Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

Globe, Volume I, Issue 75, 27 August 1874, Page 4

“ The Executive Council of New South Wales has determined to pardon a number of convicts who have been imprisoned eight or ten years for highway robbery, under the condition that they shall leave Australia. That is very kind on the part of New South Wales ; and as many of these scamps would in the ordinary course of business come to California, we might get even by pardoning a lot of our most dangerous felons, if they will promise to go to New South Wales and send each back the scalp of a member of the Executive Council.” —Alta California, The Kyneton Observer reports that “ on Friday evening much surprise was caused at Woodend by the arrival of the Lancefield mail cart about an hour and a half after the usual time, but without the driver. It seems that some persons coming into Woodend in the evening saw the horse and cart draw up at the slip panel of Mr Cornelius Johnstone’s yard, about a mile and a half from Woodend, and informed that gentleman of the circumstance. He at once came out, and finding the mail bags in the cart, at once got in and brought them on to the post office, just in time for the evening mail. A scout party was then formed to find the missing driver. About eight gentlemen, with lanterns, proceeded up the road to the Hanging Rock, but without discovering him, although they picked up his hat and whip on the road. However, although they returned un-suc«essful, about two o’clock on Saturday morning, he eventually turned up, and gave the following account of himself, that when near Mr Purves’s gate he was attacked by a man who rushed out from near the fence (where he had a horse tied; and who knocked him out of the cart, and then mounted and rode away, his own horse starting off with the cart and mail bags, and that he remained insensible for some time, but eventually made his way into Woodend, but missing the searching party, which seems somewhat extraordiuay. Constable Hanlon has been making inquiries as to the circumstances of the assaulting party (if any), but no clue has been gained as to any such person,”