"STICKING UP" ON THE BULLER.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 114, 17 May 1867, Page 2

"STICKING UP" ON THE BULLER.

As a considerable amount of curiosity has been excited by the various allusions made by the Press to the atrocious details of the late "sticking up" case on the Buller, tried at the Supreme Court yesterday, and as the three ruffians engaged in it pleaded guilty, thus precluding the publication of the particulars of the case, through the reports of the trials, we believe our readers will thank us for giving'

them an outline of the affair, which, as we have already said, deserves to be classed, for its cold-blooded atrocity, with the most notable cases of this class which have ever been brought to light in these Antipodean regions. The victim, Richard Nicholls, was a miner, living at the Inangahua, and on the morning of the 20th January last, having occasion to go down to Westport, he left home, carrying with him eight ounces of gold, four £l -notes, half-a-sovereign, two shillings, and a gold ring. When Nicholls reached the Blackwater river, about 10 a.m , it was raiuiug heavily and as the river was not fordable, he looked around him ia search of shelter, and at last espied a tent in the bush about twenty yards from the track. He went up to the tent, and seeing a man outside and two others lying inside^ he asked them whether he could ford the river ? In reply, they gave it as their opinion that it was too high, and one of them civilly asked him to take shelter ia their tent from the rain, with which he complied, remaining there until 9 at night. There was a«un in the tout, with which they had been shooting at Maori hens, and about 9 p.m. one of them, afterwards proved to be Anderson, began loading it, putting in it powder and what seemed a ball rolled up in paper. After loading and capping the gun, Anderson, with another of his mates (Macpherson), went into the bush, where they remained for about ten minutes. Nicholls, thinking that they were preparing to shoot a morepork, which was calling at the time, and utterly unsuspicious, after the hospitality he had received, during the day, of the horrible destiny that awaited him, remained in the tent with the other man, Thomson, sitting down in the front of the fire reading, when, suddenly, Anderson entered the tent, and. standing at a distance of only six feet from Nicholls, presented the gun at him, saying, " Bail up ! Tour money or your life ! I'll blow your brains out, if you don't turn your money out." Thiuking he was only jest'ng, Nicholls said, "Don't point the gun, many accidents have happened through larking." He said, "By C , I'll pull the trigger. I'm in earnest." The other two said, " Yes, we mean it. We've no money, and money we must have." Seeing that they were really in earnest, the poor fellow, thinking that his life was in danger, delivered up his pocket-book, containing the money we have already described, and a few letters and papers. The miscreant Anderson, who seams to have been the most daring and brutal of the gang, still presenting the gun at Nicholls' head, asked him if that was all he had about him, at the same time ordering the others to search him. "Upon this, feeling, we suppose, that resistance was futile, Nicholls allowed himself to be searched by Thomson, who took from him the eight ouuces of gold, while the other removed the ring from his finger. One of them then said to him, "Come on, get up, and go in the bush, aud we'll tie you up," and they immediately marched him back for about 50 or 60 yards into the bush. On Nicholls observing that " Surely they were far enough off the track," Anderson, who was behind him with the gun, said, "March on, yon , I know what I'm about," and so they weut on. Nicholls, no doubt shuddering at the remembrance of the similar treatment which befel the Maungatapu victims, then said, "For God's sake, don't murder me, I don't care about the money," when M'Phersou replied, '"'Don't be frightened ; you shall not be murdered; we are not Burgess aud Kelly," addiug that it was nothing to stick up a man, and that he had had seven years before, meaniug that he had already suffered seven years' imprisonment for a like offence. They then proceeded to tie him up, placing his back against a iree, with one

leathern belt round his wrists at the back of it, two straps of American duck tied above his wrists, and another leathern belt above his elbows at the back of the tree. Another piece of duck was then brought round his neck and tied at the other side of the tree. They then cut a stick about as thick as a broom-handle, and about 9 inches long, round which they twisted some duck, and then ga^ed him with it, securing the fastenings at the back of the tree. His feet were also tied together, and fastened to the duck at the other side of the tree. The complete, and — if we may be allowed the expression — artistic way in which they secured their victim, would, apart from the voluntary confession of M'Phersou, (which has since been confirmed by reference to the police records of Victoria), have proved them to be no novices iv the "science" of bushranging. M'Pherson said that they would keep watch over Nicholls all night, and that if he attempted to move, they would instautly shoot him. They then left him, but returned soon afterwards, bringing a lighted candle, aud a Second Bill of Exchange, drawn on Melbourne, which they had taken from his papers, iv order to ascertain from him of what use it was. Nicholls explained to them that it was of no value whatever, and, either irritated by this announcement, or alarmed at finding that he could speak so intelligibly with the gag in his mouth, they cut a larger one, and thrust it into his mouth. The rain was si ill falling heavily, and Nicholls begged them to put the coat between his buck and the tree. M'Pherson, who seems to have shown more compassion to his unfortunate victim than the rest of the gang, complied with his request, at the same time putting the remainder of the duck that was left over his head to keep the rain off, and telling him that he would bring him a pannikin of tea in the morning and gave him a note. Anderson, overhearing this, immediately exclaimed that Nicholls should not have a single shilling. They then left him, and aud it wiil not be difficult to picture to ourselves the horrible nature of the poor fellow's reflections, thus left iv the 'midst of darkness aud the " pelting of the pitiless storm," to his terrible prevision of the lingering horrors of death by starvation. Tins must have continued for full two hours — and the length of such hours none can tell save those who have experienced similar horrors — when it struck him that, in spite of the determined way in which his limbs had been baudaged by these fiends, he might possibly be able to free himself from their toils. So, after some vigorous efforts, he succeeded in breaking one of the leathern belts which fastened his wrists to the tree, and which was probably not so strong as the others^ This was about 2 o'clock, on the morning of the 28th, and the moon being up, he was enabled to ascertain the direction of the Buller track, though he did not dare to look back in order to ascertain whether the three men were still in their tent. Keepiug parallel, therefore, to the track, which he avoided, fearing to meet his persecutors again, he went slowly up the Buller, anxiously inspecting all the muddy places, to see if he could find any foot tracks of the meu. While he was thus engaged on his hands and knees, he suddenly perceived three men coming round the corner, at a distance of about 200 yards. The poor man, believing that the wretches were again upon him, and that no risk was too great which afforded him a chance of escaping from thier clutches, rose without an instant's hesitation, and running along the track for about 200 yards farther, jumped into a creek, which was sheltered by an overhanging rock, merely keeping his head above the water. Here he remained in this condition during the interval of ten minutes or a quarter-

bush to perish by probably the most lingering and most horrible of all deaths — for their precipitate departure from their tent, and the course they were then taking, forbade the feasibility of the performance of M'Pherson' s promise to him to return in the morning. Nicholls remained in the creek for about aquarter of an hour longer, and then went up the hill, where he laid down for half an hour. Then having crossed the track, he made for the Buller, and retraced his steps up the river, hoping to make Lloyd's store, from which he had started the previous morning. In his dripping clothes, and wearied and wornout by the terrible episode through which he had passed during the last twenty-four hours, he at length, about 10 a.m., discovered a tent lying between the track and the river, in which he found two old mining acquaintances, one of whom, having first released Nicholls from the re-of-an-hour, which elapsed before the men came up, and passed over the bridge, which was situated only about six or seven feet from him. He then recognised them distinctly in the moonlight as his late villanous acquaintances. They were talking as they passed over the bridge and although the noise" of the running water would not permit him to hear distinctly what they said, it was evident that he was the subject of their conversation. They bad probably seen him when he first got up from the track and ran into the creek, and were now discussing the possibility of his escape, for he heard one of them say, "He could not get loose — tied too tight." It is not difficult to imagine Nicholls' sensations on learning from one of these miscreants — who was but a few feet distance from him — that he had been deliberately left in the maining straps of which he had been unable to divest himself, went up to Lloyd's store to give information, Nicholls remaiuing in the tent, and enjoying that repose of which be stood so much in need. Four hours afterwards, a canoe sent down from Lloyd's, conveyed him with his friends down to the port, where be gave information to the Westport police. This resulted in the apprehension of the three miscreants by Constable Doris, who, in company with another member of the mounted police force, Constable Stewart, found them stopping in an old building on the Buller track, in the direction of the Blackwater. It appears that Doris, on coming up to this building, saw a man enter it who immediately closed the door behind him. Pie then went up to the door and knocked, but received no reply. He knocked again, aud a man, who proved to be Anderson, opened the door sufficiently wide to allow of his looking out. Another man (Thomson) then peeped over his shoulder, and on Doris enquiring which was the way to the Blackwater, Anderson replied that he did not know it, as he was just from Westport, and Avas going to Nelson. The constablethen enquired how many persons were staying in the house ? Three, was the reply, and he then told them to open the door. As they showed some reluctance to obey this order, he put his hand upon it, aud they then immediately opened it. On entering, Doris enquired for the third man (M'Pherson), and was told that he was in bed. During this time the constable had become perfectly convinced that one, if not both, of the men he had seen, corresponded with the description given to the police by Nicholls, and haviug stationed his companion, Constable Stewart, at the door, he drew his revolver, aud went into the rooms in order to find the third man, who was said to be in bed. This statement proved to be false, for he found M'Pherson searching the pocket cf an old jumper, and being still further assured of the correctness of his former surmises, he arrested . the whole party, who were a c

once taken down to Westport. Nothing was found on Anderson and Thomson, hut two £1 notes and two shillings were taken from McPherson, who afterwards made a voluntary statement, stating where their firearms — a gun and pistol, with also the gold and ring taken from iNieholls, might he found. He accompanied the constables the next day to the place indicated, and after some search the various articles were discovered. Much credit is due to constahle Doris, for the pluck and intelligence which he manifested in this capture. All the three prisoners made separate statements on their committal at "Westport, acknowledging their guilt ; Aaderson and Thomson, asserting that they were induced by McPherson, an " old hand," to commit this outrage, and McPherson stating his gratification that they had all been caught ' and brought to justice, and that, as for inducing the other two to crime, they were each of them as bad as the other. He disdained to make auy charge against his mates, as they had done against him ; saying that they were all alike, and that if they were all three shaken up in. a barrel, he did not know which would come ont first ! Perhaps nothing could better illustrate the utterly demoralized condition of such meu, and the small mercy which they intended to show to their victim, than such a confession, and we may be justified for participating siuccrely in the regret expressed by the Judge, that the law did not permit him to inflict upon these wretches a sentence, short of penal servitude, which would have been more commensurate with their deserts, than that which was passed upon then* yesterday.

We have just received telegi'ams of European uews from Hokitika, the March mail having arrived there, by the Gothenburg, at 8 a.m.. to-day. These will be published immediately in an Extra. On enquiry, we learn that our own English mail is not expected to arrive before the 24th instani, by the Taranaki. In Mr. Justice Johnston's address to the Grand Jury yesterday, his Honor stated that five, and not three, executions for capital offences had taken place in this province, including, of course; the Maungatapu murderers, and also two executions at Picton for murder. An accident occurred, just before dusk yesterday afternoon, to the steamer Wallaby, as she was entering the harbor, which will necessitate her being put on the cradle for a day or so, but which, fortunately, is not of sufficient importance to prevent' her leaving this port again on Tuesday next. It seems that, having, as we stated on Wednesday last, been compelled by bad weather to put back to Wanganui, she had left the Buller short of coal, aud was probably too lightly laden to keep with safety as close as she did to the shore, especially as it was blowing hard at the time. The consequence was that she got aground on the Boulder Bank, but, by the assistance of the Siurt, which happened to be entering the harbor at the same time, she was soon towed off the bank. Unfortunately, in trying to back the Wallaby off the place where she was aground, two blades of her screw were knocked off, and this is, we believe, the extent of actual injury she has sustained by this contretemps.