DEATH OF BEN HALL.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 800, 23 May 1865, Page 3

DEATH OF BEN HALL.

The following ie {he principal evidence taken in the mquest on the body of the notorioos bushranger Ben Ball, whoee death in an encounter with the poKee we recorded yesterday:— James Condell, on oath, states* I am sergeant of police stationed *t Forbe*. Onflatarday Aprfl, I Forbes, inapedOT fqor conetajtdeirioa two tracxers, in poreuit of tte b^iranj^^toll, fi Crabesfe and Dunn. OntheThwri^yn^bifoDoww,,we s pb»etTed two boreee hobbled in tibe bneh. Wβ watched the hones for about an hoar. We ihen'enr »"man approach the horee. and take the hobblfls o«; and lead them throngh the- Traabfiw, about one, hundred end fifty jarde.Se t&n hobbled the Boxpw an 3 let

them go. He afterwards prooeeded into the ecrub, and immediately afterwards we were informed by the black tracker, Billy Dargan, that he heard him scraping on the ground, as if to make a place for a bed. Sab-inspeotor Davidson and myself then posted the men in a half circle on one side, and sub-inspector Dividson and myself prooeeded to the opposite side. Myself, Mr. Davidson, and the tracker crept about through tho bush in search of hie camp. Finding that we could not succeed in discovering the camp we resolved to watch tho horses all night, and about six o'clock the next morning I saw a man emerge from the scrub into a piece of open country, and walk in the direction of the two horses. When about midway from the camp to the horses, we started in pursuit, and ran about fifty yards before he observed us. He then looked up and saw us ; he turned and ran from us. Sub-inspector Davidson then called on him to stand} he looked round and still kept running. Sub* inspector Davidson then fired at him immediately afterwards. I saw Hall jump ; he still kept running. I then levelled my riile at him, covered him full in the back, and fired. I believe the shot took effect between tho shoulders. After this ho rolled about, and when running appeared very weak. The Tracker then fired with a double-barrelled gun, and t believe hit the deceased. We called out for a man stationed on the opposite side. When he saw them emerge from the scrub, he turned and ran in another direction. The men all fired, and I believe most of the bullets hit him. Deceased then ran to a cluster of Umber, laid hold of a sapling, and said, "I am wounded ; lam dying." The men then fired again, and he immediately rolled over. Hβ threw out hie !feet convulsively once or twice and said, "I am I dying, lam dying." We all then approached him and found he was dead. Sub-inspector Davidson searched the body and found £7-4 in notes, a gold watch, three revolvers capped and loaded, a powder flask with powder, two boxos of percussion caps, a bag of bullets, and a quantity of wearing apparel. At his camp we found a saddle and bridle,. and a pair, of blankets. We then packed his body on a saddle, and removed him to our camp, and thence to Forbes. I have known the deceased for four yean. About three years ago I escorted him as a prisoner to Orange, and saw him'frequently afterwards. I identify the body of deceased as that of Ben Hall. James Henry Davidson, on oath, states—l am subinspector of police, stationed at Forbes. On last Saturday morning, April 29, I left the police-camp with five men and two trackers, and started in pur* suit of the bushrangers—Hall, Gilbert, and Dunn. On the evening of the fifth day from leaving Forbes, we came upon two horses hobbled in the scrub, about 12 miles from Forbes, near Billibong Greek. We watched the horses for about lialf-an-hour, when wo saw a man approach who caught the horses. He passed close by where we were standing. He caught the horses, and led them away about 100 yards. Thin was about 10 o'clock in the evening. We did not recognise the man. He took the horses about 100 yards, and hobbled them again. Shortly after, a tracker, Billy Dargan, informed mc that he heard the man he saw lead away and hobble the horses, making a noise among the dead leaves, as though he was preparing a bed for himself. I then placed five of the men in my charge where we were standing, and went with Sergeant Condell and Billy Dargan on the other side of the man, with the intention of attacking him in his camp should we discover that he was Ben Hall. We could not get within 100 yards' of the man, in consequence of his horse snorting at our approach. I then determined to j wait until daybreak. About half-past six in the morning, I saw a man with a bridle in his hand, about 150 yards from where I was, approaching the horses. By this time the horses were feeding on a plain bordering the scrub, and when the man was about half-way from the border of the sorub to the horsee, myself, sergeant Condell, and Billy Dargan ran after him. Alter running about fifty yards the man became aware of our presence, and ran in the direction where the five men were posted. By this time I identified the man as Ben Hall. I several times called on him to stand. After running about a hundred yards, I got within forty yards of Hajl and fired at him. I shot with a double-barrelled gun. Hall, after my firing, jumped a little, and looked back, and from his movements I have reason Sergeant Condell andtDargan (the tracker) fired immediately afterwards, '[they were running a little to the left of mc, and sot far away. From the manner of Hall, I have reason- to believe that Condell and Dargan , s shots took'effect. From that time he ran more elowly towards a few saplings. The five police who were stationed beyond him, immediately ran towards him and fired. I noticed trooper Hipkiss firing at Hall with a rifle, and* immediately afterwards the belt holding bis revolvers fell off him. At this time he held himself up by a sapling; and upon receiving Hipkise'e* fixe he gradually fell'backwards. There were about 30 shots fired in all. Hall then cried out, "I am wounded $ shoot mc dead." I then went up to the body, and noticed that life was extinct. I also observed that the bullet fired by Hipkies passed through the body. There was £74 in notes in two chamois leather bags, one in his trousers pocket, the other in his coat breast,'three sold chains and a gold watch, a portrait of a female, urea revolvers, and a number of bullets in his pocket, and a gold 'ring keeper on his finger. Along with;his saddle was a quantity of wearing apparel. k There was also two single blankets. I knew the body to be that of Ben Hall. His clothing I observed to be perforated with bullets. We caught the horses, and fixed: the body of deceased on the saddle, and in th's manner brought him to Forbes.