Johns, Joseph Bolitho (1826?-1900), also known as “Moondyne Joe,” was an Australian bushranger (outlaw). He was known for escaping from prison multiple times.
Little is known of Johns’s life before his first arrest. He was born in the United Kingdom, probably in Cornwall or Wales, about 1826. In 1849, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for stealing food. He was transported to the British penal (prison) colony of Western Australia to serve out his sentence. He arrived in Fremantle in 1853. Johns was issued a ticket of leave, which allowed him to seek employment in the Fremantle area while serving his sentence. In 1855, he was granted a conditional pardon, which meant his sentence was considered served but he could not return to the United Kingdom.
Johns settled near Moondyne Springs in Newcastle (now Toodyay), which lies on the Avon River about 45 miles (73 kilometers) east of Perth. In 1861, he was arrested on charges of horse theft. He escaped from jail and rode off on the horse he was accused of stealing. Johns was recaptured several days later. He was convicted of escaping from prison and was sentenced to three years in the Convict Establishment in Fremantle, also known as the Fremantle Prison.
After serving his sentence, Johns was again arrested in 1865, this time for “killing an ox with felonious intent.” (He had intended to steal its carcass.) He was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He escaped several times, and each time had additional time added to his sentence. In one instance, Johns and several companions escaped and stole clothing and provisions from a nearby store. The men planned to travel to Adelaide, in the colony of South Australia. The men were caught east of Perth after several weeks. Johns’s sentence was further extended. Around this time, a newspaper gave him the nickname “Moondyne Joe.”
Prison authorities eventually placed Johns in a specially designed cell in the Fremantle Convict Establishment. The governor of Western Australia was so certain the cell was escapeproof that he told Johns that if he managed to escape again, his crimes would be forgiven. In March 1867, Johns escaped from the prison yard while breaking rocks. He lived in the hills east of Perth for nearly two years. In 1869, he was captured while he hid in the cellar of a vineyard. His prison sentence was again extended.
In 1871, Johns told the comptroller general of convicts about the former governor’s promise of forgiveness. After further investigation, Johns was issued another ticket of leave and was sent to the convict depot at Vasse, some 125 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Perth. He gained a conditional pardon in 1873. He worked at various jobs for the remainder of his life, serving at different times as a rancher, carpenter, shipwright (person who builds or repairs ships), and gold prospector. In 1900, because of his declining health, he was ordered to be placed into the Mount Eliza Invalid Depot in Perth. He was later transferred to the Fremantle Lunatic Asylum, where he died on Aug. 13, 1900.
