The Prendergast Confession.

This is the published confession of William Prendergast, referred to in the previous blog post.

“When I first saw Hartnett, he was between Mrs. McMann’s house and mine. I went on towards him and he was coming towards my house, I looked out at the upper side of the house towards Brunswick Street, to see if he would pass my house. I did not see him go past; I was then running towards the corner of my house. My foot struck against my tomahawk, I picked it up, and went round the corner of the house and out on the footpath into Tamrookum street, I then knew that the man was Pat Hartnett, he was then opposite the gate of my house; Pat Hartnett spoke first; he said “Halloa” I said ” Halloa, what fowling have you about this house at this time of night” he said “I was only coming down the road.” I then struck him a blow with my fist, at the same time changing my tomahawk from my right to my left hand, and said, ‘I know what brings you about here this long time.” I drew another blow at him, and said, “Do you know who you are dealing with, and what I am made of, that I would allow you.” When I made the second blow at him, he made a blow at me, and said, ” What do you mean?” I said, “I mean that I will make you keep away from here,” as I said this I struck him with the tomahawk with my left hand on the side of the head , it was dark, and I could not say where I hit him; he fell down, and did not stir, I put my hands under his arms and tried to lift him up, but there was not a stir in him.

I was frightened my wife would awake and come out; I ran in and got my coat, and twisted it round his head, and knotted the sleeves; I then got into the water channel and pulled him on my back from the footpath, my arms would not reach across him, and I put the tomahawk across his back, and took hold of each end of it; Hartnett had hung down over my shoulder towards my breast, I carried him along Tamrookum street to Brunswick street , I thought to go across Brunswick street straight to the river, when I heard two men talking near Mr Roberts gate, I turned then to the left along Brunswick street until I came past Roberts’ paddock, I then went along his fence down towards the river, as I got on the top of the hill overlooking the river, I heard men talking, I think they were in a boat in the river.

Image: The New Farm Reach of the Brisbane River. SLQ.

I again altered my course along the road and went towards Mr. Raff’s as far as Mr. Armour’s gate; I opened the gate and went down through the paddock to the river; before I got to the river I fell down, the ground was very steep, and I was going as fast as I could, and did not notice the fall in the ground until I fell, I stood for a while, and did not know what to do , I then ran up to Mr Raff s shed, and took the rope off Dave Neil’s dray, as I got back to where I left Hartnett, I heard him moan, just then I heard like the paddles of a boat coming along the river, and Hartnett moaned again, I then drew the tomahawk and made a blow of it at him, I missed him and struck the iron piping near the old boat shed, the head of the tomahawk flew off; I then took up a stone, and struck him somewhere on the head; I struck him because I was afraid the people in the boat would hear him moan. I then took him by the feet, and pulled him along down the riverbank, as I was weak, and not able to lift him again.

I took his clothes off him and tied an iron bar and a stone to the body, after which I threw the body into the river: I then made the clothes up into a bundle, put some stones into them, tied the legs of the trousers round them, and threw the clothes into the river, out of Baker’s paddock; the place I threw the clothes in is further up the river than the old boat shed; I also threw the handle of the tomahawk into the river; I threw the boots in by themselves, near to where I threw Pat Hartnett’s body; I then went home and went to bed; I brought my own coat back with me as well as Pat Hartnett’s money; the money was in a pocket-book, and after I took the money out of it, I put it in either his clothes or my coat that I took home with me; I threw my coat under my house when I came so that my wife would not see it; I buried the money in my fowl-house, as I was intending to give it to the different churches, for the good of his soul; when I got up on Monday morning I thought my heart would break in two, and I could not eat a bit.

On Tuesday morning, January 4, when I came come to my breakfast, I took my two children and kissed them one after another. My wife asked me what was the matter with me. I said, “It was I who killed Pat Hartnett; my heart is breaking, and I cannot stand working; there is £100 reward offered today for the arrest of the murderer, you had better go and take it, and tell that I have done it, and get the reward for you and the children.” My wife began to clap her hands and cry. She said, “I will never spill your blood for money.” I said, “You had better, for some other body will get it, and I cannot deny it”; she cried out, “Don’t go from me and the children so soon.” I said, “I can’t stand it; I will be found out some time; my coat is under the house;” she said, “Bring it in;” I brought it in and stuck it in the fire as I did not like to let her see the blood on it.

On Saturday, January 15, Mr. Raff paid Pat Scanlan our wages, and I got mine from Pat Scanlan on Sunday morning; on Monday morning, January 17, my wife said she would be going to town, and asked me to give her two or three pounds of Pat. Hartnett’s money and that I could keep it out of the next pay. I went out to the fowl-house, took up the money and gave it to her. I was in a hurry to go to my work, and I reached the whole of the money in to her through the back door. I asked her for it when she came home – she said it was in the pocket of her dress in the room. I did not mind to take it back. She planted it over the window the following day; that was the day we were arrested; that is all I have got to say.

(Signed) WILLIAM PRENDERGAST.

Brisbane Courier (Qld.: 1864 – 1933), Tuesday 15 February 1870, page 2.