Captain Starlight
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Captain Starlight: a timeline
1884-1888

Read below the major milestones of Captain Starlight's life from 1884 to 1888
Image from State Archives of NSW

TIMELINE 1887
TIMELINE 1888
SOURCES 1884-1888
 
TIMELINE: 1884-1886
1884:    
             After his release from Darlinghurst Gaol, Pearson was assisted by the Sisters of Charity for a time. He was then rumoured to have done                some stock work and possibly helped with the re-decoration of a church in Orange. Sometime during the following 2 years he travelled
              north to QLD.

1886:    

Dec 8:   obtained the sum of £12 from James McCall, Thargomindah, by means of a false cheque (using the alias 'Dr Lamb'
Dec (before Christmas): 'Dr Lamb' stayed at Ridley Williams’ Fairleigh Station

 
TIMELINE: 1887
1887

Jan (early): Pearson, under the name of ‘Dr Lamb’ of Thargomindah, was trapped by floodwaters near Norley, QLD 
                    (Brisbane Courier, 6 Jan 1887, p.6)
Jan 24:       Charged with obtaining the sum of £12 from James McCall (actually McColl), under the name of William Lamb, alias Doctor Lamb.                              Supposed to have gone to Windorah or Birdsville riding a black mare and leading a pack horse (QPG 29 Jan 1887)

Feb 7:        Arrived in Springsure. Passed a false cheque for £11 to Martin T. Burke at Hinton Bros store, using the name Frank Gordon

Feb 26:      Martin Burke reported the false cheque to the Springsure police and a warrant was issued for Frank Gordon

March 7:    Frank Gordon was charged with obtaining money to the value of £11 8s from Messrs. Hinton Bros on the 7th Feb, by means of false                           pretences.  It was noted that the offender was the same man as William Lamb
March ?:   Stayed with Owen Charles Joseph Beardmore at his station ‘Tooloombah’, north-west of Rockhampton.

April 3:     Arrived at Apis Creek and stayed with Charles Ranald and Augusta Aimée Wilsone. He was using the name Edwin F. M. Waller

April –       about a week later, Lamb/Gordon/Waller:

  •           Visited the Tookers at Leura station and then 
  •           Owen Beardmore’s nephew Francis John Wathen Beardmore of Balcomba Station, near Duaringa. Beardmore distrusted ‘Waller’ 
                   from the outset; Starlight only stayed a night then
  •           travelled south to Duaringa, where he sent a telegram to the Wilsones regarding stock purchase
  •          Caught the train to Gogango and asked for accommodation at the home of Mr John Thomas Bartholomew but was refused
  •          Travelled to Westwood and tried to buy stock from a German selector
  •          Continued to the home of William Lawrence and asked for accommodation and a cattle sale but was refused

April 14:    Near Westwood he met Thomas Charles Mackay and introduced himself as the agent of the de Salis Brothers of Strathmore Station.
                 ‘Waller’ stayed the night at Mackay’s Queen’s Hotel, promising to engage Mackay’s young son as a stockrider at a salary of 10 
                  shillings per week

April 15:  ‘Waller’ left the hotel and rode to Calliungal (Mt Morgan) then through Rannes to Biloela. He stayed the night at the home of William
                  Nott: Greycliffe Station

April:        Police in Rockhampton received a letter from someone describing Waller/Lamb/Gordon and his movements; Constable Edward 
                 Barry of the Rockhampton Mounted Force rode to the vicinity of Westwood, where he and Senior Constable Williams of Marlborough
                 hunted Starlight

April 16:  Senior-constable Glackin and Constable John Mallon saw Starlight at Banana but failed to recognise him. Starlight camped about 9                           miles out of town. He was reported to have been using the name ‘Ernest Lacey’.

April 17:   Starlight travelled to Camboon where he stayed a few days.

April 19:   Senior Constable John Joseph Williams of Marlborough received word that he was in the vicinity and he set out in pursuit

April 20:   Williams and F.W. Beardmore followed the trail through Gogango and Westwood to Camboon

April 23:   Constable Glackin and an Aboriginal tracker set out from Banana and travelled via Camboon to Cockatoo, thirty miles east of Taroom. There he came upon Starlight and arrested him and charged him with obtaining money to the value of £11 8s from Messrs. Hinton Bros on 7 February by means of false pretences. He also charged him with obtaining £12 from James McColl under false pretences. As they prepared to return to the police station, Starlight swallowed a bottle of medicine and cried “I have done it! And no human skill can restore me!” Glackin enlisted the help of the station owner, Mr Lord, who gave him an emetic. The bottle was later found to contain croton chloral and possibly morphia. Glackin took Starlight to Taroom.

April 25:  W. Lamb alias Dr Lamb alias Gordon alias Mead alias Waller faced the Police Court at Taroom; the prisoner was remanded while awaiting the production of the warrants. During this time someone had made the discovery of a possible connection between the prisoner and the notorious bushranger ‘Dr Pearson’; papers from NSW were forwarded to Inspector Stuart and the connection was made.

May 18:   Starlight was returned to Springsure to face the court. Since two witnesses were unable to attend, and since the facilities at Springsure
                 were unsuitable for long-term detention, the Police Magistrate decided to send Pearson to Rockhampton for trial

May 20:   Starlight travelled to Rockhampton on the mail train

May 21:  ‘Frank Gordon’ faced the Rockhampton Police Court. Since the court awaited the arrival of a witness from Cunnamulla, court was 
                adjourned and Gordon remanded

June 4:  Gordon faced the Rockhampton Police Court again. The witness was still unavailable and court was adjourned again, to Gordon’s 
               distress

June 28: Gordon faced the Rockhampton Police Court again. The police magistrate was Mr Lukin, the crown prosecutor was Mr Patrick Real
                and Mr Charles Sydney Dick Melbourne acted for Gordon’s defence. At last Gordon was committed to face trial at the District Court to 
                be held in Rockhampton on 14 July

July 14: Gordon’s trial was held in the Central District Court at Rockhampton before Judge Granville George Miller. Gordon was found guilty of
              forging a cheque in the name of Ridley Williams. Miller was unaware of Gordon’s past deeds as Captain Starlight and sentenced him to
              a mere fifteen months of hard labour in Brisbane Gaol

July:       Gordon was admitted to Boggo Road Gaol in Brisbane

Aug 4:    Gordon was transferred to St Helena Island, where he befriended Patrick Edward Pelly                                                   Back to top

 
TIMELINE: 1888
1888

July 29:  Gordon was released from St Helena Island and re-arrested by Detective John Henders and charged for his crime against James 
                McColl, committed in Thargomindah back in December 1886. Gordon was taken back to Thargomindah

Aug 6:    Frank Gordon was brought before the Police Court at Thargomindah and charged with passing a valueless cheque. The Police
               Magistrate ordered that he be removed to the Roma Gaol and from there be taken to Cunnamulla to be tried at the District Court. This
               was later changed to Toowoomba

Aug 14: Gordon was admitted to Toowoomba Gaol

Sept 3:  Gordon was taken to face the District Court Judge, Mr George William Paul. Gordon pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three months’
              imprisonment with hard labour at the Toowoomba Gaol.

Dec 1:    Gordon was released from Toowoomba Gaol                                                                                                                Back to top

 
Sources 1884-1888

Newspapers

(1887, Jan 6). Brisbane Courier, p.6
(1887, May 11). Morning Bulletin, p.4.
(1887, May 18). Morning Bulletin, p.5.
(1887, May 21). Morning Bulletin, pp. 4,5.
(1887, May 23). Morning Bulletin, p. 4, 5.
(1887, May 28). Morning Bulletin, pp. 4, 5. 
(1887, May 30). Morning Bulletin, p.4
(1887, July 16). Morning Bulletin, pp. 4,5.
(1888, Aug 25). The Queenslander, p.309.
A notable Individual. (1887, April 30). The Capricornian, pp. 23,24.
A notable individual. (1887, May 2). The Morning Bulletin, p.5.
A notable individual. (1887, May 7) The Brisbane Courier, p.3
A notable individual. (1887, May 21). The Queenslander, p.823.
A Notable Individual. (1887, May 24). Morning Bulletin, p. 5.
A notable individual. Arrest after a rapid ride.  (1887, April 27). Morning Bulletin, p.5.
A notable individual: further details. (1887, April 28). Morning Bulletin, p. 5.
A sensational story: Starlight the bushranger a civil servant. (1900, Nov 27). Kalgoorlie Western Argus, p.38, 39.
An impostor caught. (1887, April 28). The Brisbane Courier, p.6.
An impostor caught. (1887, April 28). Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser 
Brisbane. (1888, July 28). The Singleton Argus, p.2.
Central District Court. (1887, July 15). Morning Bulletin, p. 5.
Charge of uttering valueless cheques. (1888, Sept 4). Toowoomba Chronicle and Darling Downs General Advertiser.
False pretences. (1888, Sept 5). The Darling Downs Gazette.
Local news. (1888, Sept 3). Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser,  p.2.
Rockhampton Police Court. (1887, June 29). Morning Bulletin, p. 5.
Taroom. (1887, May 5). Brisbane Courier, p. 2.
Taroom. (1887, May 7). The Queenslander, pp. 738, 739.
Thargomindah. (1888, Aug 11). The Queenslander, p.224.
Toowoomba (1888, Sept 4). The Brisbane Courier, p.5.
Toowoomba. (1888, Sept 8). The Queenslander, p.448
 
Police Gazettes

(1887, Jan 29). Queensland Police Gazette, p.69
(1887, March 12). Queensland Police Gazette, p.114
(1887, May 7). Queensland Police Gazette, p. 176.
(1887, May 28). Queensland Police Gazette, p. 200.
(1888, July 7). Queensland Police Gazette, p. 243.
(1887, July 30). Queensland Police Gazette, p. 263.
(1888, Sept 22). Queensland Police Gazette, p. 328.
(1888, Dec 8). Queensland Police Gazette, p. 407.

 Queensland State Archives 

Item ID823155, Watch-house Charge Book
Item ID278878, Register – warrants. [26 Feb 1887: Frank Gordon]
Item ID867870, Register - depositions [Regina vs Frank Gordon alias Dr Lamb]
Item ID2945, Register - prison admissions [Description book (males) - HM Gaol, Brisbane (Boggo Road) - 1887 Frank Gordon, no.642]
Item ID 92274, Register – prisoners. Register of prisoners with allocated gaol/cell numbers - H. M. Penal Establishment, St Helena. Film 2038; 
                       Frank Gordon  gaol no. 187 Patrick Pelly gaol no. 124
Item ID92276, Letterbook; letter 13, 17 August 1887.
Item ID104860, Index - prisoners. Index to male and female prisoners admitted - HM Gaol, Toowoomba/HM Prison, Toowoomba. Frank Gordon
                        1887, No. 172
Item ID104859, Register - court cases. Court Book - HM Gaol/Prison, Toowoomba

State Library of Victoria

Starlight Captain (1887). Papers. Unpublished manuscript

Books

McCarthy, P. (1972). Starlight: the man and the myth. Melbourne: Hawthorne Press.
Penny, L. (2010). St Helena Island Moreton Bay: an historical account . Brisbane: Inspire Publishing.
                                                                                                                                                                                                           Back to top
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