Finally, after escaping twice from custody, and participating in the murders of 6 men (at least two of whom he killed himself) for cannibalistic purposes, Alexander Pearce was executed for his crimes. The Cannibal Killer of Van Diemen’s Land was no more.
By Thomas Bock (c. 1793-1855) – State Library of New South Wales (http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/exhibitions/2006/ontherun/images/s9.html), Public Domain, Link
As mentioned in:
Alexander Pearce was a convict in the Macquarie Harbour “secondary punishment” penal colony when he and seven others made their escape. Being sent to “secondary punishment” means that these men who had already been convicted in Britain and transported to Van Diemens Land, and had then misbehaved sufficiently to be singled out for additional punishment in harsher conditions.
The other convicts: Alexander Dalton, Thomas Bodenham, William Kennerly, Matthew Travers, Edward Brown, Robert Greenhill and John Mather. Brown and Kennerly soon gave up and turned back. They were recaptured by the Macquarie Harbour authorities and died in the prison infirmary. The authorities more or less gave up the search at this point, reasoning that the elements or the natives would kill them. They were wrong about this, but just how wrong they wouldn’t know for more than another year.
By Thomas Bock (c. 1793-1855) – State Library of New South Wales (http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/exhibitions/2006/ontherun/images/s9.html), Public Domain, Link
As mentioned in:
A Tale They Won’t Believe — Weddings, Parties, Anything
Words From the Executioner to Alexander Pearce — The Drones
