The 61-year-old swagman, known as 'Mad Mossy', was described as "having more form than Phar Lap" when he sentenced to death in Dubbo Supreme Court for the murders of gold prospector Timothy O'Shea, pensioner Thomas Robinson and labourer William Henry Bartley.

The victims had been living transient lives during the depression years of the 1930s, travelling from place to place with their possessions and picking up work where they could.

Moss had ties to the Narromine district and regularly camped out on river and creek reserves.

He was thought to have been involved in up to 13 murders but was only prosecuted for three.

Moss was well-known to police and had been in and out of mental asylums when his career as a murderer officially started in December 1938.

William Henry Bartley from Lidcombe was the first known target.

The labourer and leather worker had found the going tough in Sydney and headed to the bush on a new bicycle.

Arriving at Narromine in December 1938 he picked up a job making a leather rope for a stockman named Frederick Carpenter.

Robinson set up camp at Mack's Reserve not far from where Moss was ensconced on the banks of the Macquarie River.

A few days later John Neville observed Moss riding a bicycle identical to Bartley's.

Moss said "the young bloke" had given him all his gear after winning a prize in a Sydney lottery.

Moss had his eye on a better mode of transport when Timothy O'Shea arrived at the reserve in a sulky pulled by two horses.

O'Shea was well-known for selling gold for cash and carried large amounts of money.

The gold prospector disappeared around the time other swagmen reported seeing a big fire at Moss' campsite.

Sharp-eyed John Neville spotted Moss driving around in what looked like O'Shea's sulky.

Moss said he was minding O'Shea's things while he returned to West Australia to meet up mates who had struck it rich.

The next day Moss was flashing a large roll of money at a hotel in Narromine. He stayed in town until after Christmas before returning to his camp at Mack's Reserve.

Thomas Robinson had settled in nearby with his old horse and sulky. When Moss arrived Robinson left and set up camp on a reserve at Brummagem Creek, between Narromine and Dubbo.

Moss followed and caught up with him around January 21.

That night there was a big fire on the reserve. Next day there was no sign of Moss or Robinson.

Six weeks later police were told Moss was driving around in a horse and sulky that belonged to Robinson.

Police quickly pieced together facts about the disappearances of Bartley, O'Shea and Robinson.

They had been last seen with Moss and he had their possessions. Moss was taken into custody on charges of stealing.

Dubbo black tracker Alec Riley was called in assist in a police search of reserves where Moss had been known to frequent.

Buttons and human teeth and bones were found in the remains of camp fires. Police also discovered bloodstained clothing and a pair of reading glasses later identified in court as belonging to O'Shea.

Police told the Dubbo Liberal that Moss had confessed to murder and when taken to the camp site he bounded around like a kangaroo, put grass and thistles in his mouth and flapped his arms like a crow.

Police knew Moss had a tendency to put in insanity acts and took no notice.

More teeth and bones were found in the ashes of other camp fires.

Moss was charged with three counts of murder. He was refused bail and held in Dubbo gaol.

Dubbo court was told Bartley had been killed near Narromine between December 1 and 17, 1938; O'Shea had been killed near Narromine between December 15 and 23, 1938; and Robinson had been killed near Brummagem Creek on or about January 21, 1939.

During a series of Dubbo court appearances Moss behaved in an erratic manner, described by newspaper reporters as insanity routines.

Court officials claimed frothing at the mouth was helped along by a bar of soap.

On Monday July 4 the Dubbo Liberal reported Moss had "gone berserk in court" hurling vile epithets at police, ripping his shirt to pieces and continually repeating "I did not kill him".

Doctors called to give evidence said although Moss was "behaving like a madman he was not insane. The court was told Moss appeared to be acting.

The case proceeded as witness after witness gave evidence against Moss.

At one stage Moss attempted to climb out of the court dock saying "I want to go home." He was restrained by police but continued to mutter to himself.

Moss was given some tobacco to chew and said several times "good baccy, good baccy".

The court heard Moss had been discharged from the Orange Mental Hospital on September 15, 1938.

Replying to questions from police, hospital attendant Benjamin Wilson said Moss had been quiet and rational during his time in the institution and had carried out his duties efficiently.

Night attendant William Joseph King provided corroborative evidence.

On July 7, 1939 the Sydney Morning Herald reported Moss had been committed to stand trial at Dubbo Supreme Court.

The newspaper quoted Magistrate Cookson as saying the court facts were "extraordinary, almost grotesque and certainly gruesome".

The magistrate described Moss as wretched "I use the term in the sense of being miserable or woeful, a person sunk in anxiety," Mr Cookson said.

"He is shunned by his fellow creatures, apparently none of his family will aid him.

"We witnessed the most deplorable exhibition of rage by the accused. None of us can realise fully what must be the mental and nervous strain and the anxiety of a man in the dock charged with a capital offence."

The Western Australian newspaper of August 2, 1939 quoted Magistrate Cookson as saying "greed and envy it appears to me are the principal motive forces actuating the individual to commit crime but who could imagine that a human being could be so impelled by these forces to commit for such paltry prizes as a few pounds, a bicycle, a couple of horses, three murders within the space of four or five weeks. The stories related to this court in connection with these matters are almost unprecedented in the history of crime in NSW. My mind goes back about 40 years for a parallel when one, Butler, murdered several men and disposed of their bodies in the bush."

The Dubbo court house gallery was packed with spectators when the supreme court trial opened before Mr Justice Owen in September.

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Mr Monahan QC prosecuted for the Crown. Mr Redshaw was assigned by the Prisoner's Aid Department to appear for Moss.

More than 120 exhibits were produced, including horses and sulkies, dogs, portions of human bones, camping gear and clothing.

"Eminent medical men and scientists" and "experts in handwriting and other arts" were called to provide evidence and opinions.

Local and national newspapers told of large maps, collections of photographs, scientific reports and examples of human bones spread out on special tables and the court room floor.

On September 26 Moss was sentenced to death by hanging for the murder of O'Shea. He was also arraigned for the murders of Robinson and Bartley but the Crown did not continue with those proceedings in separate cases.

Moss had nothing to say when the verdict was announced.

A newspaper report in the September 26 edition of the Maryborough Chronicle detailed Justice Owen's praise for police officers in charge of the investigation.

"Their efforts have been responsible for having a daring criminal brought to justice," he said.

Newspapers reported the death sentence was commuted to life in jail when psychiatrists determined Moss "was not the full quid".

Moss died in the Long Bay Penitentiary hospital on January 24, 1958.

Leading Australian psychiatrist John Alexander Hughes McGeorge described Moss "the mutilation murderer" as the most brutal criminal he had encountered during his 40-year career.

The Moss murder case was the first recorded NSW trial held without a corpse.

Ends