Obituaries Australia

In Melbourne on Tuesday, when informed that the Government had decided that he must be hanged, Angus Murray betrayed no emotion, and said nothing. Though only 42, Murray has received sentences aggregating 32½ years. He is familiar with the prison system of three States. In December, 1901, for a warehouse robbery at Adelaide he received 18 months. His next sentence was seven years for housebreaking. After a year he escaped from the Yatala gaol. For this he got three months' solitary confinement. Then he went to Western Australia, where he was sentenced to seven years for a warehouse robbery in April, 1909. After another job the police went to the bank of the Swan River and found buried close to a large stone, a parcel containing about 45oz. of melted gold. Further search discovered a blackened billycan filled with valuable jewellery of all descriptions. The haul was worth between £600 and £700. A visit to Sydney followed, the outcome being two years' imprisonment for conspiracy. In Victoria Murray caused a stir on September 17, 1917, by an armed robbery at the E.S. and A. Bank at Middle Park. In company with Robert Bennett, Murray held up a teller with a rifle. The teller was bound and gagged and the bank robbed of £534. Three days later Murray and Bennett were arrested at Albury. They put £470 in a box, which was taken to the Post Office to be sent to Sydney. For this crime Murray and Bennett were each sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. Murray was declared a habitual criminal last year. He broke out of Geelong Gaol and evaded capture for some time, but was finally run to earth at St. Kilda. Murray was twice married. The Attorney-General (Sir Arthur Robinson) said that the second marriage was a bigamous one.