GALLANT CAPTURE OF A GANG OF FIVE DESPERADOES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 101, 13 March 1862, Page 4

GALLANT CAPTURE OF A GANG OF FIVE DESPERADOES.

For the information of our readers in Melbourne we give a condensed account of the gallant capture made by the police of a desperate gang of five rulHans. On Saturday evening last, a tent was cut into, and on tlie inmate coming outside he was garrotted. A storekeeper in the next tent coming out, the ruffians ran away, after firing a pistol at him. Tlie next morning, irom information received, Sergeant Major Bracken, Sergeant Trimbil, and Detective Johnson, proceeded to a lonely tent, inhabited by five well known bad characters, and who were sus- . pected of being concerned in tlie outrage of the previousevening. As.the police approached, the alarm was given, and all five ran out anil pursued different directions. Two of them were at once overtaken by the SergeantMajorand Johnson. The Sergeant, who is an immensely.powerful man, secured his prisoner after a sliort , but severe contest. Meanwhile Johnson was haying a desperate struggle with the other man—Sullivan: The latter had succeeded in getting hold of a pick, and was in the act of braining Johnson when the Serjeant-Major cauje up and by a well-directed blow with the fist knocked the ruffian down. ' The two men' secured were then marched to the camp, Tlie Serjeant Major then mounted his horse and overtook one ofthe other three, men and brought him into camp. Meanwhile Sergeant Trimbill, after securing a revolver from the Sergeant-Major, pursued the remaining two men. They took the direction of Waipori aud scaled the ranges which are exceedingly steep, and ;rise tier on tier. Trimbill when he got within hail summoned them to surrender, their reply was a shot from a revolver, he returned the fire, when they shot at him again. He found it was impossible to approach them in the commanding position they held, and returned for a horse. On the road he met Johnson, who endeavoured to r follow them and keep them in sight, but could not succeed in overtaking them. The miners came out in hundreds and scoured the bush, as

lid also Sergeant Trimbill, but in vain, for that day. hi the tent were found several loaded pistols. The next morning the Sergeant-Major and Trimbill inadeHheir wayto alonely tent situated ma deep gorge or ;ully on the Waipori road, where they had infonna iou the two missing men had found refuse. They ia.l to get olf their horses, and leaving Trimbill to tuide these down the descent, and frightened lest the loisa might disturb the i.imates, Bracken first crept lp and then rushed to the teat, cut it onea, and sto.i-.l iver th 3 two men, a revolver in each hand. One of them node a movement, when Bracken told him that if he itirred he would blow his brains out. Cowed by his letermined attitude the ruflians lay perfectly still, venting their rage only in curses and imprecations. Ser »ea_nt Trimbill. then collected the loaded firearms, ot .vhich there were three revolvers and two guns under the miscreants' heads, Bracken covering them the while with his revolvers. They were then handcuffed and conveyed to Tuapeka to the lock-up. On their arrival at that place with the prisoners, the miners turned out and cheered the gallant captors. The names of the five prisoners are ; —John Russell alias Sprathy, J. Davies, J. Sullivan, Thomas Hannah alias Kelly, and Richard Hill alias Burgess.