The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-28
BUS.HRANGLNG.
One of the "Instttutiona" Of New South
Wales,

A correspondent of the London Spectator, who
IS writing series OF papers on The Institutions
I'm New South Wales probably the greater part
OF the population is of convict descent. 1t is i'm
possible 10 say what prOportlon, for the line of
separation is no longer strictly preserved as it
once was between free settlers and emancipists;
aud questions are not often asked noW-a-
days about origin and patronage. The ten
dency OF the cOnvlcts when they get
their liberty was 10 90 to the remote
districts rather than to the towns. Many be-
came shepherds or hut-keepers on remote sta
tions. The children born in the bush have grown
up with less instruction, religious or secular, and
often in worse panionship than their fathers.
For who was 10 look after them? Squatters,
even if they had the will to do SO, were lew and
far between, ana squatters' wives lever still. The
voluntary system does not supply clelgymen
where there is no demand although common
sense and common experience show that where
there is the least demand there is the sorest need.
Those who remain OF the congicts sent fr )m
England are old men now, except few who
have come across from Tasmania, for 1t is more
than quarter OF a century since the last ship
load of them entered Port Jackson But they
have lett legacy behind them which is empha-
ucaliy the peculiar institution OF New south
Wales bushrangng In the old times bush
rangers were simply escaped prisoners, often
desperate rutfans, who took life when it suited
them without scruple. Even then they were
rsrs IN England. FamilIqritv with criminals
had taught the more humane among the settlers
to consider them as men OF like passions with
themselves, and not as only parahs aud enemies
of the human race. Many of the loW Wer class
hardly disguise their sympathy with these sue
cesstul outlaws.
"There Is a tinge Of romance about their lives.
bushranger is q greater and treer man than
q HounsloW HE ehwayman of century ago. He
rides an excellent horse and leads another by
his side. He is armed with siX-shooter,' and
perhaps with rifle as well. He has miles and
miles of country to roam over, and many a hut
where fear or sympathy will at any time provide
him with food or nights lodging. Boys at
school play at bushranger, and no boy, if he can
help 1t, wall act the ingloriOus part of police
man. Even the name Of the profession has been
dgnhed by being turned into Latin. There is
an inscription in the principal church OF sydney
TO some one ldtIOne U1Jd91te Occ1SO. Aud so 1t
has come to pass that bushranging, which Ian
gulshed for many years, has broken cut again
with as great vlgor Rs ever.
"Tne country is distributed between different
gangs. asked the driver of the Wollongong
mail if he had ever been stuck upN His reply
was, Not for nearly year, On the main north
road, along which you seldom travel mile
without meeting somebody, the mail coach was
stopped at one O'Clock in the day by single
armed man, who calls himself ThundeIbolt and
carries on his depredatlons 10 this district He
compelled the driver 10 drlye off the road into
the bush, and there deliberately took down the
mail bags, and carried them off on led horse
A few days later he unexpectedly came upon a
policeman, who at once fired at him. He had
just time to cover himself behind the horse he
was leading; the bullet struck the led horse,
and he escaped on the one he was riding.
Less than three weeks after the first robbery
he again stopped the same mail coach, and the
same driver, almost at the same place; this time
at night.
''The account in the Sydney paper was as fol-
lows THE down mail from MusWellbank to
Singleton, with two days' mails. was stuck up by
Thunderbolt this morning AT three o'clock, be-
tween GTasstree Hll and the Chain Of Ponds.
With the exception of one bag, all the letters
We're taken by him. The police are in pursuits
Generally bushranglLg story only gets into
snail type in a corner OF the paper, and very
seldom indeed inspires leading article. You
may sometimes see Two OF three in such accounts
! i'll single daily paper
1.-THE most formidable gang is in the Lower
! Murrumbidgee, and is known as Blue Caps
gang. / should ike to quote unabridged q
column of the newspaper in which some OF their
! doings are described, but it is too long. 1t de-
scrlbes how IN about a fortnight they stuck
up Two mails, two public houses shooting al
the owner Of one, but fortunately not hitting
! hm), a steamer on the river, and four stations,
| taxing all money, arms, horses and yaluables
Ihey round. Only one man, mail man, made
serious resistance. lie was mounted and carried
| large duelllng pistol in each sleeve, and q
revolver IN his belt Finding he was Outnum-
bered, he fled, closely pursued by two OF the
gang, who soon ovcrhauled him. Pistol shots
were exchanged in quick succession, the horses
gong all the time at full speed. In the end
the mail man, after wounding Blue Cap in the
hand, had come to his last barrel, when his
horse fell with him, and he was at the mercy o.
his assaiIants. Blue Cap was tor giving hin
ten minutes to prepare Tor death and then
shooting him; but his life was spared at the
enreaty Of n woman and Of one Of the gang
who was friendly 10 him.
"a very pretty sensation story this, one
would have thought, and rather catch for al
editor. But, no; it is stale subject. And so th'
newspaper, for want OF something better had {
leader ON the expenses of Greenwich Hospital
This wholesale plunderng of houses and sta
tions does not often happen. In general, nC
violence is offered except ia resisting capture
FOR uuless a bushranger has already forfeited
his life by committing murder. he win abstait
from taking lite If he can, being pretty sure tina
1or any number OF highway robberies he will
only be punished, at the worst, with penal seryi
tude Tor life, and that if he behaves we'll il
prison he may very likely be at large again II