BUSHRANGING IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 189, 9 March 1868, Page 3

BUSHRANGING IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

APPEEHENSION OF A GANG OF THIEVES. The Yass Courier states: During the time the races were being held, on the 27th January, at Mr. Henry Wilson's Inn, on the Gap road, two saddles were stolen, one belonging to Mr. E. Curran, and the other to Mr. Davis. The former was nearly new and is said to be worth six guineas. Suspicion of the theft rested upon certain parties, and the police were actively in search of them, but were unsuccessful up to Wednesday last. On that day Mr. Sub-inspector Brennan, and mounted trooper Cade, with the black traeker, came upon a gunyab at a place called the Needles, near Manton's Creek,

where they found William Druitt. Isaac Pratten alias Mahoney, and Cbaa. Brown. These parties Mr. Brennan apprehended on charges of having committed certain larcenies. The stolen paddles were found planted in the bush near the gunyah, as well as some harness supposed by description to have been taken from the premises of Frederick Cox, of Woodhouseleigh. The place at which tho arrest was made is perhaps the wildest part of this district, and admirably suitod as a hidingplace for lawless characters. The gunyah of tho prisoners is buried in a gully surrounded by a dense scrub of underwood. It is probable that a charge of horse-stealing will be fixed upon either one or other of the men. The present prisoner William is the only male member of the family who is absent from Cockatoo. He has had many narrow escapes, very recently he was charged with the cowardly and cruel act of disfiguring the mane and tail of several valuable horses belonging to Michael Canty. Isaac Pratten, as well as his confreres in crime, is a very young man, we should suppose not more than seventeen or eighteen years of age. His father, well known in the Groulburn district by the soubriquet of " Ruggy Jack," kept a publichouse some years ago in the Cook's Vale Eoad. He more recently served a sentence of twelve months for obtaining goods and money by a valueless cheque. Pratten pere was with this exception an honest industrious man, and accumulated a considerable sum of money at the Braidwood gold-fields soon after they were proclaimed. Young Pratten has apparently picked up with some choice society, and perhaps it may be fortunate for him if his career in crime is early cut short. Charles Brown, the younger of the two, is, we understand, a native, of Bathurst or the neighborhood. Nothing is known about him excepting that when arrested he was in remarkably bad company. As he is within the age at which lads are received on board the Vernon he is a fit subject for the discipline of that ship. * These chaps did not appear to realise their position when they were escorted into town on Wednesday afternoon, as they were as jolly as sand boys, singing and cracking their jokes at the expense of the policemen's polished boots and neat attire, now and again referring to the "brave" exploits of such fellows as Gardiner, Gilbert, and Dunn. It will be seen, however, that they have changed their tune. Yesterday (Friday) they were brought before Mr. Laidlaw charged with stealing the two saddles. Mr. Sub-Inspector Brennan introduced them to his worship as "three of the brightest youths that had ever been brought before this or any other Bench." Their demeanour in the dock was widely different from their devil-may-care manner when in custody on Wednesday afternoon. As there was no evidence to connect the young boy Brown, who, by-the-bye, has an alias, that of M'Alister, with the saddle-stealing, Mr. Laidlaw very properly discharged him, but Mr. Brennan, with a paternal feeling that does him great honour, handed the lad over to Mr. Bourke of the lock-up for safe custody, steps being taken to send him to the reformatory ship Vernon. We may congratulate the district on the probability of getting rid of, at all events, for a time, two promising characters in the persons of Druitt and Pratten, and the youth Brown, alias M'Alister, may thank his stars that he is likely to be rescued from a career of infamy which has often terminated on the gallows. It is somewhat strange that localities of great ruffianism have borne strange names. Some years since "the Pinnacle" was in every one's mouth as the domain of the bushrangers ; a lesser fry have chosen "tho Needles" as their home. The Condemned Bushrangers.— Jeremiah Duce, who is now in Deniliquin gaol, sentenced to death under the name of John William!?, has expressed to his mother (a poor woman who came a long journey to see her son for the last time, and who is living on the charity of individuals here).