The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-02-22

Rutherford, who knew the ground, must
have been aware that such a route, if
persisted in, would necessitate seventy
miles without water, and that, too, with
a wounded comrade.
Occasionally across the wide plains
the fugitives were sighted, riding leisure
ly along, little suspecting how closely
they were followed; and our men had to
check their pace, as their tactics were to
keen them / ignorance of pursuit, with
the nope of being able to &c ke them by a
night surprise, when. as was naturally
expected, they would go into camp"
McNall has described to me how, on one
occasion, where the plains were smaller
ana he Jumps of timber more frequent,
they were able to get ", Thin rife-shot,
ana he was sorely tempted to show them
as Little consideration as they had shown
the poor sergeant, and fire; but Zouch,
who, before he came to my employment,
had been sub-inspector OF police, and
had had much experience in hunting
down bushrangers, was bent on taking
them alive, and would not risk the
chance of a long shot. These cooler
counsels prevailed, and they steadily and
stealthily followed on. They were
doomed to disappointment in the end :;
for, almost incredible as j. may seem,
with a wounded man to endure such
heat ard fatigue, these hardy despera-
does made 10 halts. As night came on
our mer on tie other hand, were obliged
to camp, as they could no longer follow
the hoofmarks Of the fugitives' horses
without risk of los lg them altogether.
So soon, however, as the moon was up
they were again on tleir tracks, and tol-
lowed them I'LL soon after daylight,
when, worn out with thirst and fatigue
they reached Mr.. Vincent Downing
4antabulla station, on the Cuttaburra
river. Here they were mortified to find
that the bushrangers had again been too
quick for them, had run the station
horses into the yard, helped themselves
to fresh ones, and were away with some
hours clear start. 1t was , len decided
10 abandon the pursuit. There were at
that time few stations further west, and
sooner or later starvation would compel
the runaways TO return to inhabited
parts. The toOpers were left to watch
and endeavor to pick up further infor-
nation, while McNall and Zouch had re-
luctantly to return and look to their sta
tiOn duties.
AT the time when bushranging was
rife III Australia there were parts of the
country where, among a certain class of
small tLrmers and publicans, sympathy
was shown for bushrangers, and what
the police had to encounter before they
ult' nately succeeded in extiTpating the
evil was the great difficulty in getting
reliable information of the movements
of these marauders, who on the other
hand were themselves kept posted in the
movements of their pursuers, and the
office being given, were harbored or
assisted to escape by secret allies, who
seemed above suspicion. In the far in
ter or, where We lost sight of Pearson
and Rutherford, this was fortunately not
the case; here they would find no
cover" either from the nature o. the
country or the disposition Of the inhab-
itants. They could not hold out long
outside the occupied country, and when
forced to return, the population was so
hopes o. escape were slight. Added to
this, re excellent police force of the
colony was on the alert, ar border
patrols active and VIZ liant. Notwith-
standing, for upward OF a month there
was no sign; till one day Pearson was
sighted on foot in a range of hills near
Fort BouTke. He was easily captured,
and, when brought be ore tie bench, was
haggaTd and worn out with fatigue.
This unfortunate man was of COM
paratively gent e Dir >, had baen a med
zeal student in England and being sent
out to the colony to seek his fortune, had,
as is 30 often The case where a young
fellow is shipped of without friends, in
terest or capital, lost caste, got among
dissOlute companions, until, attracted
by what weakminded bOy7 would think
a uashing life, had come by rapid steps
to this terrible depth Of crime.
The case was simple-his only care
seemed to be to clear himself of the ac-
tual murdeTof McCabe. The law, how
ever, could take no cognizance O. this
whether he fired the shot or not lie
was equally guilty of the murder. He
was committed, tried and sentenced to
be hanged. Subsequently his sentence
was comm 1 ed to imprisonment for life,
aud when | last heard of him he was
81 an inmate of DlrliDghursu III
An extraordinary statement Of his was
that on leaving tie public house, he had
to be helped on to b morse in an almost
fa' lti1g condition, and yet held Up
through that eXhaustiug escape; that
day later, by his directions his mate ex-
tracted the ball from his shoulder with
his knife; and yet when taken, though
weak and i'll, no trace OF wounds save
the sears remained. He had parted
from Rutherford, as his enieebled state
was danger 10 bon and he had not
had the hardihood % attempt to make
his way through the Gordon formed by
the vic liant guardians of the peace.
But to h companion he was true as
steel, and would give no clue to the
direction Rutherford had taken.
The latter, who was much more eX-
perienced bushman. and in stronger
health, was successful in evading his
fate Tor some time iJnger. As was after
ward ascertained, he had contrived to
elude the police, and made his way to
the McQuarle river, some three hundred
miles nearer Sidney than the scene of
his late terrible outrage. He was
smart young fellow, a native Australian,
though of English parentage, and of
good address. Arriving in q district
where he was unknown, be had no diff
Guilty il getting employment, ana was
for some time engaged breaking-in horses
on cattle station, a duty be was well
able to perform.