In 1869 Mt Egerton was outraged by the armed hold-up of the local bank by a masked villain calling himself `Captain Moonlite'.The shock deepened when the perpetrator turned out to be the new lay preacher, Andrew George Scott. On his release from prison Moonlite led a ragged bunch of young desperadoes to stage a siege that would end in a shoot-out and the death of a policeman. His death cell protestations of innocence raise doubts and sympathy in the hearts of some historians even today. This book tells the story of Captain Moonlite's life, from his birth in Ireland to his death on the gallows. The Australian Bushrangers series by librarian and historical researcher, Jane Smith, details the colourful lives of six ofAustralia's most famous bushrangers of the gold rush era: Captain Thunderbolt, Captain Moonlite, Frank Gardiner, BenHall, and the two men known as `Captain Starlight'. Based on meticulous research of primary sources such as birth, death and marriage certificates, Police Gazettes, Court, policeand gaol records, letters and newspaper articles, Jane Smith, has produced a series of books that align with the national curriculum and are both entertaining and historically accurate; for the first time dispelling many of the myths. These simply written, concise narratives provide an insight into the lives of these bushrangers. From their family background,crimes, family and gang members, the circumstances and events that led him to crime, and where relevant, his capture and death, the books are full of interesting facts and loaded with images, newspaper clippings and records.
