THREE POLICEMEN SHOT BY BUSHRANGERS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 257, 6 November 1878, Page 2

THREE POLICEMEN SHOT BY BUSHRANGERS.

FATAL THUNDERSTORM. MORE MASSACRES AT NEW CALEDONIA. Melbourne, Oct. 30. The events of the week have been of an exciting character. In the first place the Joint Committees of both Houses have failed to come to any agreement on the Reform Bill, as was generally anticipated, and the question will now probably be remitted to the Imperial Parliament. As an earnest of Mr Berry's intention to proceed to London he, in bis correspondence with the Lords, assured them that when the loan was being floated he would be in London to assist them with his advice. JThe Government anticipate closing the session by the end of next week, but with the business before the Assembly

that appears somewhat doubtful. On the extra Parliamentary days the Chief has not been idle. On Friday last he spoke at a political soiree at Clunes, and on Monday night presided at an annual meeting of the Reform League, and on both occasions be promised not to let the matter rest until satisfactorily settled. On Sunday night last Melbourne was startled by the intelligence from Mansfield that two constables had been shot dead, and that a sergeant of police was missing. It appears that two parties of police had been out in order to capture some bushrangers headed by two brothers named Kelly. Whilst a party of four police were encamped iu a rather inaccessible wooded country the bushrangers, four in number, suddenly made their appearance and bailed up two of the constables, one of whom, on attempting to draw his revolver, was shot dead, uM tl'e ether surrendered. Presently the sergeant and the other man came in, and one of the constables attempted to defend himself, but he was shot dead also. M'lntyre, who was married and hod previously surrendered, saw a chance and made his escape by jumping on his horse. Shots were fired after him and his horse was killed, but he escaped and reached Mansfield, a distance of 25 miles, on foot, after hiding away for Solne hours from bis pursuers. Sergeant Kelly, who was left with the ruffians, has not since beeu heard of, although every search has been made, and it is firmly believed that he too has been shot. The affair has created the profoundest sensation, aud armed parties of police have been sent out in pursuit. The country is very wild, and the capture of the desperate gang may be a work of difficulty and danger. The bodies of Constables Scanlon and Loney have been brought into Mansfield for burial. In August, 1877, a box containing 5000 sovereigns was stolen from the mail steamer Oarado. The police having got a clue to the robbery have arrested Marten Waller I;, formerly a carpenter on board the Oarado, who since his discharge from the vessel has been living on a selection on the Sangal river in South Gippsland. His place was searched, and a number of sovereigns were found most cleverly secreted away in a carpenter's plane and other tools in various parts of the log hut. He has since made a confession. Another person is implicated. The prisoner stands remanded. A terrific thunderstorm with very vivid lightning occurred on Monday. Messr3 Cheyue and Petigeais, overseers :ou W. J. C. Clarke's station at Bald Hill, about twenty miles from Melbourne, were struck by lightning and killed whilst superintending the working o f a steam plough. Melbourne is getting full of visitors for the race meeting. Intelligence just received from New Caledonia states that further massacres of a most atrocious description have been committed by the insurgent natives, and it is now evident that there is no security outside the military cordon. South Australia, owing to what she considers a breach of faith on the part of Victoria, intends to have a separate mail ocean service at a cost of £40,000 per annum. It is expected that the South Australian Parliament will be prorogued at the end of this month. Business in the Victorian markets is improving as the spring sets in, there being a better demand.