BUSHRANGING IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 153, 18 December 1863, Page 2 (Supplement)

BUSHRANGING IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

[From the Forbes Correspondent of the S. M. Herald], Nov. 22. On the night of Thursday, the 19th inst., the station of Mr. Henry Campbell, known as Goimbla, and distant about thirty-two miles from Forbes, was attacked by the three bushrangers, Gilbert, O’Meally, and Ben Hall, at a quarter to nine o’clock who, from the two hours’ career they pursued in that memorable, and to one of them, fatal night, were evidently as much actuated by a thirst for vengeance as by motives of spoliation. It will be recollected by those who have perused your columns, that Mr. Campbell has made no secret of his abhorrence of these lawless freebooters, and that stimulated by their repeated outrages in this neighborhood, he some time ago started out in pursuit of them, accompanied by a few of his immediate friends. This was a sufficient cause of offence to the “gentlemen of the road,” and their fiendish resentment has been on more than one occasion openly expressed. True to their promise, as they have generally proved themselves to be, “ they came, they saw,” but they did not conquer.

It appears that the first notification Mr. Campbell had of the presence of his unwelcome visitors was the sound ot footsteps under the front verandah of the house at a quarter before nine p.m., and that, suspecting the true cause of the sound, he sprang towards the chimney corner, where two double-barrelled fowling-pieces were ranged, ready loaded,, and seized one of them, with which he quickly retreated into an adjoining room. Mrs. Campbell at the same moment, rushing into her bedroom, and Mr. Campbell’s brother, Mr. William Campbell, retiring through the back door. When Mr Campbell presented himself at the inside door of the room above referred to, he found himself confronted by one of the bushrangers, who stood at an outer door of the same room, entering upon the verandah. This fellow at once presented his piece and fired twice ; one ball entering the wall on the right of where Mr. Campbell stood, and the other on the left. Mr. Campbell replied by a shot from his piece, but on this occasion ineffectually. The villian then hastily retreated round the end of the house to the front, and rejoined his comrades, who, after repeated volleys and demands to surrender, to one of which Mr. Campbell replied he was ready, and invited the miscreants to come on, they proceeded deliberately to set fire to the barn and stabling, which formed two sides of a quadrangle. As the barn contained a large quantity of hay, the whole structure was quickly in llamos, which raged so furiously that the premises in the immediate vicinity were brilliantly illuminated ; and hero occurred an incident which, for heartlessness and revolting cruelty, beggars description. Inside the blazing inclosure was a favorite animal of Mr. Campbell’s, which speedily began to suffer from the heat. As its agonies increased with the increasing flames the suffering brute sent forth piteous and imploring cries lor release, and galloped furiously to every accustomed outlet in vain. All expostulations and entreaties on behalf of (he sinless animal were fruitless, and he was literally roasted alive beneath the taunts and sneers of his brutal jailers.

The highly courageous conduct of Mrs. Campbell during the most trying ordeal to which woman’s courage can be subjected is worthy of special notice. In the early stage of the drama whose incidents your correspondent is faintly endeavoring to describe, it was indispensable to Mr. Campbell’s chances of a prolongation of the contest that the second fowling-piece, which was left in the chimney corner, together with the powder flask and balls which lay upon the end of the man-tel-piece, in contiguity with the corner, should be procured. To obtain possession of them involved great personal danger, inasmuch as the window opposite was in possession of the bushrangers. But this Mrs. Campbell ventured to incur, whilst her husband remained at his post. Rushing into the apartment, which was lit up by the kerosene lamp, she hurriedly snatched up the gun and powder flask, and as hurriedly retraced her steps. But she was not permitted to return unmolested. As if to give the lie to such lauded forbearance and boasted chivalry of this band in all eases in which females have been concerned, the ruffians fired a volley through the window upon her retreating figure, and the evidences of their murderous intentions are written upon the opposite walls in bullet marks ; fortunately she escaped unhurt and rejoined her husband, by whose side, except in brief intervals, she patiently awaited the issue of the contest, which bore promise of a fearful tragedy. The finish at length approached and the flames continued to rage, and firing had been suspended for half an hour, the house meanwhile remaining in solemn silence. During this period Mr. and Mrs. Campbell had ensconced themselves between two parallel walls which formed a passage from the house into the kitchen, when becoming anxious as to the whereabouts of the beseigers, Mr. Campbell suggested that Mrs. Campbell should proceed stealthily into the front apartment and reconnoitre; she did so, and observed three men standing behind a palling fence fronting the house, apparently intent in noticing the progress of the conflagration. Seizing the opportunity which the information supplied, Mr. Campbell sped quietly round the end of the house to the opposite angle, which, fortunately, was cast into the shade by the blazing building at the opposite end. There he saw three men standing as described by Mrs. Campbell, and, steadily raising his piece to the level of the neck of the uppermost, ho pulled the trigger, and, as the sequel showed, ridded the neighbourhood and the country of one of the most remorseless and bloodthirsty ruffians the colony ever produced. As Saturday dawned upon the smoking ruins, the place presented a melancholy spectacle. Everything combustible inside and around the tottering walls of the barns and stables have disappeared, and the charred remains of the dead horse, swollen to nearly double its natural size, lay - inside the enclosure. No vestige of nearly £l,lOO worth of property remains save the crumbling shells of the two buildings. Under the verandah of an outbuilding hard by lay the dis-

figured corpse of the dead bushranger—the body covered by part of a woolpack, and the face by a towel. It was clad in a corduroy, buckskin, high boots with spurs, and three Crimean shirts, underneath his neck lay a white comforter. Underneath his neck was a gaping wound extending through the vertebras which were completely shattered by the ball. Decomposition had set in, and the wound was discharging freely. The ’hair was dark auburn, was saturated with blood, as was also the beard under the chin. The features wore a scowl, and the mouth an expression as if the man died uttering curses and imprecations. As he had been detestable in life, his figure was hideous in death, and his feats will add a fearful chapter in the criminal history of New South Wales. At twenty-two years of age he died a robber and murderer of the worst type. By the bullet he had chosen to earn his bread, and by the bullet he met his death. His features were small, but coarse, and betokened habitual indulgence in the brutal passions. His frame was athletic, his arms muscular, his hands as small and delicate as a lady’s. His lower limbs were light and apparently well knit, and his figure as a whole gave the impression of activity and strength combined in more than an ordinary degree. Mr. Campbell estimates his loss, not account? ing for harness, &c., at £1,090 consisting of wool, hay, horse, and new chaff-cutter, together with the entire buildings, which have lately been roofed with ironbark shingles.