by Linda Venn
By 2:31pm on the afternoon of 9th December 1931, Main Roads Brisbane office was in receipt of the following telegram, sent from Main Roads Townsville:
ATTEMPTED HOLDUP MOUNT SPEC THIS MORNING BETWEEN MOONGOBULLA AND JOB FULLSTOP KILLORAN VERY CLIGHTLY WOUNDED HEAD FULLSTOP PAY INTACT FULLSTOP POLICE HAS MATTER IN HAND
The Police responded in force, joining “a number of civilians….mostly walking about with guns”. (Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 30th December 1931, p. 9) Main Roads Commission Overseer, Wilfred Hector McClelland, had called for volunteers. In fact, Constable O’Briennoted in his March 1932 report to the Townsville Police District (West End Station) that “about 30 men from Mt. Spec relief works…joined in the search, which commenced at about 12:30pm and terminated at dusk on the 9th Dec. and a further search was made the next day”. (Copy of Police correspondence No. 162/32, dated 22nd March 1932, held in Main Roads Archives, Brisbane) The large party of volunteers was joined by ten Police employees. Sergeant McDonald, Constable Rynne and “A Tracker” came down from Ingham. The police contingent from Townsville was led by Detective Senior Sergeant O’Driscoll and consisted of Detective Gooch, Plain Clothes Constable Raetz, Acting Sergeant Miners, Constable Howard, and “A Tracker”. Constable O’Brien provided local knowledge of “the country in the vicinity of the hold-up…[as it]…was thickly timbered and fairly soft.” (Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 30th December 1931, p. 9)
Edmonds was remanded to appear before Mr. Geo. A Cameron, Police Magistrate, on Friday morning 18th December. Sub-Inspector Blackmore applied for a further remand. Mr. G. V. Roberts, of Roberts, Leu and North, appeared for the accused, offering no objection to the request for more time on behalf of the Police. Roberts did request “that the time be made convenient for the defendant, who resided on the Ingham line”. (Townsville Daily Bulletin, Saturday, 19th December 1931, p.6). The magistrate extended bail to noon on Thursday 24th December. Obviously, time got away in court on Christmas Eve, for Edmonds’ next appearance was remanded again to Monday 28th December.
Detective Constable Gooch was first to give evidence. Gooch had “proceeded to Mount Spec and viewed the site of the hold-up…[where]…he saw an uprooted tree about 14 feet long and about six inches thick, also a number of freshly cut bushes, about 14 yards from the road, built up in the shape of a barricade.” The following morning, Gooch and other police went to Edmonds’ residence at Ollera Gorge, where they found him in company of Edward Gill, James Tier, and William Searle. When asked if he had any guns, Edmonds laughed and replied, “Sure, I have got rifles and ammunition here”, handing over rifles, a single-barrelled shotgun belonging “to a lady friend in Townsville” and the Colt revolver. Gooch took possession of a dirty white coat and a shirt, which Edmonds claimed belonged to his father, and pair of blue dungaree trousers and another shirt which Edmonds said he was wearing the previous day. Gooch saw other police searching a car parked in the shed, from where they retrieved a dirty white handkerchief that Edmonds admitted was his. The police party then proceeded to Tealby’s farm and saw the mare which Edmonds said he’d been riding. From Tealby’s, they went back to the scene of the hold-up, where Gooch told Edmonds that the trackers had followed the tracks of a horse in a gully for about 130 yards, then on to the gate at Tealby’s. (Telegraph, Brisbane, Monday 28th December 1931, p. 1.)
The Sydney Sun newspaper of the same datedetailed some “sensational evidence” under the banner “MOVIE METHODS Prisoner Dressed Up at Crime Scene”. Constable O’Brien recounted how he’d exclaimed “That’s Charlie Edmonds” on the day of the hold-up. Edmonds had told O’Brien on the day of the hold-up that O’Brien was mistaken. Despite protests from the defendant’s counsel, Edmonds had agreed “without hesitation” to a “dress rehearsal” and “donned a suit found in his hut and walked from the spot where the shots had been fired”. Evidence was also given that “hoof-marks near the scene were, after measurement, provided identical with those of Edmond’s mare.” (Sun, Sydney, Monday 28th December 1931, p. 9)
No other potential suspects were identified or paraded in the manner detailed above. Neither the driver Harry Stewart nor the paymaster Michael Killoran were asked to identify Edmonds as the “bandit”. Identification rested on the word of Constable O’Brien alone. (Townsville Daily Bulletin, Tuesday 29th December 1931, p. 5) The case was adjourned to the following day.