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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