surprisingly, the magistrate not only survived, but recovered sufficiently to be back on the Bench by October the same year.

The outraged NSW government posted a £200 reward for Morgan’s capture.

Dan had proved to be an elusive bushranger to catch and was a continuing embarrassment to the NSW Police. The Police were taunted by their Victorian counterparts who claimed that Morgan would be dead within 48hours if he dared set foot inside Victoria. Morgan heard of this claim and headed south to show his best. He held up travellers, burnt farm buildings and ended his grand tour at Peechelba Station, on the Lover Ovens River. Morgan broke into several homes at Peechelba taking the residents hostage. However, he was obviously careless in his role as captor and a maid managed to creep over to an adjoining property to give the alarm. By the following morning the house was surrounded and, on the 9th April 1865, – aged 34yrs), Morgan was shot dead – well before the 48 hour deadline – as he stepped onto the veranda. (Morgan was buried, albeit headless, in Wangaratta cemetery.)

Source: An Explorer’s Guide to Northeast Victoria – Chris McLaughlin, Bushrangers of the North East – Graham Jones