AN AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGER

Inangahua Times, Volume III, Issue 99, 6 April 1877, Page 2

AN AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGER

" Vagabond" in the Melbourne Argus, gives the following hingrnphy of l J ower, j the bushranger :— Harry Power is a j County Waterord man. born of decen" peonle. His education chiefly consisted in learning to ride. It is commonly reputed that he is an " old hand," and was sent out to Norfolk Island, but he strenuously denies this. "I came here from America a free man," says j Power, but he is particularly reticent as to his early years, He was engaged j dri"'n'4 cattle all over this colony and New SonMi Wales, and afterwards with Cap* Bin Denman's party in exploring and cutting a track across the ranges. In a few ypars he became a splendid bushmin' Howina almost every mile of the country. During all this time he appears to have been getting an honest; living, even when he keot n horse yard «t Geelong, which is ostensibly a respectable calling. One incident changed his whole career, and the man avers but for this he would have lived and died honestly. He was riding one of his own horses, near Sandhurst, when he was bailed up by two drunken German troopers. My own experience of the myrmidons of the law in Germany leads me to credit the following : — " I was foing along quietly," savs Power, " when down came the two troopers, hooting and shouting. I snw they wore drunk, and pulled on one side, but they stopped ire '■ Whose horse is th u?' says onp. • It's mine,' says I. ' Are you going to shout ?' savs the other. • No. 1 says I, for I di'lti't U|. e t^ Germ --ms. ' I believe you stole that horse, sivs the first.' 'You're a liar,' savs I. ' You 11 have to come along with in.' says the other. • I won't do it,' savs I. getting riled. On that one of them drew his hanger, an<l said he'd make me. ' You can't/ savs I. He charged at me, and IM only jvjst time to rlraw mv revolver, or he'd hav« cut me down. I sh"t him, and »hen thpy rode off. Now, if I had been sensible, I'd have ridden off to the nearest police station and given myself up. But I was frightened, and rode across the Colony, thinking to go and stay in New South Wales until the row was over. At the Murray I was stopped ; I di>l not deny my name or resist. Thev arrested and brought me flown to Melbourne, end I got 10 years. The men were not hur*; much, and it was proved they stopped me without cause, or I'd have g"t more," Such is Power's account of his first conflict with justice, and warders have told me that it is substantially correct. If true, the man certainly bus pause of complaint that his lot has been a hard one. It is the first step which cisfs the first sentence, which* in those days especially, hardens a man. Since that time Power has been at war with society. He has broke prison several times, and been arrested and re» convicted, As fearless and daring a rider as ever lived, and one of the best bushmen in Australia, he for years defied the police of the Colonv, and would calmly ride down a public road whilst the troopers were scouring the bush. He has appeared in Geelong, and won bets that h« dare not show his face there. After he broke nut of Pentridge. he one night rode into Melbourne, and returning camped out in the padtiock opposite the Stockade. Compared to such a dare-devil as Harry Power, Dick Turpin of glorious memory was a meanspirited fraud.