1866: The Wild Scotchman Jailed for 25 Years After Queensland Mail Robberies
Bushranger James Macpherson, known as the Wild Scotchman, entered the St Helena Island penal settlement in Moreton Bay, Queensland, on 14 September 1866 to begin serving a 25 year sentence for mail robbery.
He did not serve his time quietly. On 11 April 1870, Macpherson took part in a mass escape attempt, breaking free of the stockade with six other prisoners and hiding in the scrub around the island. He was shot in the wrist during his recapture and returned to custody.
Despite the harsh sentence and the failed breakout, Macpherson was eventually released by executive clemency in 1874.
