The Van Buren press., 1901-11-09
BAND OF MURDERERs.
rhe Larrll<ins Of Australia ana i"e
Method of Organization ana
Execution.

1t is now something like 40 years
since the British government was
much disturbed by the depredations OF
what appeared to be an organized band
of murderers operating throughout
New. South Wales. The organization
was a secret one and at first seemed
hardly worth while noticing. But be-
fore five years had passed it was SO
powerful that the government found
itself forced to arm even the constaD-
ulary with revolvers and to instruct
them not to be too slow about shoot
ing in order to give them some means
Of protection against the criminals
who had been enrolled under the So
ciety's rules. Since then, despite con-
slant warfare made on it by the po-
ice, it has grown so vastly that now
many cities are terrorized periodical
ly by its members and it threatens Aus
tralia much as the Molly Maguires
threatened the United States, says an
eastern exchange. l
This Australian secret murder So
ciety is known as Larrikin. The Lar
rikin is divided into branch societies
known as pushes. Each push has a
king, whose word is law.
The member of push must do what
ever the king directs, be it robbery,
arson or murder. In turn the entire
push stands by him and will stop at
nothing, however desperate, to rescue
him if he is taken. So well have many
of the pushes proved their ability to
do this that in the districts where they
are most powerful it is common for
them to commit all sorts of criminal
acts in full daylight and practically
publicly.
There is little really secret about the
organization of these pushes. Nearly
everything concerning them is known,
80 far as their methods of selecting
new members, Furnishing traitors and
so on are concerned. But all the eff
forts of the police have been unavail.
ing to find out who the kings are.
Any male youth more than II years
Did who lives permanently in push
district is eligible for membership.
Should he wish to join he sends the
king written application and fee
Of ten shillings, which is one of the
kings perquisites of office. On recev.
Ing the application the king calls to-
gether his five councillors, whom he in-
structs to make inquiries and report.
A meeting of the push then is con.
7ened and the applicant is accepted or
rejected on show of hands. If &C.
,epted he serves as provisional init.
ate for period of six months. Then,
after subscribing his name to the
push book" which is book wherein
are recorded the crimes committed by
the push, he becomes full-hedged
member and is made acquainted with
the push's code of laws. No oath is
administered and there Is no ceremony
or form Of Introduction whatsoever.
The first and most stringent dsci.
pine of push law enforces obedience
W nat tHe
king says goes" is their own phrase
and the contraventon of the maxim
is punishable in the first instance with
the "sock," in the second with death.
The sock Is popular with all Larrl.
kins, who dearly love an opportunity
of witnessing its infection. The Of
fender is stripped, gagged and strapped
face downward along an ordinary
wooden bench, whereupon the eXecu,
TONERS beat him in turn with stock
ing filed with wet sand until his flesh
Is completely raw, His wounds are
then sailed and he Is kept in prison
until recovery. On such occasions pro.
ceedings are conducted with the
gravest decorum; no one is permitted
to speak and unnecessary violence /.
sternly prohibited. No sympathy I,
manifested for the victim, and such q
circumstance as a protest against thu
barbarity of the punishment is abso
lutely unknown.
Tn. death penalty Is rarely exactcd
In the case OF members OF the frater'
nifty, but outsiders who have incurred
the push vengeance are killed regular
~. The king chooses for executioneri
score OF his subjects, of whom al,
least seven are the latest recruits Of
the order. The victim is surrounded
stunned and thrown to the ground
No deadly weapon is employed, Each
Of the push silently kick the body OF
the PROSTATE victim until life is cx
tinct. Thus all the 20 are equally
guilty OF murder, and probably nc
member Of any push has been enrolled
for n longer period than two year,
without being thus stamped with the
hallmark at pushdom.
II q member desires TO sever hi
connection with his push or to depor,
from the push district In order to live
elsewhere he is allowed to do so on '
after having signed a confession Of
having committed, slnglc-hondcd, the
last capital crime OF which the push Ia
guilty, This document Is handed to
The king, who files It In the push book
which Is naturally kept In q place of
security. This book Is the one strong
and yet weak spot in the push system,
II II were conveyed TO the hands OF
the authorities the whole push would
have to stand scli-arraigned and self
condemned as murdcrcrs and Occcsso.
rlcs, But so long as. each mcmber's
name Is In the book with his record Of
crimes, so long Is he the helpless slave
Of the king. Therefore The pushes real.
iae that their safety depends upon tho
careful preservation OF these memo.
rlals. Al important gatherings the
book must be produced, that members
may have an opportunity Of rcossur.
Ing themselves by perusing oonfcs.
slons which transfer and fasten their