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Concurrent documents dealing with the “Ned McGowan War #
and supporting Judge Begbie’s statements are also given: The short
report of Colonel Moody, dated 17th January, 1859; the letter from
Mr. Perrier, the justice of the peace at Hill’s Bar, justifying the arrest
of his brother magistrate, ‘‘ Captain” P. B. Whannell, of Yale, through
the instrumentality of “that notorious villain Edward McGowan,”
together with the affidavit of Thomas Piesley which doubtless was
enclosed with it; and the letter from “ Captain” Whannell containing
an exaggerated and biased account of the difficulty between himself
and Perrier arising out of contempt for their respective dignities which
set in motion the whole law-enforcing power of the infant colony.
The effort that Whannell makes in that letter to link the trouble
between himself and Perrier with the murder he mentions—with which
he knew that the actions of the Hill’s Bar magistrate had no con-
nection—and his exaggerated and inflammatory language will cause
readers to wonder why he was not dismissed as well as Perrier ;
Whannell was equally to blame for the affair. Judge Begbie charac-
terized them both as “alike ignorant of the law, surrounded by evil
counsellors, and carried away with the most unbounded ideas of the
dignity of their offices and themselves.” In his opinion neither of them
was fitted for his position. Beyond this incident Whannell’s conduct
as a magistrate appears extreme, if not, as the miners called it,
“tyrannical.” As a side-light upon his character the report of his
misdeeds in Australia is illuminating.

To appreciate the prompt action of Colonel Moody in taking an
armed force of about one hundred and twenty-five men up the river in
midwinter to quell a supposed insurrection it is necessary to keep always
in mind the bad reputation that the miners of Hill’s Bar unfortunately
had. Amongst them was that arch-renegade, Ned McGowan. As he
became the storm centre a short sketch of his life will show why any
unlawfulness in which he was concerned would be closely scanned by
the authorities.

McGowan was born in Pennsylvania. In his youth he learned
the trade of a printer, which he followed, on and off, during the
remainder of his life. Becoming interested in politics and being self-
possessed, resourceful, crafty, unscrupulous, and a fiery debater and
public speaker, he soon rose in the councils of his party. He studied
law and was finally elected a member of the State Legislature. Ina
debate in the House he attacked unfairly and unmercifully the Governor
of Pennsylvania. One of the newspapers took up the cudgels in
defence of the official and berated the young politician; in revenge
McGowan assaulted and stabbed the editor. Succeeding in escaping