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

THE BUSHRANGERS
My story has one great merit; it is
truc. 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.
1ne scoundrels had short and not
very brilliant career, but the details
which | earned from eye-w,tnesses, the
facts cat came out in Re rolice court.
where l had the pan cul tdty to sit as
one the committing magistrates in the
case OF che Of them, and the subsequent
awful ate Ct the C-her, together make
up record crime not unworthy o. re-
production: and should this story reach
the eye Of any of those VINO were con-
cerned IN it, they will pardon me for
adher1ng so scrupulouslv to the bare
facts and incidents that 1 have not even
su oppressed their names
During the terrible drought in De
cember, 1868, OF WIN "a Australian
"squatters" VII have lively but bitter
recollection, so great were my straits,
that | had direcs. two of my overseers,
James McNall and Henry Couch, to
brand and prepare some twenty thou
sand sheep 9 for the road" ID travel 10
search of grass and water, now getting
very scarce in my own country. The
draftlng-yards were at Cons Hut an
out-station about evenly miles from
Fort Bourke. Ha' q mile up the War
rego river from this place WIS a bush
public house, kept oy one William
Shearer fifteen mi further nv Belalie
heed station. For many nj 10 other
human habitation broke the q cary
monotOny o. Wh2g : termed In Australia
The Busl,' bat what in reality con-
sists Of succession Of bare and parched
plains, intersected at long intervals by
narrow belts of timber or occasional pine
ridges. Suddenly the men were dis
turbed IN Their work, as they afterWard
tod me, by the sound of sevc tal shots
fired almost simultaneously in lie direc-
ton G tee public house. To catch their
hOb0ied horse saddle them, and gallon
off to see :" what was 10 al Euiy Shear
e, Is" was lie work Ct a few minutes.
Now what did happen at Saearer's"
| will describe by giving, as near as
memory will serve Inc, the substance Of
his evidence al The trial. he stated that
abouo noon Oh this December day he was
standing beb 10 his counter in the bar,
a small roo n ab0u. ten feet square, when
q party of men, consisting of Sergeant
McCa5e, OF the New South Vale mount
ed police, McManus, trooper of the
Queensland force, and their black boy,
the native tracker," Icje %, and hav-
ing alight51 inquired il anv hing had
been heard OF two bushrangers, Pearson
and Rutherford, adding that they were
wanted about a lie sticking-up" case
In which they had been concerned, and
had been tracked to that locality.
Shearer knew Rutherford ON his hav-
ing been but few months previously
one of ne ,ion hands and was able
to inform TIE police that this outlaw, at
any rate, had not yet pat / an appear
ance; the police must nave missed them
in the bush and gone ahead o them.
Tie sergeant had just sat down on a
small form on the left front of the bar,
placing his rife within reach age INST the
cOunter-tGe Of Ter constable was stand
ing beside him-when two men rode up,
hitcled their horses 20 the veTapda posts
in front o the inn. arr without warn
ing the herfoId-entered
the room, anu covering Shearer with his
revolver, uttered the formula 50 much
dreaded al the time ia Austrs la % Bail
up" the doorway at ,-e same me be-
III occupied by the other man, Pearson,
also revolver IN hand. Binding them
selves IN sucn close proximity 10 the
poll, was no uou0t most uneXpected
surpT, =. but Sergeant McClbe's chal-
lenge 20 surrendtf' had no other effect
Than TO ca Use Rutherford to wheel half
round after his aim, and fire.. McCabe.
3sI, appeared 4. .eivilg the ball as he
was IL the act of leaning forward, and
thous / without time TO bring his rife
L tie shoulder, di charging il in that
aJti,l st Pearson III the doorway, The
scene OF confusion was indescribab bic
the small room was dense with smoke
SIX shot it is believed, having been ex-
caanged IN almost - many seconds st
such terribly close quarters.
The bushrangers rushed for the horses.
which had broken away in the melee.
caught them ana {. eam ped but Pear
son was seen 10 drop his Ievo YER and TO
be staggering ana As was subsequently,
discovered, was shot through the wrist
and the shoulder. McCabe was down.
MORALLY wour ded, and the first care
seems to have been for him, a circum-
stance winch explains The almost unmo-
Tested escape o. he bushrangos.
1t VS. : tbs iunc,ure that the over
seers, fIcNail and Z)uch. came upon
the scene, and, without further delay,
armed themselves with NOR Moi % no :
rife and revolver, and. accompanied by
the unhur. trooper and his native boy,
went in pursUit. Following the tracks,
they reached he head Il on, Belaile,
where they earned that Pearson and his
me- e had been before them, had helped
themselves to TWO OF my best horses,
abandoning their own, sad, leaving the
road. had struck ous due west across the
sEsh. This oeeasiened some surprise, as