Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1869-11-10
BOLD DICK DONAHUE.

Australia we're Government officials, dis
charged soldiers, and emancipated convicts,
together with sprinkling of young sons"
who came out from the mother country to
pursue the occupation of sheep farming.
These young sons, however, were not the
sons of The aristoerscy, or of any Of the
wealthy classes, but of farmers, mechanics,
and reduced country gentlemen, and had to
begin the world with great deal more cour-
age than cash.
There are now in Australia FIVE colonies
all important, and some fourishing; but at
the period from which our narrative dates,
there was but the colony Of New South
Wales, large tract of country on the South
eastern coast of that island
In the infancy of the colony, New South
Wales was interesting and valuable TO the
mother country, as an oulet for It's criminal
population rather than as affording scope for
enterprise or inducements to capital: and
thther, therefore was transported the felon-
" of the three Kingdoms Crime and vice
Of every hue found there their respective
reprcsentatiyes-from the murderer to the
Iickpocket, and from the gentecl lady shop
litter to the pest Of cities" To keep such
a population in anything like order strong
detachments of military usually accompa-
MED every cargo Of felons. SO that the colo
ny partook as much Of the character of
garrison as that of an ordinary settlement.
As might be expected in such state of
society, military domination assumed the
place Of Law; and there at the end of the
earth, and beyond the correcting Influences
OF public opinion, the authorities, high and
low, exercised generally a cruel desputism
over the unhappy convicts. Crime was
sought TO be repfessed by violence alone
punishment, ant not the reformation, OF the
criminal was the ruling principle. There
w"re only TWO casscs-scttlers and officials
on one hand,a and convicts on the other; and
these two social elements were in antagonists
and at perpetual war with each other The
settlers, whose only pursuits were stock rails
Ing and wool growing, obtained from the
Government as many couvicts as they chose
To- feed, cluthe and house Those of the
couvicts Eot wanted by settlers were employ
eli Oh Cox ernuent works, such as max ing
ryadS, clearing the forest, or building docks
1t would be presumed that settlers who OBJ
tanned servants on such easy conditions
would have been kind and indulgent, and
that officials whose only business was to su
pcrintend public works from which they
were supposed TO derive no pccuniary profit
would havc been as lenient as possible TO
the wOrkmen-yet the case was far other
wise. The settlers punished the servants
BY Hugsinc, and cheated thcm ou; of their
stipulated allowance of food and clot hing
and the officials sold great deal Of the com-
ml'ary stores sent out for the use of the con-
vlcts and pocketed the proceeds. The con-
sequence was, that the latter were in a
chronic state OF mutiny; and that their
masters, both settlers and officials, from long
habit Of unchecked and licentious wrong
doing, were too readily disposed TO resort to
the most violent measures of repression.
Crime and violence were therefore rampant,
and the effect on the colony is as palpable
to day as was the finger mark OF the Al
mig ty on the first murderer
In this congenial atmosphere did our hero
grow up and flourish. In his day he was
famous, and his fame has survived him for
10 the long winter nights, when the three
lgssed FIRE burns brightly and casts its SOM
bTs light on the dusky faces of the surround
Ing thick bearded bushmen. the most welcome
song Of the evening is Bold Dick Dcnahue.
Danahues early biography would be spe-
c'stly interesting, | have no doubt, to such
as are curious in tracing the developments
OF that type of genius which our hero pos
ses>ed to such an eminent degree Born of
indlgent parents in the city of Dublin, he
Rad served an apprenticeship to the time
honoTed art Of picking pockets; but the
pFecocity of his genius keeping pace with
the Development of the physical man. he
Eehnquished that business and took to the
profession of house breaking. As in the
lover grade he evinced an adap,ability and
fertility Of genius, coupled with rapidity
OF execution that often elected the applause
aud patronizing smiles of his tutors, so in
The higher walk of his profession he dis
played ssch promptitude, boldness, and dash
as a'toni~hed his contemporaries. and threw
MS rivals completely in the shade.
Donahuc had long and brilliant career,
and ey unrcmitting industry and persever
anee had worked himself at last into the
Wholesale business. In this line he went
into large speculation-not less, indeed,
tnan that Of undermining the Bank OF Ire
land, with a view of settling its accounts"
lie had peculiar talent for finance in gen
ersl' but evinced decided taste for settling
'he affairs Of banks. and of jewelry shops in
Particular. In this speculation he succeeded
admirably for eight or nine months; he had
'Inneled his way through till he had got
under the very floor on which was deposited
'ne IRON safe containing the coin of the in
s.tuuon, and next night would have brought
MS enterprise to happy and successful ter
nlnatlon by saving through the floor and
appropriating the contents of the coveted
aie-but that the fates were not propitious
1ne Blues, as Donahue sarcastically
termed all policemen, ''pinched'' him on
lie very NIGHT ba b.-o l.