Mount Alexander Mail (Vic. : 1854 – 1917), Thursday 7 July 1864, page 2
MORGAN. BUSHRANGER AND MURDERER.
When and where is it to end? is the remark made by everybody. Are we never to hear the end of Morgan? Apparently not, until in a drunken fit, or by the accidental discharge of his own revolver, the world is rid of the now doubly-dyed miscreant. We have still another week of Morgan’s murders and misdeeds to recount. Late last night we heard from persons in from Tumbarumba, that the mailman, Brooker, who rides with the mail on horseback from Tumbarumba to Ten Mile Creek, on his journey on Wednesday, came upon the dead body of a man, some three miles above Mr. Robinsons Copabella Station, but having heard firing a few minutes before, he pushed on. Is this a third murder we shall have to put down to Morgan’s fearful account within a week? When is he to be shot as a native dog ? — Albury Banner. July 2nd.
Wednesday’s Bathurst Times says:— “It was rumoured yesterday that information had been received that the wretch Morgan has added another atrocity to the long list of crimes which has rendered him so infamous. He is said to have met a woman riding through the bush, and on “demanding money from her, which she was unable to give, compelled her to dismount, and tying her to a tree, stripped off her clothes, in order to search them more effectually. He had scarcely time to examine the garments, when he was disturbed by the noise of a party approaching. Gathering the clothes in a heap, he set them on fire, and, jumping hastily on his horse, galloped away, leaving his poor defenceless victim literally naked. The poor woman’s screams attended the attention of the party, who proved to be three stockmen driving horses through the bush, and on coming up, they set her at liberty and divested themselves of portions of their own clothing, to enable her to resume her journey.”
The Yass Courier of 29th ult. states that Morgan, the bushranger, is a native of Appin, and is about thirty-two or thirty-three years of age. His father was blind, and, after his death, which occurred many years ago, his mother married again. Young Morgan “turned out” early in life, and while yet a lad stole a horse from the police magistrate of Campbelltown. The constables went in pursuit of him, but he succeeded in evading their search. It is said that when they were trotting their horses after him, he kept at the same pace as they did, and when they galloped he used to put spurs to his horse and outstrip them in speed. He at last managed to double on them, and, returning to the neighborhood of Campbelltown, succeeded in stealing two more horses, with which he made his way in the interior, where he disposed of them. Subsequently to this he pursued the calling of stock-keeper on the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers, and from there proceeded to Port Philip, where he committed some depredation, and was sentenced to a term of penal servitude at Pentridge. We understand that at present he is a ticket-of-leave holder. Although carrying on his exploits alone, he, like the rest of the bushrangers, has acquired a number of friends amongst both the large and small settlers in the neighborhood of Billabong who receive a share of booty and also share his immunity from punishment.