The Beaconsfield Gold RobberyFinally, on 8 July 1885 Edmund O'Keefe and John Rice were arrested and charged with having
feloniously assaulted and robbed Mr. Cecil Stackhouse of two keys. The trial commenced in Launceston on 27 August with the two prisoners, Barrett and Ward, having been persuaded to give evidence in return for a reduction in the length of their prison sentences. According to them the robbery had been planned with the two Collins, John Ritchie Snr and O'Keefe. They robbed the bank. O'Keefe and Rice had guarded Stackhouse. Collins's part was to get rid of the bank notes through his business. Rice had little to do with the affair. John Ritchie's part had been to let them know which night Stackhouse would be visiting him.Ward admitted that while he had been dividing and distributing the stolen money he had commenced the action against the bank for malicious prosecution and that he paid his solicitor and the solicitor for some of the others from the proceeds of the robbery. The two men had told police where what was left of the booty was planted. Police recovered £1234 in notes and 15oz of smelted gold in two pieces in a jar buried on the side of Cabbage Tree Hill near a shaft on which Charles Ward had been working and sixty-five £5 notes and about two hundred £1 notes at Delamere about four miles from Beaconsfield.John Ritchie Snr appeared in court and denied that he was in any way involved. He believed that the claim that he had been involved was part of a conspiracy against him because his son, John, had given evidence against Ward, Barrett and others.The Beaconsfield Gold Robbery
http://www.elaunceston.com/launcestonhistory/2005/robbery2.htmMany witnesses were called to support the defence's claim that O'Keefe was at his home most of the evening, leaving the house for very short times only and in bed by about a quarter to eleven. This evidence was crucial in causing doubt about his involvement. His son, who shared a bed with him, stated that his father had been in bed before 11 o'clock, got up after 11 to get something for a man called Richards but had returned to bed shortly afterwards.In his summing up Mr R B Miller, for the accused, emphasised the unreliable nature of the witnesses,
one a thief by his own confession, and the other not only a thief but the basest of perjurers, and the fact that they had been able to plan schemes of vengeance and concoct a story while together in prison. He urged the jury to acquit both men.*
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_TasmaniaFacts about Tasmania including cannibalism among convicts.O'Keefe's HotelPh: (03) 6331 4015; 124 George St, Launceston 7250 www.okeefes.com.auThis is cousin Mike's hotel. He suddenly broke off communication with me, when I mentioned the old family story of the Beaconsfield Gold Robbery. *
From: "Meryl Yost" <
meryl@tasfamily.net.au>
Subject: Fw: Michael O'KEEFE
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2005 14:18:36 +1000Forwarded with permission of the sender please reply to Cedric
cwok6@vcn.bc.ca not to the poster (Meryl) ----- Original Message ----- From: <
cwok6@vcn.bc.ca> To: <
austas@tasfamily.net.au> Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2005 6:13 PM Michael O'Keeffe or O'Keefe (the family used both versions) was a convict sent from County Clare maybe about 1830 and was supposed to be a schoolteacher at a church in Hobart, might be St Paul's. I saw his gravestone in the park next to the church when I was about twenty. I am 73 now. There used to be a church graveyard, but the head stones were put around the edges of the park when they made the park. It was somewhere near salamance Place. Anyway Michael got a thousand acres on the Tamar around probably Winkleigh and had an apple and pear orchard. The family spread out especially around Launceston and Beaconsfield and were in the mine etc. His sons were named not in order Octavius, Michael. Cornelius. maybe David. also maybe James. I think his son Michael was my great grandfather and my grandfather was Richard O'Keefe, who died when I was about 25 years old. He was about 68 when he died. Richard married Ida Wootton my grandmother. My mother was Marjorie Veronica and married my father Hector Williams. There was a relative O'Keefe who was a speaker in the Tas. parliament under Lyons and died in a train hitting the car he was in with Premier Lyons. There was another relation O'Keefe who was in the first Australian parliament in Melbourne. My uncle Pat (Francis) O'Keefe lived in Dilston and married Kitty Lyall one son was a footballer, who would be about 68 now. He was my cousin Michael. He had two sisters. I have never heard from any of them for about fifty years. Anyone please email me Cedric Williams-O'Keefe. From Cedric Williams-O'Keefe c.wok66@hotmail.com added note by Cedric: If anyone can add to this history or correct it, I would be obliged. Yes I contacted Michael who has a hotel but he clammed up. O'KEEFERichard5 April 1846 Michael O'KEEFE Johanna HICKEY Richmond Tasmania This thread:
Fw: Michael O'KEEFE by "Meryl Yost" <
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