CAPTURE OF THE MOONLIGHT GANG.

Kumara Times, Issue 989, 1 December 1879, Page 3

CAPTURE OF THE MOONLIGHT GANG.

[Per s.s. Claud Hamilton, at the Bluff.] A desperate encounteer has taken place with bushrangers. A gang of six bushrangers, headed by a man claiming to be the notorious Captain Moonlight, stuck up the Wontabadgery station, which is situated 25 miles east of the township of Wagga Wagga, early on bun day morning. Nineteen hands were bailed up for ten hours. The manager’ of the station at first proved intractable; but after receiving several kicks, he apologised on his knees, and was sent on the roof of the building to keep watch. When tile mail bag arrived, the bag was seized. Alexander M‘Donald, a boy escaped, bringing the news of the outrage to Wagga, when four troopers immediately left in pursuit, arriving at daybreak on Monday. The bushrangers were still at the station homestead. One came out, and refused to surrender, whereupon the police fired. The rest of the gang attacked the police, and a hot contest lasting over two hours, ensued; The marauders approached the polict in a semicircle, compelling them to seek the shelter of the neighboring station, leaving their horses behind. Five police from Gunforced them, and the bushrangers were overtaken about two miles from the station. Another serious engagement followed. The fight, which this time lasted for about an hour’, was witnessed from the neighboring hills by a large number of people. One bushranger beino- shot dead by Constable Ho wen the rest took shelter, but Bowen succeeded in shrx t ing another dead, himself being

seriously wounded in the neck. The third bushranger being wounded in the arm, two others surrendered, and the remaining one escaped. The gang also stuck up a store at Clarendon, robbing the mail. Two constables had their horses shot under them. Mr Bridge, a squatter, and two assistants, when trying to join the police, were stuck up by the gang. Beveredge was compelled by the leader to shoot his valuable horse. They were then “ court-mar-shalled” by the gang, and allowed five minutes to live. Fortunately, the attacking force arrived before the sentence was executed. The man calling O himself Moonlight is a prisoner, and uninjured. Constable Bowen was the man who shot the bushrangers at Bendeer in July, 1877. At Adalange when the telegram arrived -staling that armed men were in the district of Gundagai, special constables were sworn in, and the Turnbarn bu police were sent for their capture. Afterwards, when their capture became known and the specials disbanded, they discharged their firearms, causing a great fright to the people living in the outskirts of the town, who flocked in, expecting that the bushrangers had reached Adalange and that fighting was going on, or that great excitement existed. The Banks were guarded, and every precaution was taken. On the arrival at Cootamuncha of the news announcing the appearance of the bushrangers, Messrs Fishburn and Monton, two of the i ail way contractors’ men, volunteered to assist the police.

For remainder of news see last page