A Gentleman of the Road-

CAPTAIN STARLIGHT IDENTIFIED.

A most interesting story has been published in the West Australian Press, showing clearly that Mr. P. F. Pelly, or Major Pelly, as he was known, who died from the effects of poison taken by mistake for medicine on December 22 last, and who was at the time of his death employed in the Geological Department, Perth, as a Government Geologist, was none other than ” Starlight,”the notorious Australian bushranger of 30 years ago. In Perth it was recognized by those over him that he was a man of no mean attainments. Those who came in contact with him could not understand his strange ways. Only on rare occasions was he known to speak of himself. All the information he ever volunteered was that he had served in the British Army and had seen active service. In proof of this he displayed bullet wounds in various parts of the body. With this evidence, none doubted his word. People did not seek for credentials, and as he did not thrust himself on society with his title of Major, he was never required to display any proof of his bona-fides other than the bullet wounds.

From hints dropped at times it was also gathered that he was the descendant of an old Irish family. Pelly was of a retiring disposition. His death was supposed to have resulted through taking cyanide of potassium in mistake for medicine. A copy of the Morning Herald containing a report of the inquest reached Father Pelly, of Ireland, and he communicated with a brother, Patrick Edward Pelly, confined in Pentridge Gaol in Victoria, on the subject. This prisoner then wrote to Dr. Black, Coroner of Perth, what was looked upon as an extraordinary letter, but that document, on being handed  over to the police, set them inquiring. The object of this letter from Patrick Pelly was really to endeavor to trace a long missing brother of his.

The letter states:—

George Kirkcally PELLY, my only brother, in Australia, when I last saw him in l891, he was a clerk in the A.U.S.N. Company in Brisbane but I have heard afterwards that he left there, and I have not heard from him since, except once when I was told he was in Sydney. If the description I have given of my brother does not tally with that of the deceased, I am forced to think that Frank Gordon, to whom I handed a number of my family papers and photographs and who was a fellow prisoner at the time, and who promised to deliver them to George Kirkcally Pelly for delivery to my brother, must have assumed my name of Patrick and adopted our family name on the strength of the information supplied by the papers and photos. God grant that neither my brother nor my friend Gordon may be identical with the deceased Pelly, but in furtherance of the ends of justice and to allay the anxiety of my people, I trust you will let me know as soon as possible, and if the papers and photo. in question should be in the posession of the deceased’s landlady or executor I should be thankful to receive them, as I prize them very much.

Without delay the authorities in Perth instituted inquiries.  Patrick Pelly, of Pentridge, was sent a photograph of ” Major Pelly,” of Perth, deceased, and he immediately recognised it as that of his friend and gaol companion, “Gordon,” alias ‘Starlight’, the bushranger.

In a communication to the gaol authorities he said that was the person to whom he gave his family  papers and photos, to deliver to George Kirkcaldy Pelly in Brisbane.  Another letter from Pentridge, dated Jul 24, states that he first met the deceased as Frank Gordon in 1887, then serving sentence in Queensland.

This real name was Frank Pearson, born in Mexico, of a Spanish mother and an Irish father. He received a great part of his education in Rome.  Pelly then relates “Starlight’s” Australian life since 1861, when he joined the gang of bushrangers, of which he became the recognized leader. His life I believe  is accurately described in”Robbery Under Arms’, except the final catastrophe. I have read the book (Robbery Under Arms), and I believe the author had the facts related by “Starlight” himself.

The New South Wales police supplied the West Australian authorities with a photograph of “Starlight’ The likeness is unmistakable, and although the photo, is some years old there was little alteration in the mans features.  Those who knew Pelly would recognize the picture immediately. Prison statistics showed that he. was born in 1837. He had two bullet wounds on his right arm, one in the groin, one on the hip, and another in the right shoulder. The left arm was tattooed. The police are in possession of many other interesting documents, and have obtained most of the missing papers and photos which have been forwarded on to the rightful owner.

NOTE:- Frank PEARSON is buried in the Karrakatta cemetery in Perth under the name of Patrick PELLY.