Told by Himself
A Sensational Autobiography
The Brisbane Courier
20 December 1890

Harry Power had a long career as a bushranger, defying capture in a daring manner, robbing freely and shedding no blood, except on one occasion, when he wounded a trooper. While no name is more prominent than his in the list of Australian freebooters, he never took human life, and hence, after having expaited his crimes by a long sentence, he is a free man today, and is a guest at many of the homesteads which used to dread his approach in his marauding days. Power is an Irishman, with all the warmth of temperament of his race, quick to resent injustice, and graphic in describing his experiences, as will be seen from the following account of his capture, when he was betrayed and taken by Superintendents Mountford, Nicholson, and Hare, after a desperate struggle. An account of this exploit appeared recently in a weekly paper from the pen of Mr Hare, to which Power rejoins with the following sensational and entertaining narrative, giving his version of what took place. The story is told in a letter addressed to the editor of the Melbourne Evening Standard, and is as follows –

In the ‘Leader’ of the 15th November there appears certain statements with regards to myself, written under the heading of \’Records of an Adventurous Life\’ by Francis Hare PM. As many of the statements are untrue, I would ask you to kindly allow me a little of the valuable space in your columns to correct a few descrepencies, in order that the public may know what really did happen. Now, sir, Mr Hare appears to take great credit upon himself in capturing me, but I would like to remind him that a greater credit is due Mr Nicholson, a gentleman whom I have the greatest respect for, and who could corroborate what I am about to write. Mr Mountford could also do the same, as both gentlemen took an active part in the affair. Some years ago I gave Dr Madden, then Minister of Justice, a full description of what took place, which is as follows, as nearly as possible –

In the month of June, 18-, the rivers in the district in which I was were all up. I had been away from camp, but on the day in question had had a hard ride of over forty miles, arriving at the Quinn’s between 10 and 11 o’clock at night. Old Mrs Quinn and her daughter had not retired, when the former saw me; asked if I was going to the camp that night. I replied that I was. She then said, \” For goodness sake be careful, Power, that you are not captured or shot. My sons, James and John, have been away drinking all the week, and where they are getting the money from I do not know, but something tells me that they or the Lloyds will betray you before long for the reward, which is now offered\” I said \”They certainly ought not to do that as they are receiving the greater portion of what I get,\” and also said, \”if it were not for your son James I would not be in this district\”. On leaving Mrs Quinn I went to my camp, and when after taking some little refreshment, turned in, placing a shawl around my head, and, feeling very tired after my days exertion, fell into a sound sleep. I might, in order to be clear, give a description of my gunyah, one side of which was formed by the trunk of a large fallen tree. There was a space inside between it and my stretcher, where I get some flour and my saddle. About 4 o’clock in the morning I was awakened by somebody grappling with me In the struggle I managed to turn my opponent around, both of us falling between the trunk of the tree and the stretcher, myself being on top. In this position I had men jammed and powerless to get the better of me, the shawl the whole time being over my eyes, so that I could not see who the man was. On trying to reach the revolver my hand was secured by a powerful grip by Mr Nicholson, Mr Mountford seizing the other hand. They then dragged me out out some two yards from the gunyah, and placed handcuffs on.

When Mr Nicholson lifted the shawl from my eyes I said, \”Hello, Nicholson, have you come from Melbourne”. He replied ‘Yes’. I said “I have been betrayed” to which he gave me an evasive answer. I asked him who the man was who rushed me in the gunyah. He said ‘Superintendent Hare’. Just at this time Hare came out looking as if he had had somewhat the worst of the struggle, for his hair was covered in flour, having had his head jammed in the flour bag spoken of. His coat was torn at both shoulders, and he was without a hat. In this condition he came rushing out after I had been secured by handcuffs, brandishing his pistols in a most frantic manner, calling, “stand aside all, I will shoot him”. I replied “Shoot away you coward\”. When Mr Nicholson, who acted in the part of a humane man, advised him not to do it, as I was defenceless. After this, on seeing the black fellow behind a tree with his gun pointed at me, I rushed at him, partly in the hope of being shot. But before reaching him I fell, Mr Hare singing out at the top of his voice “Shoot him Donald; shoot him Donald”. Mr Nicholson was at once at my side, and helped me to rise, and with Mr Mountford’s assistance forced me down on a seat.

So much for my capture; and as I said before, both Mr Nicholson and Mr Mountford could corroborate what I have written. Now, Sir, with regards to my escape from Pentridge, it would perhaps be as well for Mr Hare, before rushing into print to try and ascertain the truth before writing. He says I managed my escape in a most extraordinary manner, and that by being covered up by dirt which the prisoners were carting from the stockade outside the walls. This is entirely false.

The way I did escape was as follows – I took notice some days previous to my attempt of a gang working outside the prison walls. Their way of coming and going was through a gap in the wall. Well, sir, on a certain day I obtained a forged pass to pass a certain sentry on the prison wall, which I duly presented, and was allowed to pass; but this did not take me as far as the gap, two more sentries being placed between myself and it. However, I waited on until I came immediately under them, they being on the wall, but keeping close in, they would have had some difficulty in seeing me. There I waited until the gang was ordered in for dinner. After hearing them counted I walked I boldly out of the gap and through the tool house, expecting every moment to receive a bullet. When passing through the tool shop I made for a blind creek in the vicinity, where, on reaching a tree, I took off my prison clothes, having a second suit under them, also a felt hat. I then conceiled myself further up the creek, and waited until nightfall.