 The onslaught of thousands of people into the Cariboo gold fields of the
1860's was by most accounts, from the law & order standpoint, pretty peaceful compared
to the California rush a few years earlier. This fact can be attributed in part to a few
good government officials. Chief of these was judge Sir Matthew Begbie. For years he rode
on horseback through the vast interior of British Columbia, often sleeping in a tent which
by day served as his chambers.
Matthew Begbie became known as the 'hanging judge' although very few executions ever
took place. He was a no nonsense kind of guy, so when it came to dealing with a convicted
murderer he was bound by the law at the time to automatically hang the quilty party.
Judge Begbie was quoted as saying "my idea is that if a man insists upon
behaving like a brute, after fair warning, and won't quit the colony; treat him like a
brute and flog him''
He was a fair and impartial judge who on occasion gave government money to those who
deserved a helping hand - case in point - Begbie gave assistance to Billy Barker and his
company just before they hit the big paystreak on Williams Creek in 1862.
In the opinion of many historians this judge really did not deserve the the moniker - 'hanging
judge'.
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