ENCOUNTER WITH BUSHRANGEEIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 177, 5 December 1868, Page 3

ENCOUNTER WITH BUSHRANGEEIS.

* (From the Sydney Morniug Herald, Nov. 12.) A correspondent writes to us from Eringunia, stating that the accounts given of the encounter between Senior-constable M'Cabe dnd the bushrangers at Shearer's Inn, on the Warrego River, are erroneous. M'Cabe, it will be remembered, was wounded, and has since died of the injury. The following is the narrative given by the writer : — " A warrant was out for Rutherford for horse-stealing from Queensland.and a Queensland trooper came to the New South Wales Police Station, on the Birie Kiver. Seniorconstable M'Cabe and another were stationed there. M'Cabe and a black tracker joined the Queensland police in pursuit of Rutherford and his mate ; the police tracked them across the Culgoa River to Ledknapper, a polygonum waterhole twenty-two miles from Coliss' Inn, on the Culgoa, and thirty-nine miles from Shearer's Inn, at Eringunia, on the Warrego River. At Ledknapper, the bushrangers got fresh horses. On Sunday, October 4, at noon, Rutherford, one of the bushrangers, came with two horses to the waterhole at Eringunia, Warrego River ; he plunged in to drink. A man who was camped at the waterhole and was getting his dinner, suddenly missed him and one of the horses. He went over to see what was the matter, and saw Rutherford stretched with the half of his face covered with water, in a fair way of being drowned. He, with the assistance of two other men, pulied Rutherford and his horse out of the water, noticing, at the same time, that Rutherford had two revolvers in his belt. The horse was Bcored on the shoulder, as if a knife had been used. lam surprised that those about did not suspect something wrong, but they did not. Rutherford was asked to have some dinner, but declined, saying his mate was famishing in the bush for the want of water, and he took some water away in a bag with him. On Monday, | the two bushrangers took two fresh horses from Belalie, a station on the Warrego, fourteen miles ahove Eringunia. They were not seen taking the horses. On I Tuesday, at half-past nine a.m., Seniorconstable M'Cabe, a Queensland trooper, 1 and two black trackers, arrived at Shearer's Inn, at Eringunia Warrego River, and the trackers took the horses to the waterhole to drink. The waterhole is three-eighths ;of a mile from the inn. To give an idea of the state they were in, I will only mention that the tongue of one of the trackers was hanging out of his mouth. While the trackers were at the waterhole, tbe following 'took place : ~ When the two policemen sent their horses to water they went into the bar and ordered breakfast, and while they

were standing in the har, the two bushrangers, Rutherford and Frank — supposed to be Thunderbolt — rode up, dismounted, hung up their horses in front of the house, and not knowing that the police were inside, Rutherford hounded into the bar, saying • Bail up,' at the same time presenting his revolver, and said, '. Come on, Frank,' to his companion. Frank was shoving a drunken man before him into the bar when Rutherford said 'bail up;' he saw the two policemen with arms (not in their hands), and at a glance saw their situat'on. He immediately fired at M'Cabe and missed; but a second shot from Rutherford's revolver took effect, and entered M'Cabe's left breast about two inches to the right of his armpit, destroying the use of his left lung, and lodged near the right shoulder blade. M'Cabe, who was in a corner, slid down, pulled' the i drunken' man before mentioned to him, and by that means raised his carbine and fired. The ball took effect in the right arm of the bushranger Frank, who was standing in the doorway. Frank at the Bame time fired his revolver at M'Cabe without effect. When M'Cabe fell, Rutherford pushed three men who were in the bar into a bedroom off the bar. The firing had frightened the bushrangers' horses, and they broke their, bridles and ran off. Tbe bushrangers followed them, and after they left the house and were running to catch their horses, the Queensland trooper had an opportunity to fire at them within 100 yards, but did not do so. Frank, the wounded bushranger, dropped his pistol at the door. Messrs M'Noll and Zouch, two gentlemen who were drafting sheep about a mile from the house, heard the firing, and the former came to see wbat was up, and on learning returned for Mr Zouch, and having got some firearms, Messrs M'Noll and Zouch, accompanied by the Queensland trooper and his black tracker, started after the bushrangers to Belalie. But to return to the bushrangers. They got to Belalie before noon, got off their horses, and Rutherford asked the storekeeper there for Mr M'Noll's revolver. He (the storekeeper) said, 'You cannot have it without an order from Mri M'Noll,' whereon Rutherford showed him his'l revolver, saying ' There is my order,' and he was given the pistol. There were five men at Belalie, and Rutherford told them what they had done, and dressed the wounded man's wounds. He had to be lifted off and on his horse. Frank, the wounded bushranger, has two wounds— one through the fleshy part of the right fore arm, and the other in the upper part of the same arm ; the ball is said to be lodged in the shoulder. The party in pursuit got to Belalie about half an hour after the bushrangers had left, and followed them up the Warrego to a place called the 'D. Z. Head.' The bushrangers had watered their horses there, but the pursuers did not, and pushed on, M'Noll and Zouch on horses which had had no water for twenty-four hours before. They were so close that they sighted them at times, and fully expected that the wounded bushranger would have to give in. The pursuers camped at dark, as they could not follow the tracks, and the bushrangers got to Yantabulla, Mr Dowling's station, at sunrise on Wedneaday, the 9th instant. Rutherford asked there where the water was, and gave Frank a drink. The wounded man did not dismount, and appeared to be in pain. They saw Mr Dowling's blackfellow getting up the horses, and told him they had leave to take two, and took two of ' r Hutchinson's, which he had left there, and rode away to the north-east, but afterwards turned north-west. The pursuers got to Yantabulla by 1 1 a.m., thoroughly knocked up. Messrs M'Noll and Zouch had to return to the Warrego, as 20,000 sheep in their charge were without water. They got the horses which were taken from Belalie, at Yantabulla. The thermometer at Yantabulla on that day was 100 deg in the shade, and at a station twenty miles northward of there 102 deg. How the wounded bushranger got on I am at a loss to conceive, as there are not any waterholes away from stations in that quarter. Mr Shearer sent a messenger to Bouske, and Dr Roberts, Sergeant Cleary, and Constable Johns got to his place by about nine p.m. on Wednesday, 7th inst., a distance of about sixty-five miles from Bourke. On Thursday, the ßth, the two Bourke policemen went to Belalie, where they met Messrs M'Noll and Zouch, aud upon being told the direction taken by the bushrangers, returned to Shearer's, and thence to Bourke."