RUSHRENGERS IN QUEENSLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2510, 23 April 1902, Page 45

RUSHRENGERS IN QUEENSLAND.

The whole of the Maranoa district, in Queensland, has been in arms (says the correspondent of the Melbourne Argus) since the report* of the doing* of three brothers named Kenniff commenced to spread. A rumour of the murder of a e - on*t3ble named Doyle, stationed at I'pper Warrego, and Mr D<?lke, manager of the Carnarvon station, has gained credence, us day by day details of their encounter with the Kenniffa were *upplemented by fresh discoveries. The latt>*t newt confirm*, in the mobt dreadful manner possible, the feais which have been felt regarding the -afety of ■Constable Doyle and Mr Daike. The charred remain* of their bodies were found yesterday, and the strong party of police who have been scouring the district since the first report of the outrage was received has been rtinforceel, thou/h it i* expected that the Kcnniffs, who hiive taken to the bush, will not be captured without considerable (rouble. The alleged author-) of the outrage are three brothers-— Fatr ck, James, and Thomas Kcnmff. They are known to the police as a " bad lot," and have for a long time given the authorities a great doal of trouble. It 'was not till quite recantly, however, that they banded together. Horse-stealing i.* alleged to be theii profe6Mon, and they have all served scnte-nces at various times. They have only recently been discharged from gaol, .iiul a «cries of station robberies were reported from day to day immediately after their liberation. On March 24 they visited the Merivale station, and stole six horses, and subsequently they stuck up a teamster, and robbed a Chinaman whom they met on the road. The culminating point of their crimes was reached 011 Sunday, — SOtU March, when the encounter vuth Mr Dalke and Constable Doyle took place A black tracktr named Sam Johnson ariived at Mitchell on the following day in a stale of terrible excitement, and reported that on Sunday morning Constable Doyle, Mr Dalke, and he were crossing the country, when at a place named Lethbridgti's Pocket, on Meteor Downs run, they came across the three brothers Kenniff, for whom .several parties of liolu'e were .searching. The constable and Mr Dalko gave cha.se, and captured James Kenniff. Doyle, who wa« holding Kenuiff down on the ground, called out to Johnson to bring a pair of handcuffs from the pack horae. The tracker went away, and was returning when he heard several shots fired, and taw the other two Kenniffs coming towards him. with Colt's revolvers in their hands. He turned and fled, and as he vva= running away he heard .several shots filed. Johnson eventually came pcross two stockmen who were fencing in boggy ground, and one of them went back with him to the- spot wheie the encounter took place. All the men had disappeared, and only Mr Dalke's horse* remained. The saddle was blood-stained, and the- ti acker, removing it from the hon>o, brought it in to Mitchell in confirmation of* In* story. Half a dozen trackers were at once put on the tiail of the fugitives, and it was hoped that Constable Doyle and Mr Dalke had only been wounded, and had gone to the nearest waterhole to bathe their wounds, and wait until they had recovered *ufncient strength to get back along the road. Forty police arrived during the succeeding days, but. a* no trace of either of the men wa a found, the fear that they had been murdered began to be entertained. The country in the Mar.moa district, where, the police arc operating, is very rough ami thickly timbered, and it wa* recognised at the output that the ta*k of tracking the fugitives v.ould not be an. ca*y one. It was learned that the father of the three men always lived with them in the ranges, anel that their familiarity with the district would greatly aid them in evading the authorities Several dayr passed, and at length the worst wears were entertained. Tt wus learned that they had been heard to threaten to do for Mr Dalke and Constable Doyle, because they hod heard that they had been in pursuit of them for horse-*tealing some, clays pre•s iously. James Kenniff and Mr Dalke had come into conflict on a former occasion, when Ke-mufF was severely punished, and it was presumed that the, brothers would take the cwlh-sI opportunity of having revenge. (.Quarrels of tlii* natiiio were of constant re cm renc-e in the di-triet, where a gang of cattle-duffers have been actively engaged for some years pact, aud were alleged to have been instigated by men in important positions. The brothers- Kenniff incurred the sutqiiciors of the police on several occasions, iMid Iliere "was continual ill-feeling between the police and members of the family. Mr Dalke had frequently assisted the po'.if c in tracking offenders, and had betouie a marked man among the cattle*tea.]r"r« On Fnuay, 4th m*t., the c cene of the attrav u;i> carefully gone over, when it was di'covere'l t! at poolt, of blood had been hiii-ncd ovei, although 110 traces of bodies \wip foiii'd Constable Doyle'-i spurs wore lying cl(-«e to one of the fire* It was rcpriitiei by a £tot kinun that he had seen -moke uri*ing from a large fiie 111 tins l.fujhbimrliood, but that ho wai afiaicl to jc near the *pot '1 lie polii c have rerejvnl information which pi ems to -< t at ie*t all doubts it- to the fate of Doyle iinel Dalke. The constable's lim*o w.i* found by a party of police wan deling ni the ranges, about 10 nulc-s from the scene <>f the encounter It was making fix- the police- °tation at I pper Warrega, ;md had piobably been turned adrift, or had e-enpod mine days ago. Two pack bags were s-tmpped aero** the "-addle, and on opening them the police vu-ie horrified to find th.it they coiitameel chaired human renianin. They were filled with charcoal, c'Kirred bones, button*, and teeth It i.s Mijipos! <] that the Kennift* murdered their victim* and ronstcd their bodies on the f-pot, afterwards placing the burnt remains in bags, in the hope of finding a place to di*po*c of them where they would not be likely to Imj found It is surmised that the hu*hrangoi» intended taking the horse away, but that it became frightened and mnele off towards it* stable with its gruesome burden. Seveial air-st* have been made, although the, print ipal offenders are still at large. The polar took an early opportunity of placing the father of the Kenniffs under arrest; and two of the younger brother', Thoinan and Jvc k. we-re arrested later The former is stated to have been present when the -hootine of Mr Dalke and Constable Doyle took place They were tracked to a spring in the mountain* 15 miles on the ftriringmire i~\ih> ai tW JMaLfcnr Down* ftta.-

' tion. They had a number of horses i*§> possession, which are supposed to b& ' own property. A man named Stapleto.i cousin, and latterly a mate of Kennitf \ has also been arrested in Brisbane on j! charge of vagrancy, and will be detained until his actions during the prfst few weeks have been satisfactorily accounted for. Merivale station, where a number oi horses were missing after a visit from the Kenniffs, is part of the Darling Downs and Western Land Company's estate. Carnai> yon station, which is about 100 miles froni Mitohell, was purchased by Messrs John* Collins and Sons from the estate of the late Mr Peter Tyson. Mr Dalke was send to manage the property as soon as it was acquired, and soon made himself known as af iran of energy and fearlessness in his efforts to put down cattle-stealing. The Kennift family had a block of land on the Carnarvon run under occupation license, and had a large herd of cattle.