Alexander McGEE

THE LATE INSPECTOR McGEE.

IN our obituary of yesterday we had to record the death of Inspector Alexander McGee, of the police force, of Sydney. ” We have long been expecting to make this announcement, for it was on the 26th of March last that McGee, in the firm and intrepid performance of his duties, received the gunshot wound from which, to use the more than ordinary picturesque language of the bar, he, up to the 22nd May ” did live and languish, and languishing ” did die.

The particulars of the occurrence which caused this lamentable event have been recorded in our columns, and are reproduced in the appended, report of the inquest which took place yesterday. The funeral will take place at three o’clock to-day ; and, when it is over, we shall have to add some particulars of Mr. McGee’s career in the police force, all of which we may say are highly creditable to him as a public officer in whatever grade or rank he moved. We are happy to say that we have been informed by the superintendent of Police that a pension to the widow of £50 can be afforded out of the Police Fund.

It is a somewhat singular coincidence that this will be the second instance of relief from the Police Fund which has Mrs. McGee will receive. She was formerly married to a man of the name of Watson, in the police force, who, while conveying a prisoner to the watchhouse, was so seriously kicked in the back that consumption was induced, and he speedily died. On that occasion the donation of £100 was paid to the widow out of the Police Fund. Still we think that some testimonial from the citizens in token of their approval of the gallant conduct of McGee is eminently due.

THE INQUEST.

Mr. J. S. Parker, the city coroner, having, assembled a jury, and viewed the body, commenced the inquest in his office at ten o’clock yesterday morning. The names of the gentlemen who composed the jury are as follows : James Carroll, foreman ; Morris Castle, Edward Sadlier, J. J.E. Lisak, Frederick M. Moore, William Hankin, Thomas S. Pope, R. C. Hordern, John Balantine, Patrick Fox, Timothy Lane, Charles Frazer, and David Baxter.

William Pike, the soldier charged with firing the shot at the deceased ; and Patrick Hughes, charged. with being an accessory thereto, on remand from the Police Court, were brought before the Court by Inspector Foran. The first named prisoner is a young man of about eighteen years of age ; and the other is ‘ something above twenty. The former held down his head, and throughout the inquiry appeared to feel the awful nature of the situation in which his misconduct had placed him ; but the latter appeared intelligent, and asked a number of questions from several of the witnesses.

James Rush, sergeant of police in the B. Division, on being called, deposed as follows : At about half past eleven o’clock on the night of the 26th March last, I went into the Sportsman Inn, at the corner of Pitt and Goulburn streets ; was in plain clothes at the time ; while in the act of drinking a glass of ale a soldier, whom I believe to be the prisoner Pike, came in with a rifle in his hand ; I observed blood on the back of his left hand, and on the rifle something like part of a woman’s dress ; I thought there was something wrong in the soldier having a rifle with him ; I gave Mr. Cowell, the publican, a wink, and turned round for the purpose of closing the door, when I observed another soldier outside with his rifle at the charge pointed towards the house ; the soldier inside said, ” come in and have a drink,” to which the soldier outside replied ” come out of that you b—-y fool, don’t you see ? ” I did not think it safe to interfere ; the soldier in the house, after drinking a glass of ale, went out ; I remarked to Cowell “there is something wrong; I will follow them ; ” I did follow them ; they went down Goulburn-street, and passed constable Potter ; when I came up to constable Potter I told him to follow them at some distance ; when they reached Sussex-street they turned to the left, and went down Sussex-street South ; I saw a Policeman standing at the corner of Sussex and Goulburn streets, and he was joined by constable Potter immediately afterwards ; as I followed after the soldiers I heard one of them remark, ” I tell you it is not ;” I saw that the rifles were capped ; I came up by the men, and Hughes said to me, ” where is the Old Australian Inn? ” I replied ” I do not know ; I know Stewart’s Australian Inn, and I will show it you.” I further remarked ” I suppose you are strangers in Sydney, having your rifles, and come off a long journey;” Hughes replied ” we have just come up from Melbourne by the steamer,” which I knew to be false. When the prisoners got near Mr. Cooper’s wine stores, Sussex-street South, they turned to the right. I said ” you had better not go that way or you will get bogged, it takes you into the harbour.” Hughes said “you had better come no further.” I said ” I will ; I live that way, and am going home; I will show to you the house you asked for,” I saw two policemen coming down Sussex street towards us. The soldiers proceeded into George-street, and passed over to the Haymarket, talking to each other, but I did not hear what they said ; while passing over the Haymarket they turned round and presented their rifles at me ; I thought it best to retreat, which I did very slowly ; as soon as I got out of the soldiers’ sight I ran in to Goulburn street, and asked Mr. Quigley, a publican, to lend me a black coat, which he did ; I went up Goulburn street and met inspector McGee coming out of Durand’s-alley with a female prisoner and several constables ; I said to inspector McGee “there are two soldiers out with rifles, and I think they mean mischief :” he asked ” Where are they? ” and at the same time the soldiers passed up Pitt-street. McGee said ” Come on, let us take them ” I laid hold of the inspector and said ” You had better not go, they will shoot you ; I have changed my clothes since the soldiers last saw me, they will not know me; I will get them into a public-house, and while there you can come up with some other men and secure them;” he replied “that will be the best way ; I followed the soldiers up Pitt-street ; they turned into Liverpool-street, and as soon as they turned the corner I heard some person running ; the soldiers turned round and commenced running also ; I was on the prisoners’ right at the time, and I stepped over and faced Hughes; he presented his rifle at me ; I hit the rifle aside, and struck at the man, but the blow did not take effect ; the soldier stepped back and placed his rifle on my chest ; I knocked the rifle aside again and struck the man on the forehead, which cut his forehead and staggered him ; I flung my arms around him and the rifle and held him tight ; at that moment I saw sergeant Rooney passing, and I called out to him to come and take the rifle ; he came and wrenched the rifle from the prisoner Hughes’ hands ; I then let the man go and knocked him down, and while he was down I, with the assistance of sergeant Rooney, secured him ; I then said to sergeant Rooney, “go and see where the inspector is,” and at the same moment I heard the words ” stop or I will shoot you ” ; in reply, I heard the deceased say, ” Don t fire, you coward ;” immediately afterward I heard the report of a gun ; about half a minute after that sergeant Rooney and constable Connaughty came round with the prisoner Pike ; I took the rifle and found by the smell of gunpowder, as also by its feeling warm, that it had been recently used ; I then picked up the rifle lying on the ground, and found it was loaded and half cocked; with the assistance of the other two officers I took the two prisoners to the B station-house ; I searched Hughes and found on him nineteen rounds of ball cartridge, between twenty and thirty percussion caps, and a stopper to fit in the rifles; I also saw nineteen rounds found on the prisoner Pike; each prisoner had a package broken, as though a charge had been taken out of them ; the next morning the prisoners were brought before the Police Court : on that day (27th March), I went to the Victoria Barracks, and in my presence the charge now produced was drawn from the rifle taken from Hughes ; in the afternoon, as the prisoners were being brought out of the Central Police Court, the prisoner Pike said, “How is the man that was shot? I replied “He is very bad ; you had better not say anything to me about this charge, or I shall give it in evidence against you ; ” he then said, I did not intend to shoot him ; ” I said. ” you did very wrong in bringing your rifles out at all ” ; he answered, ” we wanted something before we left Sydney, as we intended to have taken the bush if you had not come across us.”

By a juryman : I do not know whether the prisoners knew me when they first saw me at the public-house ; they had ample opportunity to shoot me while I was following them ; had I not gone away when they told me, at the Haymarket, I should have been in danger of my life.

By the Coroner : I produce a piece of lead given me by Mr. Dixon, who said he found it in his house ; he lives in Castlereagh. Street, near where the deceased was shot ; the prisoners appeared to know what they were doing, but they were excited ; I saw Mr. McGee at the Dungate Inn the same night, and asked him if he was much hurt ; he replied, ” hurt, yes. ‘ The prisoners declined to ask this witness any questions.

Francis Rooney, sergeant of police in the B division, deposed : On the night of the 26th March last was on duty in company with the deceased, inspector McGee, in Goulburn-street ; sergeant Rush came and reported to us that two soldiers, having guns in their possession, were in Pitt-street, and that one of them had his hands smeared with blood ; all three of us proceeded into Pitt-street at once, and we observed the soldiers going along the middle of the street towards Liverpool -street ; each of the soldiers had a gun ; they turned up from Pitt to Liverpool street, and were walking quickly ; we followed them ; we were dressed in police uniform, and the soldiers were dressed in their military uniform ; we ran after the soldiers, and they, apparently seeing us, ran up toward Castlereagh-street ; sergeant Rush was in advance of me and the deceased ; I saw sergeant Rush lay hold of the prisoner Hughes by the neck and put his arms round his (Hughes’) arms ; the prisoner still held the gun under his arm, and sergeant Rush tried to shift it ; I and the deceased came up, when the prisoner pointed the gun at me ; I caught hold of the gun, pushed it aside, and wrenched it out of his hands ; sergeant Rush then knocked the prisoner down and secured him ; the deceased started off after the other prisoner (Pike), who turned round into Castlereagh-street; a few seconds afterwards, I heard a report of a gun in the direction in which the prisoner had ran ; I left the prisoner Hughes in charge of sergeant Rush, and followed after the deceased, and when I turned the corner I saw the deceased being carried by two men into the Dungate Inn ; I followed after the prisoner Pike, and when I came up to him he was in the custody of constable Connaughty ; I assisted to secure the prisoner, and we proceeded with him to where I had left sergeant Rush with the prisoner Hughes, and we then took both prisoners to the B division watch house ; both prisoners appeared sober, cool, and fluent ; The same night a report was received from the military barracks that Patrick Hughes and William Pike were absent from the barracks with firearms and ammunition ; I am not positive whether the prisoners wore belts when apprehended ; they had no side firearms ; the gun taken from Hughes was loaded. The prisoners declined to ask this witness any questions.

Timothy A. Cowell said ; I keep the inn known by the sign of the Sportsman, at the corner of Pitt and Goulburn streets ; at about five minutes after eleven o’clock on the night of the 26th March last, the prisoner Hughes and a civilian came into my bar ; the civilian called for a pint of ale, which he paid for, and which was drunk between them ; Hughes drank part of his and went outside, and during his absence sergeant Rush came in in plain clothes ; both prisoners came immediately afterwards, each having a rifle in his hand ; Mr. Rush looked at the men with suspicion, and appeared as though he was going to close the doors on them ; one of the rifles had part of a woman’s skirt on it, much smeared with blood I said to Mr. Hush ” there is something wrong them” he replied, ” I will follow them and see what they are up to;” the soldiers then went away, and Mr. Rush followed them; half an hour afterwards I saw the two soldiers come up Pitt-street, and Mr. Rush came up Goulburn-street ; Mr. Rush had changed his coat ; he was followed by inspector McGee and three or four constables, and they all followed the soldiers up Pitt-street ; I closed my door and followed after the police ; just after turning the corner of Liverpool-street, the soldiers commenced running, and the police after them ; I saw Mr. Rush seize hold of Hughes, and I went to assist him I saw Hughes twice place his rifle against Mr. Rush’s breast, as if he wanted to let the rifle off ; before I could render any assistance, sergeants Rush and Rooney had Hughes on the ground and secured ; I then went into Castlereagh -street and saw the barrel of a rifle projecting from a butcher’s shop, and I saw Mr. McGee and two other police officers in front of the rifle ; the rifle was let off, and Mr. McGee said “I am shot;” I took hold of him and assisted him to sit down, and also assisted to put the handcuffs on Pike ; I then assisted to carry Mr. McGee into the Dungate Inn ; I went to the Police Station with the police, and saw a quantity of ammunition taken from both prisoners ; I heard Pike, when he was on his way to the station house, say he was sorry what he had done; when I saw the rifle projecting from the butcher’s shop I heard someone say ” I will fire,” when Mr. McGee said, ” don’t fire you coward;” I think the distance Between Mr. McGee and the rifle, when it went off, was about ten yards ; the rents in the clothes now produced corresponded with those caused by the gunshot wounds, the rifle, when it went off, was pointed in the direction of Mr. Dixon’s house ; Pike was very much excited when apprehended.

By the prisoner Hughes : Sergeant Rush was in front of you when you had your rifle against him ; there was part of a skirt of a dress on your rifle ; I cannot say whether there was any blood on the rifle.

Sergeant John Marsland, of the 12th Regiment, deposed : I know the prisoners before the court ; Hughes belongs to my company, and has been in the regiment since he was a boy ; Pike landed here on the 9th July last and they are both in the habit of drinking, and they have been punished for it ; on the 26th March last Hughes’ was confined in barracks, and was reported absent at about half-past eight o’clock p.m. ; 1 hour later Pike was reported missing ; their rifles were also found to be missing ; it is contrary to the regulations to take arms out of the barracks without orders ; the men are served with twenty rounds ammunition each for their Enfield rifles ; after the prisoners were reported missing I got a picket, by order of the commanding officer, and went down to the town to look for the missing men. ; I reported the absence of the men at the different police stations ; I left the picket at the Detective Police Office, and went with inspector Hogg in search of the prisoners ; we were informed by a constable of the shooting of inspector McGee by one of the prisoners ; I believe Pike was apprehended once before for being a deserter but he had not his rifle with him then ; the men have to be in barracks by eight o’clock in the winter, and at nine o’clock in the summer.

By the prisoner Hughes : The cause of your misfortunes in the regiment is drink.

By the Coroner : I believe that Hughes struck a non commissioned officer once. By the prisoner Hughes : You are a pretty good soldier when sober.

Constable James Potter said : The clothes produced are those worn by Inspector McGee on the night of the 26th March inst. I helped to strip him and to convey him to the infirmary : I was present when he was shot ; and I heard the prisoner Pike say ” stand back or I’ll shot you ; ” and I heard Mr McGee say, ” don’t fire, you coward ;” I saw the rifle go off, and heard Mr. McGee say ” I am shot,” you pulled the trigger yourself ; ” There was no person near enough to Pike when he fired the rifle to pull the trigger but himself.

By the prisoner Hughes : The night was too dark to see the trigger or Pike’s rifle.

Constable Patrick Connaughty, who was also present at the affray, corroborated the testimony of the other witnesses.

Richard Dixon, a tailor residing at 366, Castlereagh–street, deposed : On the night of the 26th March last, I heard the report of a gun ; I got out of bed, procured a light, and found at the foot of my bed the piece of lead now produced ; it appears that one of the posts of my bed had been struck by the bullet : I found the upper square of glass in my window shattered.

John Cecil Read, inspector of the B division, said, the deceased inspector McGee was an inspector under me in the division ; he was shot on the night of the 26th March last, and I had him conveyed to the Infirmary ; I understand he has been twenty years in the police service ; I have known him for five years ; he was generally liked both by the police and the public ; he was a very active police officer ; he leaves a wife and five children not well provided for.

James Robertson, M.D., surgeon to the Sydney Infirmary deposed : Alexander McGee was admitted as an in-patient into the Sydney Infirmary on the 27th March, and died on the 22nd May. He had received a wound on the right groin, immediately to the outside of the artery in that part. There was also a wound in the buttock of the same side. These wounds were no doubt caused by a bullet, the first mentioned being the point of entrance, the latter the place of exit. He died from the effects of this wound. The bullet passed between the points mentioned through the arch of the thigh bone. The wound was almost certain to prove fatal from the first. After death I made an internal examination of the wounded parts. I did not find any foreign body therein ; the deceased told me he had been shot by a soldier ; such a wound might have been caused by such a bullet as that now shown me.

The Coroner then summed up, and the jury, after five minutes’ consideration, agreed to the following verdict :- ” We find that the deceased. Alexander McGee, died from the effects of a gun shot wound, fired by William Pike at inspector McGee, and we pronounce him guilty of wilful murder ; and we find Patrick Hughes guilty of being an accessory before the act, and pronounce him guilty of wilful murder.”

The jury appended the following rider to their verdict:-” We (the jury) unanimously beg, in the strongest possible manner, to recommend the unfortunate widow and five children of the late inspector McGee to the kind consideration of the Government, and more especially after the many years that the late Mr. McGee has discharged his duties with so much, credit to himself, and with such utility to the public. And we also consider it our duty to record, on our behalf as well as on the part of the public generally, our high approval of the conduct of sergeant Rush, who was not on duty on the night in question, and of the conduct of sergeant Rooney and constables Potter and Connaughty.”

The prisoners Pike and Hughes were then removed in custody to the gaol, at Darlinghurst, to await their trial at the next sitting of the Central Criminal Court.

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.

FRIDAY, 25th MAY.

The SPEAKER took the chair at half-past three o’clock.