My Third Great Grandfather, James Blackman, by now a police man is a witness.
The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser
Saturday 5 February 1814
Page 2 of 2Sydney.
Sitting Magistrate-W. BROUGHTON, Esq.At a Bench of Magistrates this dav assembled, three prisoners who had betaken themselves to the woods ; viz. William Langford, formerly servant to Mr. Knight, of George’s River; John Thomp- son, formerly belonging to a Government boat, and Strahan, a Stockman, were brought forward and identified by Mr. James Blackman as being together in the woods about two months since, when he was attacked and severely beaten with a club by the prisoner Langford. They were apprehended with others on the banks of the Hawkesbury in the prosecution of a design to cap- ture a Hawkesbury boat, and put to sea; which ridiculous project must soon have proved de-structive of all who had been so weak as well as vile to engage in it. After many observations fiom the Bench on the dreadful tendency ot their of fence in withdrawing themselves from their em- ployments for the purpose of becoming freebooters, and subsisting by plunder ; and the necessity also that existed of deterring others from a similar mis conduct, by severe example, they were sen- tenced -Langford to be punished at Sydney and Parramatta, with 100 lashes at each place, and be afterwards kept in Solitary confinement at Wind- sor, upon bread and water, for the space of 12 kalendar months; and the other two to receive 50 lashes each at Sydney and Parramatta, anti be se-verely kept in solitary confinement in the same manner for the space of six kalendar months.
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