MORGAN THE BUSHRANGER'S LAST EXPLOIT.

Otago Witness, Issue 659, 16 July 1864, Page 4

MORGAN THE BUSHRANGER'S LAST EXPLOIT.

(Prom the Sydney Morning Herald.)

On Sunday last, about one o'clock, four persons were quietly sitting in a room at the Round Hill Station, belonging to Mr Henty, about forty miles from Albury. They were Mr Watson, the superintendent, Mr M'Neil, the overseer, Mr M'Lean, cattle overseer ; and Mr John Heriott, a neighboring squatter, who had come over ■with a message. Mrs Watson was in her bedroom, when a man whom she recognised as Morgan looked in at the door and asked where was Mr Watson. She poiuted out the room. Morgan opened the door, presented a revolver, and introduced himself formally, and then asked where the tirog was. He, with a revolver in each hand, capped and cocked, mustered the four persons to the apartment indicated, and demanded to know how many bottles there were. Mr Weston replied there were six bottles of gin and that one was broached. Out of that latter bottle Mr Weston poured a glass and offered it to the villain, who smiled and said, ''You must drink that yourself, as you may have had it ready for me." He then drank himself, and called the female servant, ordered dinner, and told her to tell one of the men to

put hia horse in the stable and give him a feed, which was done.

Morgan asked Mr Watson, "What rations do you give your men ? Mr Wa'aon replied tint he gave them full rations, and if any of them said that they had not enough he gave them more.

The bushranger ordered the iVmr prisoners into a corner while he hid hia dinner, saying, " All pood peop'e can go together." While eating he chatted sociably, with revolver on either hand, and four more o-tentatiously displayed in hi.* belt.

After dinner he marched his prisoners out and mustered all the men, m-iking a total of elevt n, at and around the stable door while he went to examine hn horse. He then drove them down to a little shed, which is about six feet by eight, and m ide them sit on a bench there, sending Mr Watson himself back to the hou-e for a bottle of gin. One of the men served round the bottle at the robber's desire, and after that another and another bottle until four were emptied, Morgan making everyone drink the spirit raw, he himsell taking a finall nip each time. After this he thought he would try something else, and ordered his horse to be brought. Before mounting, without any provocation whatever, he fired one shot amongst his prisoners, which grazed the carpenter's head, aud another in the sime direction.

The horse which the ruffian rode is a remarkably fine bay, with a star and snip, two white hind fetlocks and one white before.

Putting away a bottle for himself, Morgan turned and rode away, but when only about fifteen yards off Mr Watson rather rashly said, "These nre stirrupirons you stole from so-and-so." The ruffian then coolly turned round in his saddle, took a deliberate aim at Mr WatBon'3 he id and fired. Skeins' the deadly aim, Mr Watson involuntarily put up his hand, through which the ball passed, turning it aside, probably, as it only touched his scalp. The wounded man ran behind the shea 1 and hid himself, but Morgan returned to the door of the shed, fired left and right among the inmates, crying out, '• Now you clear out of this."

The first shot went through young Mr Ileriott's leg, between the knee and the ancle, shattering the bone to pieces, and then hit another man's leg behind, maim, ing him, but luckily not breaking the skin, as its force Ltd been spent. The second ball hit no one. The men then all ran away in different directions, the poor wounded young man among them dragging, his broken leg after him for about thirty yards, when he fell from pain and exhaustion. In the meantime, the villain Morgan galloped aftor another man across the yard, with his pistol cocked, but the fugitive escaped through the kitchen. The horse stood fire well. Morgan then galloped back to young Ileriott, dismounted, and put the revolver to his head. (Mrs Watson, in the meantime, was running screaming and terrified about the yard). Mr Ilerriott said, " Don't kill me, Morgan, you have broken my leg ;" and Mr Watson, who also seeing Morgan with his pistol to the boy's head, came out of his hiding place, cried out, ''For God's sake, Morgan, don't kill any one," The villain, who seemed to act with the inconsistency of drunkenness — of ;i murderer gone mad— then cried out, " Where are all the wretches gone to?" and swore a fearful oath that he would blow the brains out of every mm on the station if they did not come to Heriott's assistance. He himself knelt down, cut the boot off the wounded leg. and carried the unfortunate youth to the gate next the hon-e. Two men then, frightened by his threat, came forward, and he swore he would shoot them.

At this time, ateo, two men (one a halfcaste aboriginal) who had not yet appeared on the scene, but evidently Morgan's men, came up and remained on the ground while young Ileriott was carried to a bed, where Morgan cut off the other boot, and set a man to attend him. lie then returned to Mr Watson, and bound a handkerchief round his wounded hand, saying "' he was sorry he did that."

Seeing Morgan apparently relenting, as if satisfied with bloodshed, Mr M'Lean nsked him if he might go for a doctor. Morgui answered '• yes," and then fora short time regaled himself an 1 hi* mates, but apparently mistrusting M'Leae, he followed him along the road, overtook: him five or six miles from the station, anil with-mt \ ea or nay, coming close behind him, fired at him; the hall entered the unfortunate man's back, above the hip, and came out close to the navel. lie ot course fell eft bis horse mortally wounded Morgan dismounted, lifted the wounded man on his horse, and led him back to the station, where he now lies, with no hope of recovery.

Morgan and his men then remained carousing until two o'clock the next morning, when they departed as they came, and the police, under M'Lerie, arrived exactly five minutes after.