INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4387, 12 April 1875, Page 5

INTERCOLONIAL NEWS.

NEW SOUTH WALES. EXTRAORDINARY AND EXCITING SCENE IN A THEATRE. One of the most extraordinary scenes that ever occurred in a public place of amusement was witnessed by the audience of the Victoria Theatre last night during the performance of the “ Shaughraun.” In consequence of the crowded state of the house, there were a number of persons as usual leaning on the stage from the stalls. Amongst them was a gentleman who had a number of sheets of blank paper, upon which he was apparently taking notes, after the manner of reporters. Soon after the curtain rose on the famous “ wake” scene, this person placed his foot upon the side orchestra partition, leaped upon the stage, and throwing himself on his knees at the feet of one of the actresses, addressed to her some fervid but incoherent terms of endearment and promises of eternal love. Whether this passion and infatuation was of sudden growth or long standing, of course we cannot say, but the effect upon the actors and the audience may better be imagined than described. The corpse of Conn stared in amazement, the keeners were puzzled, and the audience, after comprehending the nature of the affair, burst out into yells of laughter, disapprobation, and finally applause, as the stage-manager ran the offender out at the wings, where a dozen willing hands were ready, to push the unfortunate wight down stairs and out at the stage entrance into the street. The gentleman so suddenly overcome by the sight of the object of his passion, is said to have' once held her Majesty’s commission as an officer, and has ample means.— Sydney Evening News, 17th March. BUSHRANOING IN NEW SOUTH WALES ONCE MORE. The following particulars of the sticking-up of the mail near Gundaroo, is taken from the Queanleyan Age ; “ Mr. W. Davis brought news into town on Wednesday evening to the effect that the Sydney mail despatched from Queauheyan that morning had been stopped by an armed bushranger about eight miles beyond Gundaroo township, who, to effect his purpose, suddenly appeared in the middle of the road, and, without a word of demand or warning, deliberately fired at the driver with a pistol which he held in his hand. Phillip Pooley, the contractor, was driving, and was so terribly alarmed at the sudden and murderous attack, that he leaped at once from the back of the buggy, and ran for his life back towards Gundaroo, without stopping for one moment to see whether he was pursued, or what became of the mails. As soon as he had stated his case, his brother, John Pooley, W. Bolton, and others, set off for the scene of the assault. On overhauling the vehicle, they found that all the mail bags were there, but cut open and the letters abstracted, the newspapers remaining untouched. From P. Pooley, the driver, we learned the following further particulars ;—■ “ The man who robbed the mail is described by P, Pooley as a short, thickset man, with a downcast and bad expression of countenance, about thirty-five or forty years of age. He did not instantly fire at the driver, but accosting him in the road, bade him turn off at once into the bush, adding, when asked what for, ‘ I’ll soon silence you when I get you down. He had a pistol in each hand. Finding resistance useless, Pooley turned his horse in the direction indicated by the robber, but whilst the fellow was walking behind him he turned his head to look at him. The scoundrel, who had both weapons pointed at him, instantly pulled the trigger, and providentially only the cap snapped. Alarmed at this close following upon his threats, the driver leaped from his seat and made off as before described, leaving everything to the robber, who was not in any way disguised.” The Ooidburn Advertiser gives the following account of the arrest of the robber of the Gundaroo mail;—“ Last Friday evening about 7 o’clock, from information received to the effect than an endeavor had been made to pass as a £!> note two halves of different numbers stitched together, Senior-sergeant Fenton, accompanied by Constable Pritzler, proceeded to the Kun of Water, four miles from Goulburn ; and in the bush opposite Horton’s public-house they apprehended a man who gave his name as Peter Plunkett. Ho was camped close by, ■

and appeared to he travelling on foot, and at the time of Senior-sergeant Eenton coming up to him was carrying a billy of water towards where his swag was. Mr. Eenton, who was m plain clothes, rode up and at once apprehended him. On securing and searching his swag, two pistols were found, and some Parcels notes, including several of £5 and £lO stitched together, but the numbers not corresponding, Senior-sergeant Eenton charged Plunkett with the robbery, whereupon he admitted that he was the perpetrator, saying there were no backdoors about him, and that when ho could not see his way out of it there was no use giving trouble. He was brought into Goulhum and confined in the look-up, where he was identified by Philip Pooley, the driver of the mail on the occasion of the robbery.” £SOO was found m his possession.