St. Landry democrat., 1879-04-19
THE BUSHRANGERS,

4 - ~ Z.
Ny story has one great merit it ia
true. A simple narration, therefore, of
the following authentic events in con-
nection with two notorious Australian
bushrangers, Pearson and Rutherford,
may be read with some interest.
The scoundrels had short and not
very brilliant career, but the details
which | learned from eye>witnesses, the
facts that came out in the police cour t
where [ had the painful duty to sit as
one of thesommitting magistrates in the
case of one of them, and the subsequent
awful fate of the other, together make
up record of crime not unworthy OF
reproduction and should this story
reach the eyes OF any OF those who were
concerned in it, they will pardon me for
adhering go scrupulously to the bare
facts and incidents that have not even
suppressed their names. a.. r..
During the terrible drought in De.
cember, 1868, of which Australian
"squatters " will have lively but bitter
recollection, so great were my straits.
that had directed two of my overseers
James McNall and Henry Couch, to
brand and prepare some twenty thousand
sheep "!or the road" to travel in search
of grass and water now getting very
scarce in my own country. The drafting
yards were at "Con's Hut" an OUT
station about seventy miles from Fort
Bourke. Half mile up the Warrego
liver from this place was bush public
house, kept by one William Shearer.
fifteen miles further, my Belalie head
station. For many miles no other human
habitation broke the dreary monotony of
what is termed in Australia " the bush,'
but what in reality consists in a success
sion of bare and parched plains, .nter>
seeted at long intervals by narrow belts
OF timber and occasional pine RIDGE.
Suddenly the men were disturbed il
their work, as they afterward void me
by the sound of several shots fred almost
simultaneously in the direction of the
public house. To catch their hobbled
horses, saddle them, and gallop of to see
what was up at Billy sheaver's," was
the work of a few minutes.
Now what did happen at "Shearer's''
l will describe by giving, as n ear as
memory will serve me, the substance of
his evidence at the trial. He stated that
about noon on this December day he
was standing behind his counter in the
bar, small room about ten feet square
when party of men, consisting OF Ser
geant ,McCabe, of the New South Wales
mounted police, McManus, trooper of
The Queensland force, and their black
boy, the native tracker," rode I'D and
having alighted, inquired if anything
hsd been heard of two bushrangers, Pear.
son and Rutherford, adding that thsv
were wanted about late "stick ine.upn
case in which they had been concerned
and had been tracked to that locality.
Shearer knew Rutherford from his bav- |
ing been but q few months previously |
me OF the station hands, and was able |
10 inform the police that this outlaw. at |
sny rate: had not yet put i an appear>
anee; the police must have missed them
in the bush and gone ahead of them, i4i
The sergeant had just sat down on
mall form on the left front of tie bar
''iatclng his rife within reach against the
other constable was stand
ng beside him-when two men rode m
hltched their horses to the veranda posta
n 'front.' OF the inn, and without warning
The foremost, Rutherford, entered tha |
DOM, and covering Shearer with his
eVolyer, uttered the formula so much
ifeaded at thestime in Australia, "Bail
the doorway at the same time
icing occupied by the other man, Pear.
on, also revolver in hsnd. FINDING
themselves in auch, close proximity to
be police was no doubt most unex>
oected surprise, but Sergeant MeCabe's
'hallenge " to surrender" had no other
feet than to cause Rutherford to wheel
'ait round after his aim, and fire.
dcCabe, as it appeared, receiving the
vail as he was in the act of leaning for
yard, and though without time to bring
y rifle to the shoulder, discharging it
that attitude at Pearson ID the door !
ray. The scene of confusion was inde- !
pfinanie -the small room was dense