NEW SOUTH WALES.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 686, 10 January 1865, Page 4

NEW SOUTH WALES.

BEN HALL ANB UIS COMPANIONS. A correspondent of the Tass Courier tells the following story about the doings of Ben Hall and his companions. It is under date December 12 *. — Last Saturday morning, about 10 o'clock, astwo of Mr. Frederick Taylor's sons (George and James) were riding from Fourteen to the Sixteen Mile Rush, a horseman rode down the side of a steep range and told them to " stand," but at the same time telling them not to be frightened, but to come along with him. This was the notorious Dunn, who led his two young captives over the hill, where, just over the brow of which were already 20 prisoners congregated under the guard of Hall and Gilbert. The robbers had chosen their ground admirably ; for the prisoners were so seated that the top of the hill intercepted their view of the road, and the three highwaymen kept just so far down the " off" side of the hill as to render thenhorses invisible to passers-by. The first person that they stopped was a storekeeper from Young, named Henry; this was done before six o'clock; then another storekeeper, named Conley, both of whom they searched, but found nothing upon them but cheques and silver, which they returned, Soon after a lot of diggers and others were brought in. At about eleven o'clock Dunn expressed a desire for something to eat, when Hall told Mr. Henry to fetch six or seven dozen of eggs out of his cart, so that all hands might have a feed; meanwhile another man was sent to fill a large billy with water ; a third was told to make afire, boil the eggs, and: roll them out. Gilbert produced some) bread, which he divided as far as it would go among all who would accept of it, and a hearty meal was the result. Thus matters jogged on for hour after hour. Dunn and Gilbert alternately, and sometimes together, topping the hill, riding down its declivity, and shortly re-appearing with more captives, until, at about three o'clock p.m., there were not less than forty prisoners. Any man that had a poorish look or in diggers' costume was not searched, but was simply told to keep quiet until the gold-buying banker from Young passed, and then all hands might stop and see the fight with his escort, or go were they liked ; but those who appeared at all like storekeepers were closely watched. It was now four o'clock, and the banditti appeared to wax wrathful at the non-arrival of their longed-for prey, their impatience testifying itself by great restlessness, and an almost incessant gazing up the road. Suddenly Hall exclaimed, " Where's that boy who was just now sitting there ?" At the same time he and his confederates sprang up and commenced hunting about for their late captive, when Gilbert said, " By he's slithered. Come on lads, we'll take the Young-road for it, and see if we can't meet the goldbuyer." Whereupon they all jumped on their horses, and after telling all hands to go where they pleased, galloped down the hill and along the road towards the Flat. My informant, who is a very intelligent j young man, and who was for six hours a captive, during which time he paid the! greatest attention to all that the gang said and did, says that Gilbert and Dunn seemed very cool and jolly, whereas Hall's manner was rather serious and anxious. Gilbert and Dunn's waistcoats were festooned with gold watch-guards, and their general appearance was that of flash, well-to-do young stockmen; but, on the contrary, Hall had a quiet and respectable air—he wearing nicely shaped high boots and a well-fitting pair of brown cord pants, with fashionably-cut cloth coat and vest of the same color, and only one gold chain, and not much of that to be seen. Were I to tell you half of the robbers conversation it would occupy too much space, but what I'm about to state you may rely upon as being unexaggerated truth, that is, that it was really said. Respecting poor Parry's death, Gilbert remarked that he (Parry) fought unfairly, for, after he had shouted "I surrender," and he (Gilbert) had ridden close up to him to receive his arms, that Parry fired slap at him, whereupon he shot him. Hall said that O'Neill fired one shot, firing his revolver at their heads, at the same time loudly exclaiming, "I surrender." Likewise Hall said thaiConstable Roche acted the wisest part of the three, for he did just what he (Hall) would have done- bad he been a trap, i. c., bolted. ! Mind you, I do not say that poor Parry, or O'Neill, or Roche, really acted thus, but that the bushrangers said they did is perfectly true. Gilbert has not the fresh, clear expression of countenance he used to have. His features are now much embrowned by the sun, and the skin in many places is peeling oft* He, in the course of conversation, admitted that he had not long returned from Queensland, and that when there he was three times chased by the police; and, furthermore, that on one of these three occasions, upon the horse knocking up, he jumped off and challenged his two pursuers to come on, whereupon they halted and jawed a bit, and then turned tail. Hall is the only one of the three who cultivates any moustache or whiskers, and he is getting fat. Of his companions in crime, one wears his hair so long as to touch his shoulders, and the other has it in short curls. They all once or .twice stated that they were determined never to surrender, but to fight to the last. Each had six large-sized revolvers in his belt. As a contrast to the above, |we take from ih& Sydney Morning Herald of the 22nd tdt. an account of the spirited behaviour of Mr. W. Macieay, who a few days previously encountered Hall, Gilbert and Dunn about 13 miles on the Sydney side of Goulb urn x under the folldwing circumstances :— He had heard, before he left Goulburn at 2 o'clock p.m., that the bushrangers had stuck-up a great number of persons near

Towranij* that morning, and had held possessi on of tne road for several hours. On reaching Towrang, and at different places ou the road between that aud Shelly's Flats, he was told that the bushrangers were riding leisurely along the road ahead of him, but he saw nothing of them until he sightedthe hill which looks down upon Plum's inn, at the Flats just mentioned. Some half-a-mile or so from the top of that hill he met the upcoach, and was informed by the passengers that they had just been stuck up hy Hall, Gilbert, and Dunn, and then allowed to proceed on towards Goulburn. They pointed out to Mr. Macleay the bushrangers on the hill, where there was some teams and" a number of people stuck up, and endeavoured to persuade him either to return, or at all events to send his arms (a Tranter revolver and a Tranter revolving rifle), back in the coach to Goulburn, as he could scarcely contend one against three. Mr. Macleay, however, preferred to go on and keep his arms. When he appvoached within 300 or 400 yards of the bushrangers, who were dismounted, and apparently engaged in ransacking some cases taken from the drays, he got out from his buggy, and told the boy who was driving to walk the horses along in the middle of the road, while he, with his rifle in his hand, walked on the right-hand I side. The bushrangers appeared to take no ! notice of him (although they must have seen him before), until he got out of the buggy and walked towards them in the manner just described. They then immediately discontinued what they were engaged on, mounted their horses, and cantered into the scrub on the left-hand side of the road. Mr. Macleay walked on to where the persons were stuck-up, and inquired whether they had not been stuck-up. To this question be was unable to obtain any answer, as the people appeared afraid to give him any information. He then proceeded down the hill towards Plum's (about half a mile off), still walking, and the boy driving the buggy, and reached the bottom of the hill without seeing anything more of the bushrangers. At that point the land is cleared on both sides, and fenced in. Mr. Macleay then got into Ins buggy, about 300 yards from Plum's, and told his boy to drive on rapidly to the inn. He had scarcely entered the buggy when two of the bushrangers rode after him from the left-hand side of the road, and one of them fired at him without effect. On his reaching Plum's, he found a number of persons collected there on the occasion of a wedding, and while he was speaking to them the bushrangers dismounted at the corner of a paddock on the road side, near the spot where he was when .they fired at him, and remained there for a few moments, apparently in consultation. Mr. Macleay was anxious to get Plum's verandah cleared of the people, most of whom were females, before he commenced any encounter. So soon as this could be done, ne went to the corner . of the verandah to fire at the bushrangers, who, as soon as they, saw what he was about, mounted their horses and rodfik off. Mr. Macleay fixed one shot at them, . apparently without effect. He saw no more of them. In ten munites after this, two, troopers rode up from Marulan, and some time afterwards four more arrived from-" Goulburn; but nothing has yet, so far as we can learn, been beard of the further movements of Hall and his companions. The courageous conduct of Mr. Macleay, in deliberately seeking an encounter alone with these three desperate ruffians, one of whom has so recently murdered one of the pobce, is deserving of all praise. When we read of their sticking-up, time after time, parties of 30, 40 and 50 persons with impunity, and without any attempt at capture • or resistance, itls refreshing to find one man refusing to allow them to bar the highway, and marching past them with a determina-*/ tion to fight rather than yield. Mr. Macleay has set a great,example to the people of this country, and we trust that before long we will find that many others will be found who wfll have the pluck to follow it. Should that be so, the reign of Hall and his gang will soon be over. So long as the public will allow themselves to be penned up like, sheep by these marauders, so long will sticking-up be the order of the day; but when they find they are liable to be met by , armed travellers, possessed of sufficient determination to defend themselves, they will soon discover that highway robbery is not the pleasant pastime which it has \ hitherto proved. : -