The Darkie Case

After Davis ' capture 'The Darkie ' commenced searching coaches along the Lachlan Road, looking for the NSW troopers responsible for grabbing his mate Davis. Two other long time associates of Gardiner, Paddy Connolly and John M 'Guinness, who were also known to Ben Hall and who happened to be with Davis at the commencement of the gunfight with the three police officers at Brewer 's Shanty, had fled in an act of cowardice, as reported, "...on the first discharge two of the bushrangers, Paddy Connolly and M 'Guinness, put spurs to their horses and bolted, leaving their unfortunate mate to do battle against three...", Davis ' comment about the two was; "... my mates were curs,” said Davis, “Tea-and-sugar runaways...”, the end result of which was that M 'Guinness would pay a high price for deserting Davis and would be shot dead reportedly on Gardiner 's orders (another report has M 'Guinness shot dead for interfering with an Aboriginal woman) and Paddy Connolly would be stripped of

(Paddy never did.) For Davis it was reported that the sentence of death was passed but was commuted to life and then reported that; "… Davis was taken to Goulburn, tried and found guilty, and sentenced to death. However, the sentence was commuted to life’s imprisonment. He did three years in irons, but on account of his health failing and being a cripple from bullet wounds, the irons, which cut into the legs, were knocked off. He obtained his freedom after serving 15 years in January 1877, and died in agony, an emaciated lunatic...". The following article below is from the 'Sydney Morning Herald ' 17th April 1862 refers to Gardiner in company with four bushrangers riding magnificent mounts, (this was following the Bacon hold-up and prior to Ben Hall 's arrest) a point Sir Frederick Pottinger questioned Ben Hall about when Hall was arrested at the Forbes races, mounted on a magnificent horse on the 23rd April 1862. (The horse that Ben Hall was riding would be advertised in the