RIDICULOUS CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

Western Star, Issue 345, 17 April 1880, Page 7

RIDICULOUS CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

(“ Bendigo Advertiser.”) Eour young Englishmen of respectable appearance and good connections arrived in the colony by the True Briton on her last trip. They intended to stay a few months in having a tour round the colonies and then return to England. Being fond of shooting and fishing, a few days ago they left Me l bourne well equipped with guns and ammunition, and arrived at Castlemaine. They had heard there were some hares to be had around Muekleford, and so they went out to that locality and pitched their camp. While in camp they were rather surprised at the number of policemen in mufti who kept coming into the camp asking some questions as to whether they had seen a"hotae of a certain color, which was the road'into Castlemaine, or to such and such a place. At night two of them Eft the camp to go into Castlemaine, a third went to fetch some water, and the fourth was left in possession of the camp. Hardly had his three companions left him, when the man in charge looked up and saw the camp was surrounded, and two policemen came forward and questioned him as to his name, business, where he came from, where he was going, who were his companions, and their business, &c. He was rather nettled at what he considered the impertinence of these inquiries, and at first refused to give them any satisfaction till they told him who they were. They asked him if he had any firearms. “ Oh, yes,” said he, stooping down and picking up a gun. “ Put that down,” yelled one of his interlocutors, He did so. Presently his companion returned with the water, and he was subjected to the same series of questions. The police party then left, hut did not seem to be quite satisfL d with the result of their interview. We must now account for the preseuce and business of the policeman at the strangers’ camp. A rumor reached Castlemaine that the Kellys were camped near Muekleford, ami the news created no little excitement amongst the constabulary. But come life*, or death, dutv must be done, and six determined men went out, armed to the teeth, resolved “ to do or die.” When w.thin a mile of the locality indicated, a council of war was held, and it was then resolved to surround the camp cautiously, which being done, two ot the boldest were to go forward and interview the supposed outlaws. When the attacking force arrived on the scene there was, as we have stated, only one man in camp. After the interview the police felt to a great extent they had gone on a fool’s errand. ‘Nevertheless, the camp was placed under surveillance all night, for yesterday morning, when the travellers were engaged in packing up, they observed a policeman get into a trap and drive off at a furious rate towards Casrleraaine. When they arrived at the Castlemaine railway station to get their tickets for Eclmca, they saw the whole station full of policemen and a largo crowd of people who were eying them with considerable curiosity on account of a paragraph in the Mount Alexander “ Mail” of that morning describing the interview between tha police and the supposed outlaws on the previous night. Not a word was said to them, however, and our travellers arrived safely at the Sandhurst station. They are evidently new chums from Yorkshire, and as much unlike the Kellys as it is possible for men to be.