Charles Russell (sometimes identified as 'mulatto Indian' but described by researcher Meg Foster as African American) was a bushranger who operated around the Bendigo goldfields. He was eventually taken into custody by the miners themselves, who burnt the tents of his gang to the ground and overpowered Russell, who was said to be a powerfully built man, some six foot three or four, and a former prize fighter.
He was jailed for bushranging, and subsequently for a series of petty crimes. He died in Bendigo prison during a three-month sentence for vangrancy.
In 1860, he was the subject of a novel (in German) by Wilhelmine Guischard.
Sources:
'Capture of "Black Douglas" and His Gang by Diggers', Courier (Hobart), 23 May 1855.
'Death of a Notorious Bushranger', Warragul Guardian, 20 May 1892.
