NEW SOUTH WALES BUSHRANGERS AGAIN.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Volume I, Issue 50, 21 October 1863, Page 1 (Supplement)

NEW SOUTH WALES BUSHRANGERS AGAIN.

(From the Bathurst Times, Sept 23.)

As the coach from Carcoar was coming towards Bathurst, last Saturday afternoon, and when about a mile on the other side of Blaney, two men in drab-colored coats galloped out of the bush on the right-hand side of the road, and shouted to the driver to "pull up," which he did. They were armed with carbines, and going up to the coach, ordered a passenger (the only one) named Garland to get out. Upon his doing so, one cf them ordered him to "hand over" his money, which he declined, though they threatened to give him a " good hiding." He persisted in his refusal, telling them they might blow his brains out if they chose, when one of the men who had got off his horse, went up and thrust his hands into his pockets. Garland, seeing four revolvers in his waist, and a carbine in his hand, thought it better to submit—more especially as the other villain was on his horse at the back of him. After rifling his pockets, and turning everything out on the ground, by which means they obtained five £1 notes and a sovereign, they ordered the coachman to drive into the bush, in the direction from which they had come, telling the passenger to follow them, which he did, after picking up the remainder of his property from the road. The place where the coach was stuck-up was in a hollow, and the direction the coachman took, when ordered to drive off the road, lay up hill. At a distance of 300 yards, on a ridge commanding a view of the road, the coach party came upon eight or nine individuals—one of them a trooper —who were sitting and lying on the ground. On guard over them was a man on horseback, with his face enveloped in a handkerchief—holes being cut in it for his mouth and eyes. He was heavily armed, having pistols in holsters, besides revolvers and a carbine, like the others. Garland mixed with the prisoners, and learnt that they had all been subjected to the same treatment as himself. The bushrangers, meanwhile, unharnessed the coach-horses, of one of which they took particular notice. Seizing the mail-bags, they sat down (the man on horseback remaining as sentry) and, cutting them, deliberately opened every letter and newspaper, the contents of which they tossed on one side, with the exception of bank notes, which they pocketed. There were a great many cheques, but they threw them away, grumbling at the coachman, as they did so. for bringing such useless things. Having finished their examination, they searched the coach, and found a cheese, when they called out to one of the prisoners to produce a damper he had—for, being hungry, they said they would have a feed. They offered to give all present a portion of the food, but it was declined, and having eaten what they could they cut the remainder into slices, and placed it in their saddle-bags. A general conversation ensued, in which the bushrangers indulged in many witticisms at the expense of the captive policeman, and told him to give

their compliments to Superintendent Morrisett, and tell him that if he would engage to meet them at any given place, and bring four men and a hundred pounds with him, they would ease him of that amount. A remark was made about the poorness of their horses, when they said they had better ones in reserve, but would like to get a change. They were asked why they did not give up the life they were pursuing, when one of them answered, "It's of no use, they won't let us now; they are trying to catch us, bo as to make us dance on nothing." One of them, looking at the trooper, said as they had caught him, he wished they could catch another; whereupon the man on guard said he believed there was one coming along the road. The two instantly jumped into their saddles, rode down the road, and shortly afterwards returned with another victim (not a policeman) leading a race-horse. They asked the man whom the horse belonged to, when he told them it was the property of Mr. Daniel Mayne, of Forbes, and was called Ketriever. They immediately took possession of it, and transferred some of the trappings from one of their own horses on to its back.

Shortly aftei wards another individual was seen tramping along the road, when the disguised bushranger rode down and brought him up to the camp, where he was at once searched, and £5 taken from him. He complained bitterly of the robbery, and told them he was very sick, and also a poor man, upon which they gave him back a pound. Garland then asked them not to leave him without a penny, as he had to travel to Sydney, and they immediately threw him ten shillings. Two more men were subsequently captured, brought up, and searched in a similar manner, but only having a few shillings nothing was taken from them. Before returning them the silver, though, one of the bushrangers offered to toss them for it. Those present now began to demur at being kept prisoners so long, and asked to be allowed to go, but were told to be quiet, and were detained till nearly five o'clock, when it was intimated they might go on their journey.

While the coachman was harnessing his horses to the coach (which was the identical one that was attacked when the late rescue was attempted) one of the bushrangers pointed out the track of the bullet, which it will be remembered was described as being at Mr Morrisett, and explained how that gentleman jumped away before the bullet tore through the vehicle. Another took up the policeman's carbine, and pointing to a tree, said, "I\ow, see how I can shoot a man." He raised the piece, took aim, and pulled the trigger, but it missed fire, and on a second trial the same thing happened again. At this he became enraged, cursed the weapon, and seizing it by the barrel smashed it to atoms on the trunk of a tree. As the coach regained the road the three bushrangers came up and passed before it at a gallop, and went down the hill in the direction of Blaney, at a rapid pace. The mail, however, on reaching the flat in sight of Blaney, was again stopped by the same men, they being engaged in the middle of the road in inspecting a valise belonging to Mr Beardmore, of Forbes, who it appears they had fallen in with riding along, and ordered him to dismount. Mr Beardmore appeared to be anything but a passive spectator of the scene, and offered to give the man who was turning over his things a cheque for £2O, with the promise that he would not stop its payment, if he would stand up man to man at twelve paces and let him have a shot at him. The fellow eyed him, and asked him what good it would do, as if he chanced to shoot him, he (Mr Beardmore) would be shot by his companions immediately after. There was no money in the valise, but a ring was found, which Mr Beardmore begged them not to take away, as it had been a present from a friend. After looking at it and passing it to each other, they complied with his request, by handing it to him, and mounting their horses, rode off. The coach then resumed its journey and arrived in Bathnrst about nine o'clock in the evening. The description given of the men, and the fact of their recognising the coach as the one they had formerly attacked, leaves no doubt but that they were O'Meally, Gilbert, and Burke. They were decently dressed, had watches, and one of them wore a large gold ring. Another had appropriated the trooper's cartouche-box. Throughout, it is said, they were remarkably cool, quiet, and determined [Since the above was written, we have heard that the same gang, accompanied by Vane, stuck up three young men on Flood's Mount, later in the evening, and at sundown they were observed "rounding up" some horses, who objected to them taking them; they said they were policemen, and that they had orders to take, on an emergency, the first horses they could lay their hands on. The one who acted as spokesman, when asked his name, replied " Sanderson." They were last seen passing Cheshire's public-house.]