Australia’s most infamous prison fugitive Moondine Joe

Australia’s most infamous prison fugitive Moondine Joe

After four escapes, Joe is challenged by a governor: “If you leave again, I will pardon you”. and he got

at some point, joseph johnson He had already escaped prison so many times that the authorities in Fremantle, Australia, no longer knew what to do to keep him in prison. For this he decided that he would be allowed to come out of his cell only to break some stones in the prison premises.

The strategy was seen so firmly that john hamptonThe governor of Western Australia jokingly said: “If you leave again, I will forgive you”. johnso Accepted the ‘challenge’ and managed to escape for the fifth time.

since, Moondine Joe, as he is also called, was forever etched in the history of the country as one of the most prolific fugitives. Becoming a true local legend.

not very skilled criminal

If Yusuf He was a great escapist, the same cannot be said about his career as a criminal. The first time he was arrested, in 1848, he stole three loaves of bread, several cheeses, and some bacon from a house in Chepstow, Wales.

As reported by the Australian newspaper 9News, the punishment for such a crime was just three months of detention. But a bad feeling struck with the judge, increasing that sentence to a 10-year sentence.

After the completion of four years of his sentence, he was taken by ship to Western Australia along with the other convicts. For his good behavior in the transfer, he received a leave of absence.

At that point, according to Australian portal Moondine Festival, a convict would receive a license ticket if he spent a period of probation with good behavior.

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The pass gave freedom to the prisoner to seek employment, acquire land, marry and bring a family from abroad. However, they were not allowed to leave a district without authorization, carry firearms, or board a ship.

Under these conditions, once a prisoner on leave had completed half of his sentence, he was entitled to a conditional pardon. This removed all restrictions except the right to leave the colony.

in Australia, Yusuf The Darling Range moved into the area known to local aboriginal tribes such as the Moondines. For this reason, he adopted the surname of Moondine Joe,

When he served his fifth year, in 1853, he received his parole. Then he went to work as an animal hunter. In 1861, he was arrested in the district of Newscastle for illegally brandishing a Brumby (a breed of horse).

Prison where Moondine stayed in Joe Fremantle / Credits: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Taken to the Newcastle Convict Hiring Depot, they saw that the building was very old and in ruins. Thus, he easily escaped by stealing a new horse, saddle and bridle belonging to the local magistrate.

A few days later, he was arrested and sentenced to “three years of punitive slavery”, having served in the Prohibited Offenders Facility (now known as Fremantle Prison). In 1864, he received his certificate of independence.

more leaks

His mass exodus only began when he was convicted of a crime he insisted was innocent: in 1865 he was charged with “killing a bull with criminal intent” and sentenced to 10 years. was jailed. After spending a week in prison, he managed to escape and enjoyed freedom for more than a month. As a result, a sentence of 12 months was added to his criminal record.

within four months, that 9News reported that on three occasions he managed to escape from prison, he did so and his sentence was extended to a further five years – two of which were forced into forced labor.

In 1866, the Exodus mondine It became so frequent that authorities in Western Australia created an “escape-proof” cell specifically for him. With a space of 4×7 meters, the place was lined with eucalyptus marginata boards on the walls with hundreds of metal pegs.

In addition, three layers of bars were placed on the windows and she was handcuffed, strapped to her feet and chained to the floor. moondine Nor was he allowed to leave the prison during his daily exercise time.

Instead, he was given a pile of rocks and a sledgehammer. Moondyne Festival Tells the Governor john hampton I was so sure that I said johnso: “If you leave again, I will forgive you”.

the great Escape

that He was kept in captivity until the middle of 1867. Every day his work in the courtyard was monitored by attentive guards. But the monotony led to its escape. By about five o’clock in the evening he had disappeared again.

His escape was so simple that it turned out to be spectacular. After a few days of hard work, a pile of stones johnso The sledgehammer was such that it reached a considerable height. Soon, some blind spots appeared.

When the guards were not paying attention, they took the opportunity to hammer the prison wall. At one point, he managed to make a hole big enough to escape.

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Newspaper Leak/Credit Reporting: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Also the doll made of her clothes was made to deceive the agents accompanying her from afar. it took two years moondine was captured again. This is supposed to be your most effective escape.

stuck again

The escape didn’t go right as he got arrested again. This time, johnso In February 1869 a Swan Valley winery was raided. Unbeknownst to him, the police were looking for a man nearby who had drowned.

As he fled the winery, he was crushed by a car. According to Moondine Festival, after being detained, Subject asked to meet with the governor, accusing him of fulfilling his promise of release by running away again.

Forced to respect with his words, Hamptons He was granted permanent independence on June 27, 1873. that He then married a woman half his age and settled in Perth.

In 1900, towards the end of his life, he was found roaming the streets as an “ill-minded” old man, 9News reports. moondine He was then sent to a medical institution for care.

Monndyne Joe’s Tomb/ Credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons

Ironically, the location was in the same building as a former criminal warehouse where he was imprisoned as a young man. Despite suffering from apparent dementia, he managed to escape from the institution three times before dying at the age of 71 of “senile dementia” on 13 August that year.

About the author: Cory Weinberg

"Student. Subtly charming organizer. Certified music advocate. Writer. Lifelong troublemaker. Twitter lover."

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