Evening News (Sydney) - 5 December 1905 A short note at the end of a long article about the Gunning Orchestral and Dramatic Society concert caught my attention: Goulburn Evening Penny Post - 16 November 1905 Some further Trove searches revealed an unfortunate journey that ended a promising career for a young bank clerk. On 8 November 1905, 21 year-old bank clerk, John Tom Lane, left the Gunning branch of the Commercial Bank and took the train to Sydney after 10 months of embezzlement to support a gambling habit. He was arrested in Sydney on 21 November and, after a full confession, pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 9 months hard labour at Goulburn Gaol. John started gambling in September, 1904, by letter to a bookmaker in Sydney and had some early wins. In March, 1905, he started embezzling money (£5) to continue gambling. The amounts quickly increased to a total of £1021 before he fled in November. Sadly, he was penniless by th...
Upper Lachlan Shire, Southern Tablelands, New South Wales