HIGHWAY ROBBERY UNDER ARMS.

Otago Police Gazette, Volume I, Issue 24, 23 November 1863, Page 119

HIGHWAY ROBBERY UNDER ARMS.

At 11am., the 2nd November, 1863, as Mr. William Acton, of Switzer’s- Diggings, storekeeper, was proceedmg therefrom to nvercargill via the Pyramid, on horseback, when about eight miles from Switzer s, and the like distance from the Pyramid Camp, he was stopped by three armed men, one having a double barrelled gun, the other two revolvers, who fired upon and slightly wounded him and robbed him of over 60 oz. of gold, some of it pretty coarse, some very bright and seal}, and some of it dark, being coated with nitrate of iron, !£3O in sovereigns and half sovereigns, eight £5 notes, a patent English lever hunting watch, made by John Edwards, Li

pool, No. 7202, and a self-acting revolver. The men are thus described by him : Ist. About 27 years’ old, 6 feet high, well built, but not very stout, light brown hair and bushy sandy whiskers not very long; dressed in f blue monkey jacket with red lining, torn inside across the shoulder, small Bedford cord trousers, light grey Crimean shirt, drab billycock hat, and low'boots. 2nd. About 30 years’ old, 5 feet 9 inches high, squints a little with one eye, supposed the right, dark complexion, dark bushy whiskers, dark hair; wore blue cloth monkey jacket, moleskin pants, dark billycock hat, and short boots. 3rd. About 35 years’ old, about 5 feet 6 inches high, : thin features, light complexion, light brown hair, small whiskers; wore a broad body belt tied with strings, moleskin pants, billycock hat, and short Wellington boots cut in shreds across the toes. The double barrelled gun had a highly finished stock inlaid with gold or brass, the maker’s name in same metal between the barrels, the hammers representing the heads of some animals. One of the revolvers was a large sized Colt's, the other a pepper box. It has been subsequently reported by Sergeant Ilewson, of the Mounted Escort, that a gun answering exactly to the above description, the hammers or cocks representing dolphins, was seen by him on the 12th of October, 1863, at George Fletcher’s Accommodation House, at the Elbow, in the Province of Southland. A reward of £2O will be paid to any person giving such information as shall lead to the apprehension of the offenders.