Singular Occurrence at Ballarat.

Cromwell Argus, Volume V, Issue 248, 11 August 1874, Page 7

Singular Occurrence at Ballarat.

The other day two residents of the little township of Ballan, near .Ballarat, one of them a publican named Densley, and the other a farmer named Thompson, went into a paddock to put some horses to graze. The caretaker of the paddock, who was a relative of Densley's, was not in his hut, and as the door was fastened Densley entered the place by getting down-the chimney. When inside, he said he would light the fire and boil the kettle. He was pulling aside a sort of curtain made of sacking in a part of the hut, when a voice inside made use of a rough threat, and a man concealed behind fired a shot at him, striking him in the leg. Densley grappled with his assailant, who drew a knife and stabbed Densley in many places. The latter, however, was the strongest, and ultimately—although wounded so badly—overpowered his man, and, as he believed, took all of his weapons away from him. He then left him in charge of Thompson, who was too cowardly to render any assistance during the fight, and rode into the township to get his wounds and inform the Police. While he was away the robber got out the the window of the hut, threatening to shoot Thompson with a pistol that he produced, and was making off, when Thompson presented the gun that had been taken from the fellow by Densley and shot him dead. The man's body has been seen by hundreds of people, but no one has been able to recognise him. He was largely provided with arms and ammunition, and evidently meditated a distinguished career as a bushranger. The suggestion is made that he is'one of the Sydney exiles who had so early resumed a career of bushranging, and so early finished it. This, however, is a mere guess, and there does not appear to be any authority for it. But whoever the man was, there is no doubt that his objects and the interests of society were quite incompatible, and that lie can be very well dispensed with. The coroner's jury found that the shooting was a justifiable homicide, and made a recommendation that the Government should do somethins; for Densley, to .whose bravery we owe it that the career of this scoundrel was so suddenly brought to a close.— Daily Timss \ Melbourne Correspondent. i