Monte Christo Co.

Background

The Monte Christo Company was formed in 1858, for the purpose of puddling by steam-power some shallow alluvial ground at Little Bendigo, east of the Band of Hope Reef, later know as the Monte Christo Quartz Reef.

History

DISTRICT POLICE COURT. Saturday, 18th July. (Before the Police Magistrate and Mr M. Campbell, Justice of the Peace.)

ROBBERY FROM A CLAIM.-William Roberts, William Thompson, and James Callaghan were charged with having stolen a quantity of brass fittings from the claim of the Monte Christo Company, Little Bendigo. Charles Gluck deposed that he was a miner in charge of the Monte Christo Quartz Claim. On the 15th inst he discovered that a large quantity of brass fittings had been stolen from the claim. Witness then came into Ballarat and reported the robbery to the detective police. The brass fittings now produced be identified as belonging to Mr Sichel, of Melbourne, and left in charge of witness. He thought it would cost some £25 or £30 to place the brass fittings again in their proper places. The whole of the fittings were stolen from the engine. The latter was in a house and locked up. Mr Jeffrey, for one of the prisoners, cross-examined the witness as to his identification of the fittings. Isaac Gluck deposed that he was a German. He knew the Monte Christo quartz claim. On the I5th inst. he discovered that the brass fittings had been stolen from off the engine. He identified several pieces of brass now produced as the property of Mr Sichel. The various other pieces corresponded with those stolen from off the engine and machinery. James Ellis, of the Phoenix Foundry, Armstrong street, deposed that Roberts and Thompson offered the brass now produced for sale to him. Witness detained the men, sent for the police, and gave the former into custody. The various fittings produced as brass, were worth £3 or thereabouts. Sergeant Grant deposed to having taken Roberts and Thompson into custody. (Mr W. C. Smith, J.P., here joined the Bench). On the previous night witness arrested Callaghan at Mopoke Gully. He acknowledged that he had been with the other two prisoners and said that his share of the brass had been planted. He took witness to show him the "plant," but they discovered that some one had "sprung" it. Cross-examined-Witness had the prisoner Callaghan in custody when he made the confession. The prisoners, fine specimens of Australian Arabs, each about seventeen years of age, were committed for trial at the Circuit Court.

GENERAL SESSIONS. Wednesday, 2nd September.

Before his Honor Judge Rogers and Common Juries, Mr Clarke prosecuting on behalf of the Crown.) LARCENY. James Callaghan (16), Wm. Thompson, alias Henry Beecham and Wm. Robinson (18), pleaded not guilty to a charge of larceny. The prisoners were very young lads, who may be regarded as "Bedouin" of the town; and it appeared from the case for the Crown that they had been detected offering for sale some brasses belonging to the machinery of the late Monte Christo Company, Little Bendigo, and which had been stolen from the works of the company in question in July last. A witness named Klugg, connected with the works, identified the property generally; and with the usual infelicity of crime, the eldest of the prisoners completed the case for the prosecution, by eliciting, on cross-examination, some very satisfactory proofs of identification, and proving the proficiency in hardihood of the juvenile querist. A witness named Ellis, from the Phoenix Foundry, proved the offering of the stolen property for sale by the prisoners, who were detained while the police were sent for. The prisoners were then given in charge, information having been previously given of the robbery. The culpability of the prisoner Callaghan was not so clearly shown as was that of the other prisoners. The jury, after a short deliberation, found Thompson and Robinson guilty on a second count for receiving, and acquitted Callaghan. His Honor told the convicted lads that he saw they had previously been convicted, and a witness called by Thompson said the lad's father "a theatrical" had run away from him and his sisters and brothers. Witness thought destitution must have led to the boy's crime for he was industrious and helped to keep his brothers and sisters. Sentence-Thompson, six months'; Robinson, nine month's imprisonment.

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

There is scarcely a quartz miner or speculator in the colony who has not beard of the once much promising great Monte Christo Company on Little Bendigo, with several large Melbourne capitalists as shareholders and a Melbourne manager for some time. Between £20,000 and £30,000 is said to have been expended on the mine with very unsatisfactory results, because badly managed. The company broke up and the lease was sold by Mr Sichel and another some time ago. It fell into the hands of Messrs Robinson, Thomas and Co., of the Soho Foundry, who in turn disposed of it to the Temperance Company. The latter disposed of ten acres, or rather the lease, to Messrs Dowlin and Eastwood for about £150, and the result has been that the last named purchasers, for a fortnight's work, divided £95 per man after paying all expenses, including that of crushing at the Hero Company's claim. On Saturday the men engaged by the fortunate purchasers struck a very rich leader twelve inches in width within two and a half feet of the surface from which some of the richest specimens ever seen in Ballarat were taken. Some of the debris was washed in a dish, and the result was two ounces of coarse gold. The tidiness of the stone induced the owners of the claim to set men to watch it on Saturday and Sunday night. Other portions of the claim that have been tested have turned out stone of an excellent quality, but not nearly so good as that which was shown us on Saturday evening.

Site

Little Bendigo, Nerina

See also

Soho Foundry

External Links

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--Beth Kicinski 12:24, 16 January 2013 (EST)