A PLUCKY WOMAN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3585, 8 January 1883, Page 4

A PLUCKY WOMAN.

The Fiji Times, of November _9th, says: ■ —"A horrible outrage Avas committed by a Fijian, named Qaqa, on the person ot Mis- Isabella Moore, the daughter of .Captain Maughan, on Saturday last, audit is at present doubtful if the unfortunate lady Avill. survive the injuries that have been inflicted on her. On the afternoon of the day in question, Mrs Moore Avas sitting on the verandah of her house at Waidu, at the back of the island, engaged with some fancy work, her husband being absent at the time, when a man approached with an axe in his hand. She asked him Avhathc Avanted, and he gave her some vague reply, Avhen lie came up to her within striking distance, and then saA-agely attacked her Avith the axe. The first blow narrowly missed her head, and inflicted a horrible gush on her breast,, cutting doAvn to, but glancing off tho bone. He followed this up with other blows, in attempting to Avard off Avhieh the defenceless woman rcceiA _d fearful injuries to her arms andhauds. She then fell down, and the miscreant to complete his murderous work, struck her another savage bloAv on the back and then left her for dead. After ids departure Mrs Moore contrived to eraAvl to a moli tree, under Avhieh she fainted. On recovering, she managed to return to the house and obtain some spirits, portion of Avhicli she drank, and then hearing the noise of someone near, she took the bottle and started to reach her father's house, some three miles distant. With almost incredible strength. of purpose she dragged herself onward, keeping up her failing strength with a stimulant till she reached a creek, which it was necessary to cross. Hei'e she met some Fijians, and felling- them what hud occurred, she asked them to curry her over the creek, but this the inhuman wretches refused to do unless (■bo woidd give them a pound. She pro. juiwd them in the iuuuco of her father and

her husband any number of pounds they Avanted if they Avould but help her, but as she had no money Avith her they refused, and left her to shift for herself. At the last extremity of exhaustion she reached her father's door, and after doing Avhat it Avas possible to do on the moment, the boat Avas got ready, and late at night the mutilated victim Avas brought to LeAiika. Her Avounds Avere at once attended to by Dr. Ghio, and she Avas removed to the hospital, Avhere she iioav lies in a precarious condition, Avith but faint hope of her recovery. Her fiendish assailant Avas arrested and brought into town on the folloAving day, and on Alonday he Avas brought before the Court and remanded for eight days. The man is said to be mad, and this is borne out by the fact that he fiercely attacked the police in the police-station more than once, and broke three pairs of handcuffs in succession, as fast as they were put on him. On no other assumption can this savage attack be accounted for, though there arc A-arious rumors afloat about land disputes, AA'hich avc are assured are without foundation. AVhat makes the tragic occurence more sad is that the unfortunate lady had only been married ten days Avhen this brutal attack Avas made on her."

AN AAIERICAN "KELLY GANG." In Harper's Alagazine the following history is given of Jesse James and his gang. The career of James has been a long record of villiany, crime, and murder, and it is almost impossible of belief, yet perfectly true, that for nigh 20 years lie successfully defied the hiAv. Incredible as flic statement seems, it is nevertheless true that this man, or rather ' monster, at the age of 37, Avas either principal or accessory to the murder of 125 individuals, od defenceless citizens falling by his hand alone at the memorable LaAvrencc ', (Kansas) massacre ; Avhile at Scdalia, Missouri, the following year, he and two associates shot in cold blood 32 invalid Union soldiers en route to the hospital at St. Louis. A company of loAva volunteers coming to their rescue Avere ambushed and killed to a man, so that in less than two hours 80 ghastly corpses were piled about the village. In 18G5 he robbed a bank in Russelrville, Kentucky, of 12,500dols; also one in Gallatin, Alissouri, of all its funds, and deliberately shot and killed the cashier. After spending two years in Alexico, he and his brother returned to their former haunts, and heralded their advent by robbing the bank at Corydon, lowa, of 4o',ooodols. In 1872 he raided a bank at Columbia, Kentucky, and shot the cashier and his assistant. Next he seized, at noonday, 10,000dols of the funds of tho County Agricultural Fair, at Kansas City, in the presence of thousands of spectators, who seemed paralysed at his audacity, though in all these transaction-: he Avas armed to the teeth. This was followed iv six Aveeks by the robbery of the bank of St. Genevieve, in the same State. In 1873 a train on the Chicago, Rock Island, and Pacific railroad Avas wrecked, and the express messenger relieved of GOOOdols. Next came the Oadshill robbery, Avhere James and his "pals" took possession of the station, switched the train on to a side track, and at their leisure stripped the passengers and express messenger of 12,000d015. A large reward being offered for their capture, a posxv of officers was despatched by Allan Piukerton, of Chicago, a Sjotclnnau by birth, and one of the shrewdest detectives in the United States. Strange to add, however, the pursuit ended in the death or wounding of nearly every one sent on theperilous mission. In 187-1, by placing obstructions on the track they robbed a passenger train on the Kansas Pacific railroad, near Aluncie, of 25,000d01. In 1875. the Bank of Huntingdon Avas sacked, and the cashier, at the muzzle of a revolver, compelled to give up 5500d01. Pursuit folioAving, one of the bandits was killed and another captured, but the James brothers made good their escape. In July, 1870, the eastward-bound train on the Alissouri - Pacific railroad Avas robbed at Otterville, 20 miles east of Sedalia, and 15,000 dol. taken from the safe in the express car. In the following September an attempt Avas made to sack the bank at Northfield, Alinnesota, Avhieh ended in faihu-e, though in the instant death of the cashier. Pursuit Avas immediately given by the citizens; three of the outlaws Avere killed, and three severely wounded, avlio are now serving life sentences in the Alinnesota Penitentiary at Stillwater, though here again the James brothers succeeded in ultimately baffling their pursuers, and escaped into Texas. In the fall of 1870, returning to Alissouri, the band Avas reinforced, and on October Gth a passenger train on the Chicago, Alton, and St. Louis railroad aviis boarded by a gang of masked ruffians, at a small station named Glendalc, and UO.OOOdols secured as booty. In 1881 the night express on the Rock Island and Pacific railroad avus again robbed, near Winston, the conductor shot, and the messenger and passengers deprived of their A'aluables. The alarming frequency of these depredations at last aroused the Governor of Alissouri and the railroad officials to a sense of their duty, and a reward of 50,000d0l Avas offered for the body of Jesse James. The result is told iv his cold-blooded assassination in his own house, in an unguarded moment Avhile divested of his Avcapous, by a treacherous comrade who had won his confidence— fitting end to such a record of crime, though a sad commentary on our civilisation and jurisprudence, that the cupidity of a cold-blooded assassin should be able to accomplish what the authorised representatives of the hnv have for years been unable to effect. Immediately after the funeral, Ford, his assassin, avus arrested, at the instance of Mrs James, for murder, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to be hanged on the 10th of Alay last, on Avhieh day he received from the Governor of Alissouri an unconditional pardon.