The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-09-14
A REMARKABLE BUSHRANGER

A REMARKABLE BUSHRANGER.
: There had never been a bushrange
before Bill q forgot his outside" name
in Western Australia. and I don't sup
pose there will never be another. A
school he had formed strong friend
ship with another lad of his own age
who was exactly opposite to him IL
character, tastes, and pusuits, but
nevertheless, they were inseparabl,
that the influence of this very quiet
sedate youth would in time tame Bill's
wild and lawless nature. AS the boys
grew into their teens it became the
question of choosing a career, and the
quiet boy always said he wanted to get
into the police That was his great am
bition, and more promising recruit
could not be desired. 1t came out after
wards that when the lads discussed the
subject, the embryo policeman often
observed: IF you don't look out, Bill,
and alter your ways. I'll be always hav-
ing to arrest you" Bill laughed this
suggestion to scorn, not that he had
any intention of mending his ways,
but he could not believe that any one
who knew his great physical strength
and utter recklessness, would dare to
| lay hand on him,
The strange thing was that, in spite
of strong instinct for plunoerng, Bill
was universally acknowledged TO be q
| splendid "bushman"-thati is, one famil-
| lar with all the signs and common OBJ
| jects of the forests He would have
made an ideal explorer, and could have
| lived in the bush in plenty and comfort.
under conditions in which any one else
-moo Gun 10 Ieo feuoIl 5ul eTIqM '66sI
would have starved or died of thirst.
Time passed on, and one of the boys
at least, got his hearts desire and was
enrolled in the very fine police force of
Freemantle. Just about this time one
of the neighbors imported a special
breed of fowls, which Bill forthwith
proceeded to torment in his leisure mo-
ments. Bill was hanging about the
poultry-yard with evil intent, when he
suddenly perceived his friend in uni
form and on duty the other side of the
low hedge. The owner of the fowls had
asked for a constable to watch the
place, and, as ill-luck would have it,
Bills friend was sent. The two boys
looked at each other for moment, and
then the policeman said:
Now, Bill, you had better come along
quietly with me; there's warrant out
against you, and I've got to take you
to the police station"
IF you come one step nearer. I'll |
shoot you dead" answered Bill
That's all nonsense, you know" the
poor young constable replied, and began
pushing the hedge aside to get through
it. Bill drew his revolver and shot the
friend and playmate of his whole life
dead on the spot. He then rushed back
to his own place, and hastily collecting
some food and cartridges, was off and
away into the heart of the nearest
bush or forest the fringe of which
almost touched even the principal towns
in those days.
Tt is hardly possible to imagine the
state of excitement into which this
rhine threw the primitive little com
Murders were comparatively
are, and / was told that they were al
most committed by old Tags men who
lad begun as convcts perhaps thirty
I've or forty years before and had gen
rally only been let out q short time
before on a ticket of leave But this
catastrophe was quite fresh depart
ire, and called forth almost as much
for the relatives Of the
vretched Bill as for those of his victim.
he native trackers set to work at once,
nd picked up Bills trail without any
but the thing was to catch
i'm. No Willo' the-Wisp could have
cen more elusive, and he led the best
hackers and the most wary constables
regular dance over hills and valleys,
hrough dense brush and scrub-covered
and, day after day. News would come
the police being hot on bis tracks
1irty miles off, and that same night a
tore in Fremantle would be broken in -
J. and two or three of its best guns,
18th suitable cartridges, would be mis-
ng As time went on the various lard
g in Perth We're visited in the same
Unexpected manner, and emptied of "
leir contents Bill never took anything
,cept ammunition, food and tobacco, n
1t whenever the police came up with l..
S camping ground-often to find the
e still smouldering-they always #
und several newspapers of the latest
ties giving particulars of where he Nj
as supposed to be.
In the course of many weeks-nine n
think-that this chase went on, the
lice often got near enough to be shot Sc
One poor constable was badly r.
bundled in the throat, so that he could
yer speak above a whisper again. 81
ID another was shot dead. But Bill
Is never to be seen. Sometim they NJ
me on pannikin of tea, standing by
g fire, and another time he must TC
st have flung away his pipe lest it's
ell should betray him. One is lost in IN
lazement at his powers of endurance,
he could have had no actual sleep y.
that weary while. The general plan 49,
campaign was to keep him always oO
wing, so as to wear him out. What
ength must he have possessed to do M
thout sleep all that time, and to WI
yer such fabulous distances day after
" The police themselves or rather