The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1867-02-23 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

MURDER BY BUSHRANGERS. Pmnt the Sydney Herald )  W., am indebted to the I,roprietore of the Latta Ddt tspo for a copy of the "Extraordinary" of that paper, published on the morning of the 10th inst., giving full particulars of the "sticking up' last Friday of the mail from Bourke and Lower Macquarie, The attack, it appears, took place at Narramine, some 25 miles from Dubbo. and is thus narrated :  On Saturday last &Mho wee alarmed by the receipt of Intelligence that the mail coach from Bourke to Dultho had been smog up by bushrangers, end one of /ha t•kengers shot. It was at first hope I that the facts were exaggerated but, unfortunately, subsequent Information proved them in be only too true, f. r although the hags were left untouched, Mr. Grenfell was mcrtally wounded. The op-mail carried only two passengers, Mr. Commissioner Grenfell) who as. removing from the Albert to the New England District), and a Mr. Cautrill, from Congolgen. About half-past 6 on Friday evening, as the coach WAS about two mites from Mr. Christie's station, Narramine, two armed men, mounted on spirited bay horses, rode out on the road from a patch of torah, and several times ordered the coachman, Charles Stuart, to hall up The driver was at the time filling his pipe, nod the reins were held by Mr. Grenfell, to whom he WO. Draw up; these are the bushrangers.' Mr °unfelt took no uotice of the robbers' summons, hut J•riced the reins in order to increase the speed of the horses. Simultaneous]) he drew ont of his trousers pocket a email pistol, mid deliberati ly taking aim, fired at the scoundrels Astonished at their reception, the robbers retired a few yards, and then rode ahead of the coach, and began to fire at the passengers with revolver.. Six or seven discharges took place when one ball anhlokily Arndt Mr. Grenfell the upper part of the thigh; another bullet went through the trousers of Cantrill, and embedded itself in the cue inn on which he was sitting; and a third shot whtued past tba ear of the driver. The hones were than pnlled up, and MCC/unfelt said, “Coariey, I'm shot." The miscreants were at this time about a hundred yards in advance of the vehicle. Mr. Grenfell, whose determined courage never Sagged from the moment the regicide rode up, pumped out of the mall, shook his little revolver threateningly at the robbers, anti exclaimed in a loud tone of voice, "Come on, you. scoundrels!' However, thee did not accept the challenge, hut galloped off in the direction of the hogatt River. The WOL1114P(1 man, weak from the lons of blood, and suffertng painfully from the effo3ta of his 'Orr, now steagered and fell. With the assistance of Mr Can. trill, Mr. (Imolai], who mi. perfestly senaibly, was lifted lobo the Coach, by tue driver and brought to N where he received every possible kindness and attention. Information was forthwith dispatched to the pelice, and • a medical men sent for. Or. Mountain at once started of, and Dr. Tibbita f! Mewed in a short Unto ; but ell the remedies which medical skill suggested could not save the brave but unfortunate mall, who, salter suffering the most acute pain and agony, expired at 7 o'clock on Saturday evening, just 24 hours atter receiving his death wound. The inurderers are supposed to be the same men who stuck up and rifted the mail from Sydney to Wellington last Wednesday. Itiey were disguised when they encountered Mr. Grenied with White game maslu, the holes around the eyee being paloted black. Mr. Grenfell was formerly a gold commissioner at Forbes, and at the thin of the reorganisation of the goldfields man. agement, was appointed Crown Lanus Commissioner for the Albert district. Bourke being hie heathquezters. Ills gentlemanly manner, and &lability endeared him to all with whom he came in contact, either officially or otherwise; and we feel certain his death will be deeply deplored by a large circle of friends, tie leaves a wife and two or three children to deplore his loss. The cool and brave manner in which Mr. Grenfell defended the mail, and prevented the rascals from robbing it is beyond mere eulogy ; and we trust the inhabiteuta of the district will practically illustrate their admiration of his heroic conduct by erecting to his memory a monument recording the Manner of his death.