On 26 January 1865, the gang held up ten people on the road near Goulburn. They were chased into the bush by a group of policemen. A couple of hours later the gang rode into the town of Collector. Hall and Gilbert robbed the Commercial Hotel. John Dunn stayed outside. When the local policeman, Constable Nelson, arrived, Dunn shot him dead at close range. Two of Nelson's nine children saw the shooting, as one was a hostage at the hotel and the other was following his father. Gilbert robbed Nelson's body of money and other valuables and took his gun. They left the town quickly and went into hiding.