The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-08-21
THE FEARFUL STRUGGLE BEGAN.

So far, l had acted only on the defen-
sive, with view of trying my mans
endurance and firing him pretty well
out, before | took the aggressive, and
l soon found that he was beginning to
breathe quick and short, and was
evidently weakening.
Calling my old wrestling lessons
into play, then threw him three times
in succession, but without much effect
as the ground was soft and | was too
light either to iniure him by falling on
him or to break his hold, so that |
might get room to strike. After each
fall we rose still locked together, and
| the fight was becoming monotonous and
risky, as the other rutlian might revive
at any moment, in which case my
shrift would be short indeed. Just at
this juncturc | Glanced to remember an
old dodge learned in boxing and,
changing my grip managed to get both
arms over the fellows shoulders, and
with locked hands pressed my thumbs
firmly into the back of his neck. The
result was inevitable In half a min
ute he was obliged to relax his hold,
and, springing back, dealt him. with
my right fist, q tremendous blow under
the left ear and he went headlong
down.
I'm jumping toward him l struck my
foot against something hard, and, stoop-
ing to grasp it, saw it was the blud-
gcon had seen in the hut! Catching
it up, gave the PROSTATE felon heavy
blow on the forehead, knocking him
completely senseless, and even in the
excitement of the moment / felt that
there was sort of grim irony in thus
disabling him with his own weapon.
But now had to move quickly ir
/ order to secure both scoundrelS and
prevent further mischief.
Hastily taking the collar and ten
foot rope off the dead cur, and utilizing
my own and their belts, | bound the
hands of the men behind their backs
and tied each one to separate sapling
in such way as to render release i'm
possible without outside help. Then
picking up and putting together my
gun and taking the bludgeon and big
pistol along, ] started once more for
Coleraine, finally arriving there safely
at about ten o'clock.
The people of the hotel, or inn,
ratl.er, were still up, and my appear.
ance, covered as l was with blood, Gre
ated Il decided sensation. My story
was ,uicllly told, and in ten minutes a
detachment of the horse police was
under way Tor the scene of my en-.
counter, taking with it spring cart
for the accommodation of the expected
prisoners. After cleaning up little
and having a couple of stitches put in
my wound, l ate a hearty supper and
went to bed-this being the first time
had slept under the roof of regular
house since leaving New York, more
than Il year before. l was not dis
turbed during the night, but on COM
ing down to breakfast in the morning
found myself quite a lion and pros.
pectively richer by one thousand dol
lars-the men brought in by the po-
lice, and whom l had been the
means of securing, proving to be the
only two remaining members of the
notorious Murrill gang of bushrangers,
for whose capture, dead or alive, the
government had standing reward of
91OO each. The court of assize was
then in session at Melbourne; the viii
lains were duly identified, tried, SEN
fenced to death and, within fortnight.
as duly hanged. (At the time of which
l write, escaped convicts, on being
found guilty of new crimes, of whatever
degree, were punished by DEATH.
received my 1900, which, after all, was
pretty fair pay for one evenings work. {"
Frank told this story as coolly and
with as little vain glory az # announc-
ing victory at baseball; and | have
since seen documentary proofs of it's
absolute truth. w. THOMSON.