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The following account is taken from The Trooper Police of Australia, A. L. Haydon, n.d., n.p., pp 138 - 144 :
“On a Sunday morning in June, the 15th of the month [1862], the mail-coach with its escort set out as usual from Forbes, the centre of the Lachlan goldfields. It was driven by Johnny Fagan, a well-known and popular character. In charge of the escort was Sergeant Condell, who sat by the driver’s side, the other police being Senior-Constable Henry Moran, Constable William Haviland, and a fourth trooper whose name is not given. These rode inside the vehicle. The consignment carried in the coach comprised L700 in cash and 2,067 oz. 18 dwts. of gold for the Oriental Bank; 521 oz. 13 dwts. 6 grs. for the Bank of New South Wales; and L3,000 in cash and 129 oz. for the Commercial Banking Company. The total value was placed at L14,000. In addition to this treasure there were, of course, several mail-bags, in which were letters and packets containing various sums of money.
“With no suspicion of impending danger the mail-coach rattled briskly along the road towards Sydney. It was just before noon when it started, and five hours elapsed before the first warning was experienced. Just past a place called Coobang, where the road begins to run between the Eugowra range of rocks, two drays drawn by bullocks were found standing in the path. No teamsters were to be seen. In itself there was nothing very alarming about this occurrence, and the escort turned sharply into the narrow passage between the drays and the rocks. Owing to the limited space and the curve of the roadway Fagan reined in his horses to a walk.
 “Then unexpectedly the attack began. From behind a group of rocks appeared six men conspicuous in red shirts and red caps, and with their faces blackened. Before the police could raise their carbines these poured a volley into the coach, wounding the sergeant and Constable Moran and drilling a hole through Johnny Fagan’s cabbage-tree hat. Immediately after this discharge another half-dozen men took the places of the other party and fired a second volley, which had the effect of causing the horses to take fright and capsize the coach. The police, thus taken by surprise, fired back at the bushrangers as quickly as possible, but as they were too exposed in the open they now sought cover in the bush at the side of the road. From this vantage point they endeavoured to hold their own, but the numbers of their enemies made it advisable to beat a retreat and seek assistance.
“While, therefore, the exultant bushrangers were busy plundering the coach and packing the gold boxes on their horses, Sergeant Condell, Fagan and the three troopers made their way in the gathering darkness to Mr. Clements’ station, near at hand. The squatter at once despatched a messenger to Forbes to acquaint Sir Frederick Pottinger [Footnote: Sir Frederick Pottinger had joined the Mounted Police in the days of the Southern Patrol, then being known as Trooper Parker. He assumed his real name on succeeding to the baronetcy.], the Inspector in charge of the police there, with the news. The officer with all promptitude organised a party of troopers and black trackers, and by two o’clock on the following morning was on the scene of the outrage. The trail of the bushrangers was picked up and followed, the troopers eventually coming upon the remains of a fire in which were the charred remnants of the red shirts, caps and masks. In the vicinity were found the mail-bags, ripped open, some empty boxes and a litter of papers and letters. From the direction of the hoof-marks the trackers concluded that the gang had ridden towards their customary haunt in the Weddin Mountains.
“Sir Frederick Pottinger and his men pushed on with in pursuit with all speed, but the police horses were no match for those of the bushrangers. Before anything of real value could be accomplished the party was forced to return to Forbes for fresh mounts. In the meantime, the mail-coach was rehorsed and sent forward on its journey with such of the mail as was recovered untouched. Soon after leaving Orange, however, another tragedy occurred. Constable Haviland, who was seated inside the vehicle with his fellow-trooper Moran and two passengers, shot himself dead with a revolver in circumstances that left little doubt that the affair was due to accident. [See Below]
“From Orange and Forbes the news of the escort robbery at the Eugowra Rocks spread quickly over the country, and the greatest excitement prevailed. Captain M’Lerie, the Inspector-General of Police in Sydney, supplemented Pottinger’s efforts by ordering out several other superintendents and inspectors into the field. From Bathurst went Superintendent Morrisett with his troopers, and from Yass, Superintendent Battye. These, and other bodies of police, scoured the district as thoroughly as could be managed, but without avail until several days had elapsed. At the same time a reward of L1,000, with the promise of pardon to an informer if an accomplice, was offered by the Government. [Footnote : The mode of despatching a gold escort without the accompaniment of mounted troopers (in the Lachlan instance the men rode inside the coach) was the occasion of public condemnation. As a result of the outcry the Government shortly after issued instructions for the proper guarding of the mail-coach by mounted troopers in advance, and in the rear, of the vehicle.]
 “The first to get upon the actual trail of the bushrangers was Senior-Sergeant (afterwards Superintendent) Sanderson, a member of Sir Frederick Pottinger’s party. It was well known by now that Frank Gardiner was the leader of the gang pursued, as Sergeant Condell had positively identified his voice at the time of the attack. With this knowledge Sanderson followed a certain course to the Weddin Mountains, with the result that he pressed so hard upon the heels of the bushrangers that they abandoned a pack-horse which carried a considerable amount of gold. Sir Frederick, who was continuing the search at another point, later on made a notable capture of two men implicated in the robbery, together with a portion of the plunder, but while conveying them to Forbes a rescue was effected. The police officers, three in number, were attacked by a larger party of bushrangers and compelled to fall back letting their prisoners go free. One of these men, it may be said here, was the notorious Manns who was afterwards re-arrested and hung. The only consolation the Inspector had was the knowledge that he had safely kept the recaptured gold, though Gardiner had made it known that he would never let it be taken to Forbes.
“Following upon this incident many wild rumours were circulated throughout the colony. It was more than once asserted that Gardiner and other principals had been shot down in an encounter with the police, but each report was in turn falsified. What did actually happen was an attempt to apprehend Gardiner that almost proved successful. In this both Sir Frederick Pottinger and Sergeant Sanderson were concerned. Acting ‘on information received’ the two officers with Sub-Inspector Norton and a trooper named Holster watched a house which the bushranger was believed to be visiting. There was known to be a woman in the case, the wife of a settler with whom Gardiner was carrying on an intrigue. The information turned out to be correct. From a position in the pine tree scrub outside the house Sir Frederick at midnight observed a man on a white horse approaching the place.
“ ‘The noise of horse’s hoofs,’ he says, ‘sounded nearer and nearer, when I saw Gardiner cantering leisurely along. I waited until he came within five yards of me, and levelling my carbine at him across his horse’s shoulder (the weapon, I swear, being about three yards from his body) I called upon him to stand. I cannot be mistaken, and on my oath I declare that the man was Frank Gardiner. Deeming it not advisable to lose a chance I prepared to shoot him, but the cap of my piece missed fire. Gardiner’s horse then began to rear and plunge, and before I had time to adjust my gun, he had bolted into the bush.’
“As Gardiner was riding away on the frightened animal Sergeant Sanderson and Trooper Holster both sent flying shots after him, but without effect. And so once more the bushranger gave his would-be captors the slip and once more had the laugh of the police. This unfortunate affair led to Sir Frederick and his aids being severely criticised by the public, who were chafing at the continued non-success of the authorities. That the Inspector was somewhat to blame in this instance must be admitted. A man of undoubted courage, he was impetuous to a fault, a weakness that certainly dimmed his reputation. Too anxious to make the arrest single-handed, he tied the hands of his companions by issuing strict orders that no shot was to be fired until he gave the command. When at last he did so it was too late for the other officers to do anything effective.
“However, although much ridicule was levelled at the Mounted Police they stuck steadily to their work, and were not long before they were able to proclaim an arrest of the greatest importance. Sergeant Sanderson, who had been quietly making investigations in the neighbourhood of Wheogo, apprehended five men, among whom were John McGuire, Benjamin Hall and Daniel Charters. On One of these were found some notes believed to be identical with those stolen from the escort. There was certainly enough to justify arrest on suspicion, but the police were not aware of the value of their ‘haul’ until Charters made a voluntary confession. In his statement the latter revealed the true history of the robbery and named the men who had played the leading part therein. Among these not yet under lock and key were three, Alexander Fordyce, John Bow and Jack O’Meally. These were now arrested, while the satisfaction of the police was increased by the knowledge that another prisoner, know as Turner, was in reality Manns, a prominent associate of Gardiner.
“In due course the bushrangers Fordyce, McGuire, Bow, O’Meally and Manns were tried before a Special Commission that sat at Sydney. There the informer Charters repeated his confession in more detail, and after certain of the law’s delays Fordyce, Bow and Manns were convicted and sentenced to death. Charters, as promised, received a pardon. The others, with six more highwaymen arraigned on different charges, escaped with terms of imprisonment. The death sentence, however, was only carried out in the case of Manns. Strong pressure was brought to bear to secure the reprieves of Fordyce and Bow, the result being that their sentences were commuted to imprisonment for life.”
Sydney Morning Herald, 24th June 1862 :
“THE INQUEST
“On Tuesday, at noon, an inquest was held, at the O’Connell Inn, Orange, on the body of constable Haviland, in the presence of Mr. John Arthur Templar, coroner of the district, and a jury of twelve.
“Having viewed the body, the first witness examined was
“Sergeant James Condell, who deposed as follows :- I am sergeant of police, stationed in the Western district; was in charge of the gold escort, from Forbes to Sydney; I started on Sunday last, the 15th instant; the deceased William Haviland was with me; he was a constable in the Western Escort; about five o’clock on Sunday evening the escort was fired upon, at Coobong, on Mr. Clement’s station, by a party of armed men; I was wounded, as also senior constable Moran; the gold was taken from us; the deceased escaped unhurt; but was troubled in mind the whole of yesterday; he said he had several narrow escapes, and would not stop in the escort any longer; he was quite sober yesterday, he did not take any drink to my knowledge; we arrived in Orange about seven o’clock last night, and delivered the mail bags to the postmaster, when deceased got out of the coach at the post-office; he got in again, and we started for Mr. Dillon’s inn, where we usually put up; on turning the corner at the Commercial Bank, I heard the report of fire-arms; I enquired where it came from and was told deceased was shot; I was sitting on the box seat; the body was brought down here (Dillon’s inn); I saw the body removed from the coach; I saw that deceased was shot somewhere about the head; I searched him and found his own revolver on his side in the sheath; I produce deceased’s revolver and pouch as I took it from his side; the revolver is loaded in every chamber; I then searched the coach, and found the revolver produced lying the bottom of it; I examined it and found one chamber discharged; it was senior constable Moran’s revolver, and he being wounded could not wear it - could not keep his belt on; deceased only ‘appeared’ distressed in his mind but did not say anything; he spoke of his wife and children in Sydney, and said this was a very unfit life for him; there had been no dispute; he was a very quiet and well-behaved man; you would not hear a word out of him during the day, the utmost good feeling existed amongst us; the deceased appeared to be a delicate man, but he never complained; the distance from where deceased was shot to Dalton’s inn is very short; constable Moran told me before we came to Dalton’s that deceased was dead; I sent for Dr. Warren, who, on seeing the body, pronounced the man dead; I found no property upon deceased’s person, except one shilling, and a watch, which constable Moran claims as his property.
“By the foreman : Deceased received no injury in the attack; he was not constantly in my company from that time; Moran’s revolver has not been reloaded since; it is in the same state now as when I found it; deceased took one glass of port wine between Forbes and Coobong, at the Lagoon Hotel; I am not certain, but I believe it was wine; I did not hear of Moran giving deceased charge of his pistol.
“Senior constable Henry Moran deposed : I was lately appointed to take charge of the escort from Sydney to Forbes, and to return with the gold; I knew the deceased William Haviland; he started from Forbes with me, as one of the escort; we left Forbes on last Sunday morning; we were attacked by bushrangers about half-past four o’clock the same evening; they fired upon us; they took the gold; we then went to Mr. Clement’s station, and remained there for the night; I and sergeant Condell were wounded; deceased told me he was not hurt in the attack; we left Mr. Clement’s yesterday morning; the sergeant was on the box with Haviland, and a passenger in the coach; deceased said during the day he would not come on the escort any more, unless there was a mounted party along with us; deceased had no spirits or wine that I know of; he was perfectly sober; yesterday evening, between six and seven o’clock, we arrived at Orange; we had taken up a lady passenger, with her servant and child; I and a lady and the other male passenger were sitting with our backs towards the driver; the female passenger was sitting in the middle; we heard the report of a revolver when leaving the Orange post-office; the female passenger exclaimed ‘My God, the man is shot !’ Haviland was sitting at the back of the coach opposite me; He said ‘No, It can’t be !’ I saw the flash from the revolver in a line with deceased’s chest; the female put her hand over first; I then put out my hand and felt the blood pouring down quite warm; I said, ‘he is shot in the stomach.’ The coach was going on all the time; I said it might be from the sergeant’s rifle; he said, ‘no, it could not be.’ In reply to a question from the sergeant I said deceased was shot; in the coach there was my revolver, and a revolver case empty, belonging to the man who went to the Lachlan; Haviland had his revolver by his side; the last time I saw my revolver it was in a case; Haviland brought it out of Clement’s in the morning, and put it under the seat he was sitting on, it was then loaded; that is the revolver produced (stained with blood); it was my revolver; I had it in my charge; when I arrived here (at Dalton’s inn) I asked the sergeant if I could go in and sit down; he said yes; I know deceased had no money with him, because he asked me for the loan of L1 to pay a bill he owes here; he had my watch in his pocket; I gave it to him to carry.
“By the foreman : We picked up a male passenger at Mr. Clement’s the morning after the struggle; the other constable went back after the struggle; I did not see any revolver in deceased’s hand when I saw him put it under his seat; It was rapped and loaded by myself; the revolver could slip out from under the seat by the jolting of the coach; I don’t think the revolver could have discharged itself from a jolt; I never knew an instance of it.
“Henry Boynton deposed : I am manager for Ford and Co, coach proprietors, at Forbes; I joined the mail at Mr. Clement’s station at Eugowra; there were three of the escort on the coach, two inside and one on the box; we took up a lady, a girl, and a child on the road; I saw nothing wrong with deceased on the road; he appeared very chatty; he stated that he should probably live a hundred years or so, as he had had so many narrow escapes; on coming round the last corner before we arrived here, I heard the report of a pistol; my first impression was that the report came from outside the coach - very close to the coach; I then saw deceased’s hand incline forward, and I thought he was looking out to see where the report came from; soon after, I saw his body incline forward; I caught him by the coat-collar and called out to the driver that he was shot; I was sitting in the near hind corner, and he was sitting on the off hind corner of the coach; I held deceased up until we arrived here; he was dead; on arriving here he was lifted from the coach; the coach had previously pulled up at the Orange post-office; deceased got out and assisted to take out the mail bags; I saw him get in again; I did not remark any strange movement on his return; I did not notice deceased make any movement as if to take anything from under his seat, when he got in at the post-office, or afterwards; everything had been quiet and amicable in the coach all the way; I did not know that a revolver was loose in the bottom of the coach, although I found the revolver now produced in the body of the coach, on arriving at Dalton’s; I recollect senior constable Moran telling me when I brought the revolver in that it was his, and that it had been in the bottom of the coach; after the luggage was removed out of the coach, I saw this revolver lying between one of the space bars in the bottom of the coach; it was lying between the bar and the side of the coach - muzzle downwards; it might have been thrown into that position on shifting the luggage; I recollect now it was the sergeant who brought the pistol in here; deceased was perfectly sober on the coach.
“By the foreman : The girl and child were between me and deceased.
“Senior Constable Moran recalled : I saw the deceased put my revolver and belt and case into the coach under his seat; the button on the revolver case was a very bad one.
“Ellen Chandler deposed : I reside at Toogong; I was a passenger by the mail from Keenan’s Bridge; no dispute took place on the road; the deceased seemed very quiet; when we arrived in Orange, I saw the flash and heard a shot; I imagined I saw blood flow from deceased; he was sitting on the opposite seat to me; I saw him falling forward; I put my hands out to prevent it; I kept him up with the assistance of another passenger, until we arrived here; never saw any other arms with deceased except the revolver he wore at his side; I saw deceased helping to move the mail bags out of the coach; I do not recollect to have seen him lift anything but the mail bags; deceased was dead when we arrived here.
“By the foreman : I did not observe deceased move about in the coach between the post-office and where I heard the revolver go off.
“Dr. Warren deposed : Last night, about seven o’clock, I was sent for to see the deceased; arriving at Dalton’s inn, I found him lying on the bed in the verandah-room, with blood running out of his mouth and out of a wound in his neck; he was quite dead; this morning, I traced the course of the bullet - it entered the throat below the chin - just above the pomum Adami; its course was backward and slightly upward - passing through the larynx and through the pharanx back to the spine at the junction of the skull; I believe the immediate cause of death was effusion of blood into the windpipe; the wound would cause almost instant death; it is my opinion he might have been stooping down to pick up the pistol, it being just the close of the journey.
“The jury, after a brief consultation, returned an open verdict : - ‘That deceased came by his death through a wound inflicted by a shot from a revolver; but how the revolver was discharged there was no evidence to show.’ ”
The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser, 24th June 1862:
“CONSTABLE HAVILAND - This man, who was shot under such mysterious circumstances in the vehicle of the gold-escort, just after its arrival at Orange, was a very deserving officer of the force. He was formerly a serjeant in the Royal Artillery at Woolwich, and leaving the regiment, he arrived in Sydney about four years since from India, when he entered the Metropolitan police. He was for a considerable time in the Parramatta-street division, where he was always well known as a very efficient member of the force. He was a first-rate marksman and a good shot, and we believe he was so well versed in drill exercises that it was intended at one time by the Inspector General to make him act as an instructor to the Sydney police. He subsequently acted as orderly to the Inspector General, in which capacity he was looked upon as a confidential servant. From that position he entered the gold escort, in which service his untimely end is to be regretted. Haviland has left a widow and two children residing in Sydney to deplore their loss, and Mrs Haviland is at present, we understand, on the eve of her confinement. - Empire, June 19th.”
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