NEW SOUTH WALES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 452, 7 February 1867, Page 3

NEW SOUTH WALES.

MURDER OF CARROLL AND PARTY, AT JINDEN, NEAR BRAIDWOOD. [From the Sydney Morning Herald's Correspondent,] J anuary 13. With a heavy heart I now take the pen to record the most cowardly and brutal murder of four persons in the no]ice service, winch will rank amongst the most horrible crimes ever perpetrated in New South Wales. _ The victims of this cold-blooded assassinst’on sre ft-- men lately sent by Government as detectives to try and arrest, and also put down the extended bushranging operations of Clarke, his brother, and their gang. Their names were John Carroll, the officer in charge of the party, Patrick Kennagh, E. S. Macdonald, and John Fagan. The first three men, until their new appointment, were warders at Darlinghurst gaol. About four months ago they reached this town en route to the Jingerra and Jerubegully ranges. After being a few days camped in midst of the ranges as a surveying party, always keeping their horses saddled, and themselves carrying their revolvers, on a dark, wet night, at about seven o’clock, a volley was tired on the tent, the inmates being inside. How they escaped unhurt is really a mystery. However, nobody was hurt. They all rushed out of their tent, took positions behind trees, and kept firing on their assailants without effect, under a pelting rain, for about two hours, until, at last, the cowardly murderers fled without accomplishing their object. They at once determined never to camp any more in a tent. From that occurrence the greater part of their duty was performed on foot, and they began to puzzle the bushrangers and their confederates in a most disagreeable manner. One day they were in a locality, and the next day they were fifty miles away. Everywhere they were seen, everywhere they were to be heard of. At that time their plan was to come unex peccedly on the bushrangers and take them by surprise, if possible, dead or alive. But the country being a little less than a den of thieves, connected either by marriage or misdeeds, the public officers had no chanco of carrying out their plans, as they were closely watched by the outlaws’ associates ; and after several narrow chances, they were compelled to adopt different plans. Carrol determined to try what bribery could do, and in that they succeeded so well that they eOon found who was harboring Clarke’s gang and supplying them with the munitions of war Several arrests were made—Michael Connell, a relative of* the outlaw, and postmaster and publican at Oremmeir, was the first brought before the Braidwood Bence, ami after a lengthened examination of the clearest evidence, ho was committed to take his trial at the next sessions.

At the time of the arrests of the accomplices were being made, the party had ■~ereral times to be divided. Once, when Berry was going to be apprehended. Kennagh and Fagan were sent by their officers to Ginuess’s house, ten miles away, through a scrubby country from where i Berry usually resided. Just as they' started two suspicious looking characters passed by Berry’s house, and Carrol very justly feared that an attempt at rescue might be made and was iu a fix how to act, as he wished to keep watching Berry’s house, when two constables, properly mounted and armed, came by at the time. He informed them of what he was about, and also of his fear, asking them to go and meet his men by the regular road, as they had taken the road through the bush. The troopers only laughed at him, and told him to do his work himself, and decamped. However, the arrest was safely made, and the prisoner duly lodged in Braidwood gaol. When the cases were brought before the Bench Carrol conducted the cases for the Crown, and in his opening speech said that in the performances of his duties he had met with more interference and trouble from the regular police than he had from the bushrangers and their confederates, excepting Mr Superintendent Orridge and Sergeants Duffy and Smith. He was asked to make some specific charges, and he then stated that even that morning, before the Court was opened, tne prisoner Connell was allowed to speak in private to his wife, although in custody at the time. Of the result of this complaint the public never heard a word. This shows the feeling of some of the officers towards these unfortunate martyrs.

' Threats were freely indulged in by men under the surveillance of the secret police, and by those who had been arrested as harbourers. On the night of the sth inst. Carrol and the others started on their last expedition, and what took place from that time is not known, I will therefore let you know what I have heard. One of the objects of this trip into the bush was to complete evidence against some of the police for having actually partaken of the plunder of the Foxlotv robberies. As I said before, on the night of the sth instant our volunteers, as they were nicknamed in the town, left Braidwood for the den of their murderers. On Thursday evening, the 10th instant, it was reported that lour bodies were discovered a short distance from each other. Preparations were then, made by Mr Orridga, Dr Pattison, and Mr Griflin. They started at 12 p.m, to go and hold magisterial inquiries. The result of these inquiries we have not heard. From what I can gather it appears that Carrol and ~n>s party were going from Smitn g pmcc at Jinden, where they were in plant at about 8 pm, towards the house of a man named Qioness, about four miles distant, which

was known to them to fee a favorite resort Clarke’s party. They had to pass through a very scrubby bush. At about ha!f~amiie from Smith’s place the first two bodies were found; and on each side of the road two very large trees are standing, behind which—it is the opinion of the black tracker—several men had been standing. On following the trail from these tress the other two bodies were found. M'Donald had been wounded in the thigh, and when his „body was found his leg was actually twisted round his body: he had several shots through his body. Fagan seemed as if ho had had a straggle with his assassins before death put a stop to his suffering; he had also several shots through his body The other two unfortunate men seem to have had quicker deaths. Carrol was shot through the temple, and Kennagh through the throat. Carrol was found lying on his back ; and the murderous villains had, before leaving him, pinned a one-pound note across his chest, after having rifled his pockets. They carried with them, when leaving Braidwood, five of Tranter’s best revolvers, two five-barrel revolving rifles, and a large quantity of ammunition, three of which have been found. Carrol had also a very large sum of money in notes, as ha had to pay very high for his information. It is surmised that when in plant at Smith’s, our volunteers were informed by a spy of the bushrangers that Clarke’s party was then at Ginness’s, and when on theirjroad thither they were murderously attacked and dropped, one by one, without having a chance of returning fire. I know they were four brave men, determined, at any risk, to fulfil the duty they entered upon, and to honestly earn the reward they expected for their hazardous duties I know they have several times been cautioned, and even begged, not to trust themselves to the word or information of the people of that part of the country, and even not to trust their lives in that locality ; but at every friendly remonstrance they answered, “Wo have a duty to fulfil ; we will do so fearlessly, let the consequences be what they will.” It is a prevailing opinion in town that neither the outlaw Clarke nor any one of his gang committed this murder, but that the perpetrators are some of the barborers and associates.