Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1847 – 1851), Friday 30 May 1851, page 2
POLICE OFFICE.
THURSDAY MORNING.
Present — His Worship the Mayor, and Captain Fyans.
THE MELBOURNE MAIL ROBBERY — At 12 o’clock yesterday Owen Suffolk alias Mason and Christopher Farrel, committed for robbing the Portland Mail, were placed in the dock, to answer to the charge of robbing the Melbourne and Geelong mail. Both prisoners maintained the same firm composure they evinced on the former occasion.
John Ross, sworn. — I am the driver of the Melbourne mail. I know the tall prisoner, by the peculiarity of his walk, he is one of the parties who robbed the Melbourne mail on 15th May I do not recognise the short man sufficiently to swear to him, but believe him to be the same man that was with the tall prisoner when the robbery was committed. They took from me my watch, a money order, and my strap. The order produced was taken from me by the tall prisoner. I recognise the watch and strap. I cannot describe his dress exactly beyond a sou-wester” hat painted of an oil color. The hat produced I can swear to as the one worn on the occasion of the robbery by the tall prisoner. I know it by the hole in the brim. They presented pistols at me very like those now shown to me. I reported the robbery at the watchouse.
The prisoners declined to put any questions to the witness.
Sophia Henry, sworn — I reside in Geelong, and was a passenger in the mail, on the 15th May, when the mail was robbed; I can swear to the tall prisoner, he robbed me of fifteen shillings and a silk purse; the purse now shown to me is not the one stolen from me; I remember them taking a belt from the mailman, but I cannot swear that the one produced is the same; one of the robbers wore a sou-wester, like the one produced: they presented pistols at the mailman, but I cannot say what they were like.
The Chief Constable — Reiterated the details of his apprehension of the prisoners, and described the property found.
John Matheson, manager of the Union Bank — Recognised the draft for £14 11s 9d, as being drawn by their Branch on the Geelong Bank; he received the envelope in which the draft was transmitted from the Postmaster of Geelong, on the Monday after the robbery.
The prisoner Farrell then applied to the bench for £9 18s, which had been taken from him.
The Bench not seeming to comprehend the nature of the request; Owen Suffolk very coolly leant on the dock, and said, “he wishes to know, your Worships, if you will allow the money taken from his person to be employed to fee counsel with, for his defence.”
His Worship — That will be a question for the Judge to decide.
The prisoners stated that they had no remarks to make, and were then committed for robbing the Melbourne Mail.