Was he a desperado who terrorised the country town of Gayndah with his mad highwayman antics, or just a nervous, hungry German chap who couldn’t get a job? And how did you spell his name? How desperate would you have to be to rob the mail at Banana?
IT appears that another knight of the roads has made his appearance near Gayndah and is advancing in a northerly direction. On the 25th ultimo, he stuck up the Maryborough and Gayndah mail-coach, within a few miles of the last-named township; and we learn by telegraph, that on the 5th instant (yesterday) he succeeded in possessing himself of the Banana mail, at a spot somewhere about thirty-five miles from Gayndah.
The Chronicle says that the fellow, on having ordered the Gayndah coachman to pull up, and demanded the usual thing from the driver and passengers, was exceedingly wroth to see empty pockets presented to his view, and in his vexation threatened and attempted to shoot the driver. The latter threw out a small mailbag, — the only one in the coach — and a parcel, containing the uniform of Mr. Clohesy, at the sight of which the man was greatly scared, dropped the mail bag, and told the mailman to pick up his traps and drive on.
The way the fellow conducted himself showed he was new to the business, and only the more dangerous; for whilst pointing his gun, which was seen to be capped, his hand so shook that it was a wonder that the gun was not fired off without his actually intending it, and the party were more afraid of this than that they would be deliberately murdered.” Shortly after this, so report runs, the new-fledged hero stuck up a shepherd’s hut, on Wetheron, and took away some provisions. Rockhampton Bulletin and Central Queensland Advertiser (Qld. : 1861 – 1871), Thursday 7 February 1867, page 2
I don’t know – perhaps the shaking hands and panic at the sight of a uniform – in a parcel, not even on a person – is a bit of a giveaway.
THE latest specimen of the bushranging fraternity that has made his appearance in Queensland has been laid by the heels, thanks to Sergeant McCarthy, of the Mounted Police. Herr Christian Byermeister, who robbed the Gayndah and Banana mails some days ago, was arrested yesterday by McCarthy as he was about to stop the Taroom mail. Brisbane Courier (Qld.: 1864 – 1933), Tuesday 12 February 1867, page 2
A very brief life of crime then, and no-one was hurt. With the possible exception of the bushranger, whose name people couldn’t get right.
Christian Biermuster, the German bushranger, has been examined before the Gayndah Bench, and further remanded. The following are the principal facts as given in evidence :— Sergeant McCarthy stated: I know the prisoner before the court. On the night of the 9th instant I apprehended him on the Coonambula Run. At the time I apprehended him he was armed with a double-barrelled gun—it was loaded and capped. I took the gun from him, and then charged him with robbing the Banana mail under arms on the 5th instant; the prisoner said, ” I did, I was hungry and wanted some money to get something to eat, as I could get no work.” I then searched him – I found in his breast coat-pocket a letter with eight cheques in it. The prisoner, after I apprehended him, showed me where he had deposited the letters he had stolen from the mail; they were planted at the butt of a tree in a dry creek or gully. I took possession of the letters, and had travelled about half a mile with the prisoner when he said, “It is here I stopped the postman ;” going from Gayndah, the place where he stuck up the mail would be found to be about ten miles beyond Chapman’s public-house, on the road towards Dalgangal. The letters were all torn open. There were no mail-bags about the spot where they were. I also found in a pouch which prisoner had on his belt a box of percussion-caps and two ball cartridges; the prisoner offered no resistance when I apprehended him—he had not time.
The Bench: Was not the prisoner out of your custody for some short time? Sergeant McCarthy: He was, your Worships; he effected an escape, and when re-apprehended he was in the custody of Mr. Thomas Major, of Dalgangal.
Thomas Major: I am manager of Dalgangal Station; I know the prisoner before the Court; some time about the 11th instant, I had heard that a prisoner had escaped from the police. I had a description of the prisoner from the postman, and in consequence of information I received I went out on the morning of the 12th, on the Dalgangal Run, on the road towards Gayndah, and about six or seven miles from the head station I saw the prisoner. He answered the description given so I apprehended him; I told him I took him on suspicion of robbing the mail. He first said he had not done so, and afterwards he said he had. Before I questioned him about this, I cautioned him in the usual manner. I asked him what he had done with the letters, he said he put them in the grass; I then brought him to Dalgangal head station, where the police, McCarthy and McGinley, arrived about three hours after, and I gave him into their custody. I produce a cheque which a black fellow on my run gave me, saying he got it from a man answering prisoner’s description, who tendered it to him for rations; prisoner was not armed when I met him, and had no handcuffs on. Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 – 1939), Saturday 16 March 1867, page 8
Facing a long stretch for a robbery on a coach with no money, the German Bushranger felt desperate enough to attempt to escape from the Maryborough lock-up by leaping up to the ventilation window of his cell and prying the bricks loose with the handle of an iron bucket. The turnkey kept hearing thudding noises, and went to investigate. He discovered the prisoner stark naked, clinging to the ventilation window and dropping bricks onto his piled-up clothes. Points for effort and style.
The bushranger was moved to another cell, and was eventually sentenced to 15 years in Brisbane Gaol for the hold-up that netted him nothing. Mr Sneyd, the turnkey, was warned by the press not to turn his back on the German Bushranger, whose surname no-one could spell.
Rockhampton Bulletin and Central Queensland Advertiser (Qld. : 1861 – 1871), Thursday 7 February 1867, page 2
Brisbane Courier (Qld.: 1864 – 1933), Tuesday 12 February 1867, page 2
Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 – 1939), Saturday 16 March 1867, page 8
Warwick Argus and Tenterfield Chronicle (Qld. : 1866 – 1879), Friday 8 March 1867, page 2
Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 – 1939), Saturday 6 April 1867, page 5
Moreton Bay and More 