BUSHRANGING INTELLIGENCE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 369, 19 April 1866, Page 1

BUSHRANGING INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Sydney Empire.) Cabtatn Thunderbolt. —lnformation reached this town on Thursday last that Thunderbolt was again on this side of the country, encamped on a mountain eituaied near the head of the waters of the Little Manning, quite crippled. The informer is a female, who states that she has been with him for the last ten months; that she engaged to attend on Mrs Thunderbolt during her confinement ; that occurred she wanted to Isa re, but that he prevented her by keeeping her tied up; and it was only the other day she effected an escape. She states that Thunderbolt is hurt in the bask from a fall off his horse, also suffering from a bad knee, preventing his getting about without assistance ; that his wife and herself had to put him up on horseback; his wife always accompanies him (dressed in man’s attire) out to plunder; that she has a large butcher's knife fastened on (he end of a stick, rides up alongside the cattle and with this instrument she ham-strings the beast, and then kills it. They principally lire on beef, very seldom they hare flour, wild yams, and wattle gum. The last place they stayed at they remained from June to January, near to a station of a Mr Parnell, and were never molested. The informant made her escape while Thunderbolt's wife was out after beef; she wandered sis days through the bush before she came to an inhabited place, and three days from there to Stroud, living on rams and wattle gum during that time. She asserts that there is no one else with Thunderbolt except his with and three children. He has in his possession ten head of horses, and all are in low condition. This woman is well acquainted with the other bushranger’s career, and was a schoolmate of Dunn’s. The following incident has just crossed our mind, and has not been made public before, which we have every reason to believe has been committed by this villain. About a mouth' ago the premises of Mr John Higgins, junior, near Gloucester, were broke open during his absence, and a quantity of flour, sugar, tea, &a., stolen therefrom, also one horse from a paddock, and up to the present time no tidings of the robber haye been obtained. This woman now states that on one occasion Thunderbolt stated that he was going to stick up Higgin’s station, and was gone three days, and, on his return, brought a quantity of flour, tea, sugar, soap, two butchers’ knives, some spoons, and a pair or two of blankets, one horse branded LL, with star on forehead, and width corresponds with the missing one. This statement agrees so much with the things lost, that there is hardly any reason to doubt that he is the thief, Sergeant Finlay, and troopers Cleary

Underwood, and Dungog, started to-day in pursuit, the woman also accompanying them in disguise. At Gloucester tlie police intend to secure the services of a black fellow, as guide and tracker; end we hope shortly to be able to report a capture of the whole of them. But wo fear that by the time (ho police arrive at the spot, he will have shifted his quarters in some other direction, as it was nine duvs before the woman reached here. Stroud. 23rd‘March, 1866. A Busheaxgeb Beat off.— On Saturday night a man entered Mr Campbell’s Woodside Inn, on the Sydney road, and called for a glass of beer. Mr Campbell was behind the bar, and not liking the appearance of Ins customer, hesitated to serve him, whereupon the fellow drew a pistol and demanded money.' Mr Campbell told his assailant to lower the pistol, but the robber refused to do so. An altercation then ensued when Campbell pluckiiy told the fellow if he did not drop the pistol he should be obliged to make him. Suiting the action to the word, he van round the counter and made towards the bushranger, who lost courage and fairly took to his heels as Campbell approached. The landlord followed tho fellow outside and chased him along tho road, but fear gave wings to the would-be thief, and he effected his escape. There wore some five or six persons in the house at the lime, and the noise having attracted their attention they came out, but not until Mr Campbell was returning. Mr Campbell deserves praise for Ins pluck, and we are quite sure there would not be half so many oases of robbery, if others would follow the example thus set, and not offer such a prcmiim for the commission of crime, by tamely submitting to every bullying cur, who fancies it is easier to get a living with a pistol than by honest industry.