WILLIAM ARMSTRONG
William was born in Ireland in 1836. He arrived to Port Phillip in 1851 aboard the ship "Saucy Susan".
On the 5th January 1859, a Police Constable, William Green, set out to escort a goldbuyer, Cornelius Green, and a Miss Mutta from Omeo to Bairnsdale. The road from the goldfields was only a bush track, which presented plenty of opportunities for robbers on the road. When they were two mile from the Tongio Mungi Hotel, three men, George Chamberlain, William Armstrong and George Penny presented themselves and greeted Cornelius Green. The men appeared to know the Constable, but as he had only been stationed at Omeo a short time, did not recognise them. They travelled on and a short time later reached the Inn, where they stopped for the night. That night, as the Constable guarded the gold, Green told him that Armstrong occasionally worked for him and whilst cleaning his revolver the previous day, had rendered it unserviceable.
Next morning the party was joined by a storekeeper from Swift's Creek, Somes Davis, and they set off. They hadn't travelled very far, when suddenly a shot rang out hitting Mr Green and he slumped forward in the saddle. The Constable, seeing an armed man on his right, drew his pistol and fired at him causing the robber to duck for cover. But as the Constable fired, he was shot by another man on his left side. Several slugs passed through both his arms rendering them useless. His horse suddenly turned and galloped some sixty yards before stopping. The Constable, unable to control his horse, looked around and saw Mr Green lying on the ground with another man standing over him. As another man fired at the Constable, his horse took off and carried him back to the Inn. When Green reached the Inn he found that the packhorse carrying the gold had also bolted and returned to the Inn. Green raised the alarm and a rider headed off for the police camp at Livingstone Creek. Next morning Constable Green took Inspector Hill and a party of Troopers back to the scene of the crime and found the body of Cornelius Green, who from his condition was almost unrecognisable. His head was riddled with slugs, his nose smashed off, a terrible gash on the left temple while one of his hands had almost been severed by a tomahawk. It appears that the bodies condition had been an act of revenge due to the packhorse getting away.
Weeks went by, as Inspector Hill attempted to track down the bushrangers, until finally he found Chamberlain and Armstrong living in a shanty owned by Toake at Gibbo, who was also suspected as being involved. The two men were found trying to hide up a tree and surrendered without a fight.
As Armstrong was waiting for his trial he made a startling confession:
'About two years ago, Toake asked me to join him and a man named "Ballarat" Harry, saying that Harry had £400 with him, and that they would go away prospecting, kill Harry and divide his money. I agreed, but at the last moment refused. Toake then said: "If you do not "split", I will give you £100 on my return." Toake returned in about two weeks and gave me the money promised, and said he had tomahawked Harry while he slept, burned the body, broke up the bones and scattered them about and then set fire to the bush.'
Originally, Toake had been charged with Ballarat Harry's death, but was acquitted due to lack of evidence. What eventually happened to Toake is unknown.
William Armstrong was tried, and on 2 July 1859 following his conviction of murder, was hanged ten days later.