Captain Starlight was something of a fanciful story it would seem, several different bushranging types claiming to be Starlight. As the movie 'Robbery under Arms' story went, an aristocrat who fell on hard times along with two brothers named Marsden stole a huge herd of cattle from western Queensland and drove them overland to Adelaide where they were sold. The money was split up and the group separated going their own ways.

However, the real Captain Starlight was probably a villain named Frank Pearson born in England in 1837 arriving in Australia in 1866.In 1868 he teamed up with a Charles Rutherford a Queensland bushranger and began their life of crime together out near Walgett in western NSW. During their rampage a NSW State trooper named McManus and a black tracker on their trail, came across them in an Inn at Eringonia on the 6th October 1868. Pearson was hit twice in the fire fight, while McCabe the constable was mortally hit. he died in November and is buried in Bourke cemetery.

The pursuit of the pair was now in full swing as they carried on their criminal careers. On the 20th December, Sergeant Cleary of the Bourke Police got the news that Starlight and Rutherford had bailed up and robbed a property 40 miles from Bourke. After reaching the station he was told by the Gundabooka Station owner that the previous night of the 22nd December. As they were talking the black tracker spotted a man riding up the hills in the distance and the police set off in pursuit. Sergeant Cleary shot Pearson's horse but he escaped into the bush. On Christmas Day he was tracked to a cave a few miles away and was arrested, offering no resistance. 

Rutherford escaped and continued holding up coaches and properties until 6 September 1869. When he bailed up the hotel of Mr. Beauvais near Warren he accidentally shot himself in the head and died.

This I believe to be a reasonable account of Captain Starlight's demise.