THE BUSHRANGER POWER.

Western Star, Issue 932, 21 March 1885, Page 3

THE BUSHRANGER POWER.

The Melbourne correspondent of a contemporary avriles : Harry Power, Hie list of llm ol l-thne bushran jits, Ims been released after 15 years’ seclusion in Pen!ri !ge. Ho einerjes Loo (lie outside world ,1: the mill lire age of 05 so (hut he is not likely to require much police surveillance, or to fe t ny ii c'iimtion to take to the linsii again. r l ho fact is Hint even if lie were 30 y urs xrungcr he could no 1 mger follow i oil profession of bushi'anging, for all parts of the country have got so peopled ■ind el ared of timler that any madcap bushranger would be run down in less than 24 j hours after the first attempt at. slicking-up. If Power really meditated a ret urn to criminal lawlessness, ' e would doub'less select the city rather than the eount.rv for his field of oporat;on, in view of the frightful disovgnni ati-m in our metropolitan poll efo' cc, and the fact that the superintendent has b-on engage 1 ail ihe we k in hearing charges against police. For instance, it is alleged that the whole contingent of the police in one suburb was found one ! night in a slam of helpless intoxca'i >n, that i other menihorß of Hie force have combined with certain fallen women to prevent the truth being told in a particular case, and that certain oilier constables have vaiied the monotony of their beats by prolonged visus to contiguous pubhi-bouses. So numerous are those charges that, it lias gravely been proposed to establish a new eonit, osj ecidly for heating eases in which the suppo-ed guardians of the public pence and propriety are themselves ion lan s Anyone with half an ‘ye can

-e ■ ihe lounging slovenly constables that at present disgrace our thoroughfares arc not. the right stamp of men ; if gao l men cannot be got at the low wages now ruling, why, common sense dictates the policy of raising the salary at. once. But, coining back lo the exbushranger Power, it seems that a lady whom he treated kindly whe > he stuck up the mail coach in which she was one of the passengers 20 years ago has now taken Hm under her patronage, am set lied a pension on him for life. I ike most people of notoriety, lie is emu’ous of “running a pub” (to borrow the • oiloq dai phrase), but there is a pretty general i.i piv.-si'.n Dial his ambition in this respect “••ill not bo gratified, as llio majority of the licensing magistrates may not consider him a (it ami proper person to bold a license. But. if Pow. i manages to overcome the scruples of t hese gentlemen, his hotel is sure to bo a big business success, and to become the rendezvous of Hie renders of sensational fiction, who will crowd into the bar, nil for drinks, and listen With abated breath whilst, the o cl desperado tells how ho stuck up Hie present President of the Legislative Council and a host of the highci izc.f of the land.