THE BINALONG AND YASS MAIL STUCK UP BY GILBERT AND HALL.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 28, 11 January 1864, Page 6 (Supplement)

THE BINALONG AND YASS MAIL STUCK UP BY GILBERT AND HALL.

(From the ITass Courier.) The impunity with which the Burrowa and Biualong mail was stuck up on Saturday last by those masters of the roads, Messrs Gilbert and Hall, appears to have given renewed courage tothe freebooters to continue their command over the post office bags while in transitu. About half-pasi five o'clock on Wednesday evening last, while Richard Henry, in the employ of Mr Jacob Marks, the contractor, was conveying the mails from Binalong to Yass, he was stuck up by Gilbert and Hall. As to the identity of the bushrangers there can be no doubt, as their faces were not disguised in any manner, and Richard (or Dick, as he is better known by, a half-caste aboriginal), had the opportunity of fully recognising them as those well-known bushrangers, who, in company with Gardiner, waited upon him professionally while he was conveying the mails in the neighborhood of Murruraburrah, some two years past. The details, so far as they have reached .us, are as follows: — Whilst pro.on his journey, Dick observed som^-^Ss drawn off the side of the road into V P?<-= e ' f - improbable ihcib any would hav' e been willingly token. -'This cir^ums s^ l^-- nused his suspicion-;/ Alter h^ 'i-d ;;a"oO'J. them a *;■-.*.« roph across the v^ »*d then re- .%' ■•■* :Lp. mi\inp, ■■t£;&xi i Az&n-Ci>p'ST&>* ; '&-:,

tell her to stop. This was done, but she urged on her horse, ajnd wliile getting out of sight, another of the bushrangers who then made his appearance, said, "let her go, she^ only a woman.'' The equestrian got away without further interruption. The mailman was then ordered to gp to the side of thfe road where the teams Jwere and where .the scoundrels had th6 overseer of Messrs. Paterson bailed up. Hall commenced pulling out the bags ; cut the string, and upset the contents on the grass. Whatever notes they found in the letters they put into their pockets, and one of the two proposed to burn the cheques, saying that the Wretches onlysent|chequesnow-a-days; butaftera remonstrance from the other he desisted from his intention. They kept the mailman for about an hour or an hour and a half in custody. He represents them to be exceedingly gentlemanlylooking men, well dressed; they had plenty of gold chains ornamenting their person, and to use his own words, " Gilbert's necktie was tied with as much neatness as that of any swell." Amongst the articles taken from the mail-bags was a gold brooch containing a photograph likeness. Several letters were torn up, but strange to say that one, not registered, which contained £5, was left untouched by the bushrangers. The mailman states that while they were searching the bags, Hall told Gilbert that he had got £7 in cash, a gold watch, two rings, and a locket. Gilbert said he had either £26 or £27. One of the rings was subsequently returned to the mailman. They then rode away, About ten o'clock the same night a traveller on foot was passing along the same road in the direction of Yass, and when stooping down to pick up what he thought was a piece of stick, he found it to be a p ir of spectacles, and near to them he also discovered the labels of the mail ba»s. He put them into his pocket, and when reaching Cobra Hill he noticed two men, who from the description must have been Gilbert and Hall, sitting on the grass, each one holding a horse by the reins. He saluted them and asked for a light for his pipe ; one of them struck a match, and affer a few minutes of conversation he left, they bidding him good night. On information being given to the police at Yass, they proceeded i» pursuit. On the. same night Cwp valuable race-horses were stole.n,from Mr (Carry's, at Mjlora, near Binalorigi it'is supposed "by Gilbert and Hall. Speculation points to the probability that the two attacks on the mails' conveying Burrangong bags have arisen from the fact that the Chinese compensation money is in the course of payment at Ycung, and that the bushrangers have expected the transmission of a considerable portion of it to Sydney, or other places by these conveyances.