AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGERS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2092, 16 January 1879, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN BUSHRANGERS.

The days of bushrangers and " bolter*" (write* a correspondent of the Hobart Town Mercury) seem to come back to ns trom the almost forgotten patt. While two-thirds of the police force of Victoria are engaged in what appears a useless soarch after the Kelly gang, a hundred miles up country, a desperate ruffian, whom handcuffs, irons, the lash, and the silent cell hare failed to transform from a wild beast into anything hnraan, has escaped from the hulks in the Bay and is now at large. This felon, known here as Regent, has graduated in nearly all the celebrated criminal colleges of a quarter of a century ago. Norfolk Island and Captain Maconichie failed to tame him. Ctithbertson at cruel Macquarie Harbor, with his stern discipline, and chain gangs, produced no effect, nor did Regent imS prove under the system in rogue at Colonel Arthur's new penitentiary, which bore his name. It is said that while at the Maria Island station, the convict, though heavily ironed at the time, saved the life of one of tho children of an official by plunging into the water where the little one was drowning. This act subsequently told in the man's favor, and somehow or other a desperate rascal was let loose on society. After various outrages had been committed by him throughout the island, the gold-digging of Victoria induced him to cross " the straits," and to commence a further criminal career in this colony. The old Collingwood stockade soon numbered him amongst its inmates, and so did the stronghold afterwards erected at Pentridge. Bamford, the late hangman, triced negent up on more than one occasion to the triangles; and as he once expressed himself " didn't care about flogging an old mate, but would make him as comfortable as the gaol rules would allow." It was noticed that the "cat" was laid on in an unusually vigorous manner, the executioner telling some of the bystanders that h* had an old grudge against Regent, and had endeavored to square matters with his former " pal." So much for Regent's (the name is, I believe, a feigned one) history. Well, he was up to within a week ago still in the " Government aervice," and with a gang of fellow-convicts, was employed in battery construction at Sandridge. He has again escaped. 80 has Martin Whybenr, the Avoc» gold robber, so has Kenneth M'Donald (with a breach-load in? rifle, mark you, and a fleet horse), from the "logs," Hamilton, and so have a score of others from various parts of the colony. People ask naturally enough what are the police about, and well they may.