Empire (Sydney, NSW : 1850 - 1875), Tuesday 25 February 1862, page 5


WINDSOR.

[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]

A preliminary meeting of the friends of Mr. W. Walker, M.L.A., was held on Saturday afternoon, at the Sir John Young Hotel, to adopt some remuneration to him for his valuable services. The announcement on Saturday morning, of the intented meeting, caused an amount of surprise, and not very complimentary comments through the town. It was intended to be a specially private affair, but having been favoured with a copy of one of the circulars convening the meeting, I enclose it, deeming it of interest to a portion of your readers. It ran as follows: - "Windsor, Februaray --, 1862. Sir, - You are respectfully invited to attend a preliminary meeting of the friends of Mr. William Walker, M.L.A., to be held at the Sir John Young hotel, Windsor, on Saturday, 22nd instant, at 2 o'clock p.m., to consider the propriety of offering that gentleman some public testimonial as a recognition of his valuable services in connection with this district. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, JAMES ASCOUGH, Hon, Sec. pro tem," Not being admitted within the select circle, I cannot pretend to inform your readers of the interesting proceedings further than the information given me by a person present, who states that there were about a dozen persons present, that £30 was collected, that a paid collector, at seven-and-a-half per cent. commission, was appointed, and that a public dinner was to form part of the testimonial. Some very unfavourable comments were made on the proceeding through the town among the electors, as it was thought that the constituency would be thereby accused of adopting the very undesirable system of paid members of Parliament. Whether this feature can be placed on the case now before the electors of Windsor, cannot be asserted; but it is suspicious, and should not be countenanced. If the present movement is intended as a reward for Mr. Walker's private services, then the case is different. At the present time, judging by the circular, it wears a political aspect.

¡THE XATB ROBHEHY AT TUB I.S.N. CuurArtv's STOHEB. -The Braidwood Dltpiteh' Baya that, at the Nelligen police-court, Charles Wood head appeared on bail, charged with being accessary to a robbery aommitted at the company's storne, about the 30th of A'lgast las!. . H. Breen, dotec'lve eonatable, being sworn, stated : I're. ooiyed the prisoner Woodbead into oustody on the SQth of. January laBt ; be wan charged by Mr. H. Monning with haviog a guilty Inowledgo of a robbery that was committed about the 30th of August laat j I was preaeot when the stolen property was found; I holpod to dig them out ol tho ground ¡ there wero two bolts of ooliao and other artloles, now produoed j prisoner Bald be knew nothing'about thom; he Bald be would work for Mr. Manning until Mr. Manciog'a loss was paid .for. Henry Monning deposed t I am tho agent ot Kel.

ligoii lor thel. 8. N.Gr.mpaoy; In tho montlrof August laat, a oase of oolloo, the property of Mossra. Tweedie and Weston,'ol Braidwood, waa taken out of the »tores; I did not miss . it until Deoombor, wheo . M o SB ra. Tweedie and Weston olaimed compensation ; about the midd'« of January I employed a mon to 'drain a swamp on lîist Nolllgou adjoining my orchard, nod trarked ont .tho ground; after he had been a week at work ho carno over and told me bo bad sprung a "plant" of calico; I went over the river to tho Bwarap, and sent for a ooo atablo, who.with tho man dug out thu callao and two boxes; from the itite in willoh the gooda were, I ot onoe ossooiatod the loss of Tweedie and Weston's property with that found: in Augutt last Robert Marshall was olerk and foreman in nh ugo of ibo store, having the boya from the SOlh to the 93rd ol August during my nbsenoa in Sydnoy ; under Marshall wore Cbarles . Woodbead, Joseph Horne,. and JamsB Follis; theta Ilvad In a hut in tho immediate neighbour., hood Of tho "plant.*.1 I remember boating of Chatios Woodbead, when angrily speaking of Marshall, Haying that he (Marshall) could well afford to pty tho half of tba oost of goods lodf, whoo ha got tba whole; I had no Buspfolon at tho lime of anything being wrong at the storo; athen I gave Woodhead into custody ho remarked tbat tba storo dorrs wiro found open on tho morning of tba day of my.rotura from Sydney, but snob olrouni. a'anoos was never reported to me ; FolliB and Home wero disobarged in September, and Marshall in Díeem. ber laBt. Tbe prisoner was disobliged,

BTjfnBANMns.--Tho Wynynl Timti seyit- Robber; Md vjglenoa reemo to be tile bttttUcn of erny private.

loiter received on the Adelong from the Lachlan,

aooomplish tbe journey (rom Burrangong to tbat e olout kpot, wlthont tbs palo of belog atûok.op, .«ntf penalty of lotiog all yon .nave,'appear* impdnible.

near Police Aot.ia intended to impart greater effiaíenc ibo existiog force, and not beforo them ia an ubso necessity for nome groat ohange. In read trig tba van autbentio accounts, one-half of whioh never find t way into tho poblio prints, it te TUB impoaaible to rea the feot that these things are dona in the open day u a highway,, in a oountry peopled by peaceable and order laving race,

where protection ia ? profeeaed lo

guaranteed at such an enormous coat. Perpetrated tho overland trail to Oolifornia by the fierce Camanó or Apacho*, they might not appear GO extraordinary,

aa deeds done amongst a olyllised and Christina ra they reveal auch a st irtling condition in tbe morah our mining population, that in any jost reckoning wo go far as a melancholy set-off against all the advantai hitherto oonferred by tbe discovery. of, gold, 1 number, ubiquitous committal, and * petty character theao many orimes render it idle to supposa that tl are tba work of one solitarv ging, or evan af tnt bolder villains that, like Gardiner aud Peisley, ki earned Booh horrible notoriety, The last viotlm these outrages, that we have heard of belonging to tl locality, ia Richard Cruikshank/ well-known ou I Donkey Hill Reef. Stopped in his passage to the Litchi by several armed ruffians,,' ho Was,not only, stripped his money, but his horse, a valuable..animal, and aoointrementa wore lakon from him ¡. be waa then mi cruelly beaten, and tied to a tree, from whioh nnpleaai position be was after many hours of duress released some paBaers hy. If to suppress an outbreak at Bi rangong, the Qo.Vfrnnjont were prompt enough to mc tho wholo availahler military fcr.se of Ihe colony to t scene of action, surely it is high time some extraori nary measures wore adopted to stop the coarse of tb<

lowloas wiakod men. ir-.

MURDEH AT SANDHURST.-The Partoral Times Bays : We have reoeived information from the ohief oonBtst that a murder baa been oommitted nt Sandhurst, ai that the supposed perpetrator of tho crime was believ to have started for tbe Lsoblan diggings, via Echuca ai Deniliquin. We have no particulars of the deed, so 1 as the causa of death is ooucerned, but by a telegrn whioh baa been placed at oar disposal, we learn that tl name of tba murdered man is John Meagher, and that tho BuppoBod murderer, Peter Welsh. The orime w oommitted on the night of the 11th instant, and Well ie said to have left Sandhurst for the Laohlan digglni at about ll p.m. on the following day, riding a gr horse and carrying a heavy swag. A warrant bsa bei issued for bis apprehension, and he is described as fe lows :-" About 30 yeats of age; Oft. 7iin. high; da complexion ; dark hair, and whiskers meeting under tl ohio; dressed in a suit of dark clothes, and ÍB a native ooanty Clare, Ireland." The opinion bf the ohio/ oo stable is that tba fugitive will not pass through tl: town, bat make for Wagga Wagita via Gillenbah. Tl patt (culcra of the casa were promptly telegraphed Wagga. Wagga. '

MORE BUSHRANGING. - The Pastoral Times says: -On Friday last information was received by the police that a man named Alfred Stokes, returning from the Lachlan, had been stuck up near Dacey's station, on the Levels, by two armed bushrangers. It seems that they robbed him of £5, and taking his horse (a very good one), left him one of their own in exchange. Having searched him, they compelled him, with a pistol to his head, to go back some hundred and fifty yards into the bush, where they secured him by means of a handker-chief and coat strap, to a sapling. While being tied the man endeavoured to keep his arms in such a position as to allow them some little play, but the robbers noticing this threatened to shoot him if he attempted to do it again. They then made off, and after a

time their victim succeeded in releasing himself, and at once made all speed to Wagga Wagga. Mr. Chief Con-stable Monteith, with constable Hamilton, started imm-diately in pursuit of the bushrangers, but could hear no tidings of their whereabouts, and returned to town on Wednesday about noon. On their way in they succeeded in recovering Stoke's horse, which the robbers had ex-changed for another with a man named Murphy, near White's. Murphy at first denied having the horse, but eventually gave it up. On Friday evening the same rob-bers, as it is supposed stuck up two Chinamen, near Hurley's station, and robbed them of £35. The mail-man who came into Wagga Wagga the same evening reported having released a man whom he found tied to a tree, between Dacey's and Cummins', and who had been robbed of £13, his horse, saddle and bridle. There can be little doubt that the fellows are still lurk-ing about in the neighbourhood of the Levels, and Mr. Monteith reports very unfavourably of the shanty near Bethungra, where Jack in Boots was captured. This

shanty is in the Gundagai police district, and it reflects no great credit on either the police magistrate or chief constable of Mudopolis that such a den should be suffered to exist. Gardiner the bushranger, with his gang, is generally reported to be in the neighbourhood of the road from Burrangong to the Lachlan, and it is probable tbat his is not the only band of highwaymen in these districts.

Si'inii AT CUDOKOONO.-On Friday nigbt (says th Western Poet) thia township waa visited by a matt fonrfi Btorm, which aiUBod the river tb rise nearly t'ri feet i aa many minutes. A vost amount of property has hen de troysd. Two vnlunblo horses, several cows, aalvoi and neatly all tho poultry in the neighbourhood wei kill jd. . The. bush , ia literally covered «Ith dood blrd.i opossum», and other wild animals. For five milo round tbe heaviest and best of tho timber IR torn up.

TUE CHINESE.-Tho Braidwood Dispatch saya:-O Wednesday' laat, any stranger ooming into the tow would naturally tuvo imagined that he had got by mi« take into Amoy, Hongkong,,br some other city in th celoBtial empire. The Chiueoo were parading tba Btroet of Braidwood on that day ia droves, and appeared aa i they intended to take tho Conrt-boueo by storm. Upo making inquiry we.asoortained that the clerk of pelt sossions was holding a leuce for the puirpoBx of giving t Ibo hordes of Mongolians in attendance tickets wliurob, tbey may oSoapo tho tax imposed upon all now Chinese im migrants under the Aot-reoently ponied. TheBe fellow: were most- pressing in their endeavours to ob tala " liaketB of leave," ond when, thry fount that Mr. Hogg and two oonalablea were stntionei at the Court-house to prevent thom from oorninn in tot numeronBlr atone time, they Immediately attempted another dodge to outwit the polioe, and numbera of thon went round to tho back cf tho Ciurt-house, olimbed thi fe'ioe, and obtained ingross by theso means. For somi boura hundreds'of them wrro huddlad uti undor thi Ooutt-houae fence like a lliokof sheop, and tbe laomon one oould get through Ibo gala they nil tried to follow after tho manner of thu animals alludud to. Mr démanger and two osi-istants woro leapt scribbling a' hard a« tboy oould go till four o'otook, nt which ham tho Court-house is supposed to ho closed, bat in eon ssquvnae of there hoing nt - that, limo* vo . many Chinese vatting to be. " turnod off,", tho issuing ol tlohcts was kept on for another hour, when lt wait notified to tho Chinese by tho Interpreter that no moro tio<tot> oould be given that day ; lint John wai not ensily phiiknti off. A small squad oolluoted égalait tho door nuii begged hard far their tickets, declaring that they lind ooma all ibo wiy from Araluen, ami had tn rotur.i thal I night. Tho veto os to olosin? was accordingly rev.ikad i for a time, and tialcnts nora given to nil tkea-j supponod I Arrduonltos, bnt who in ruatlty oame from MoreingV

El.t, ond kept,grjnning ot,the .suaoeBS pf tho trick they hsd pliyud, Il these follows have b,c6n 'desoriht-d upin thc back of tbolr tiakuts with any degreu of noon raoy, «orno of the descriptions mnst be of a highly amoslnR o'erdoter, OB wenotlood Bo.voral who .bore atiiking roBemblanoas to the Afrloan; gorilla dlaaoverod by Du Chatllu, whllBt, others presented some intelli-gence, Numbers esme io on Thursday, bat in oon scquonoe of tba sliting of tho maglilrjtos being pro-longed, to saoh a lime by there being BO many oases, tbe Chinese had (o remain in town all night, bat yesterday Mr. Olomenger issuod an 'immense number of tickets, and we think that there cannot now bo many moro loft, unless indeed that ' they aro double-banking, and presenting themaelvea for tieliota. twioo, undor thu Idea tba', the extra ones will ooma In for tim futuro now ouurjOB who, may bo dexterous enough to ovadi tho tax minn theil arrival in tim colony;

ACCIDENT.-For tho paBt fortnight («aya tho Monaro Mercury) Mr. 8limnon, Onraml«slonar.stront, baa bad three men employed cutting a well in tho rear of bia pro mbes, and on Monday morning whilo injudiciously jim lng a blast, thoy having to ant through rook nearly all the wny down, with one nf the iron bar», it wont off, blowing thu emnll atone and dirt into both the mon's oyon, and noarohing thom very badly about l ha face aud nuuk. Ono ol thorn ecomod to have bin oyo sight completely destroyed, and both worn in groat agony. AB tho men I waru nour and needy, and unable to pay for medical i a tr danae, application wan mado to Dr. Merry woulLor to ' havo ' (bom ndmlitud lotti tho hospital, but

they woro rofuned, the doctor alleging that it " was . not a lionpital." In this ntato . the poor mon worn kept tully nn hour, I while muBsnngprs wer» running about thu township lo

consult on B point wbloh common hntnaulfy clearly indi oatus ought ne»or ta have arisen. Finally t'.ny wrro ndmit'ed, nnd aro slightly Improving. Who irj tim «Ul-

cera, ar. undor what rulos tho asylum, hospital, or what, they moy please lo torm lt, is being guided we know not,

but lb'* in evident, that ibo formor pay very little atlon-, linn to tlulr fqnollone, ond tho lntlér are BO oradr,

crtmprd, nnd ambiguous BB tv bo totally OD Ut for nae in |

.ny onromunlly,*- .Tho pound.fees »nd drunkard fina» .re banded.over to tba hospital, and a good matty tub terib*;--yet-wa are told Ula DO boepl'al, and men wi UV .their eyes ball blown ont cannot ba admitted. It is ar perfect farce to imigine the publio will aasttl Boob a place, and th» sooner tba Government intefereand divert

tba fees into «nether and mora legitimate obannel tba , better for all parties.

GREAT FLOOD IN COOMA.-The Monaro Mercury says: -On Friday evening last the immedl.to neighbourhood of our township was visited by ont' of tbe moat severe storms of thunder, lightning, bail, and rain wbieh baa ooourred within the past three years. Cooma felt very

little of the thunder or rain, but the fearful Btorm waa .? distinctly "visible surging along within a space of four ? miles, aod the Cooma creek*, running through tba , township from the looality .where the storm waa proceed-

ing,: soon gave unmistakable indications of the perfect 7 deluge which bad ooourred. It is impossible to form' any' conception of ' the extraordinary' rapidity

with wbieh the flood esme down, unless it wara, i seen. In five minutes from ita commencement - to,:, rita it WBB running twelve feet deep-from an ell

but dried up oreek it was transformed into a madly''. ' rushing torrent, sweeping fences, trees, casks, and attila'

before it, and inundating balfour township. When the ¡ 'storm first came on, some patties were at tho bridge in , ? Sharp-street, and before they oonld get to Messrs, Solo«

mon'« store, a distance of 100 yarde, tbe carrent wat '

running over the road. AB a matter of oourne, great ' damage baa been done, principally in the fences and in the gardens along the margin of the oreekg. In some instances tba small plotB planted with grain or potato«» are oompletely destroyed, having either been wt abed out

of the ground, or o foot of sand and dirt deposited on tba .? surface, ' Moesrp. Solomon« had a few oanka Hotted from ' >. tho rear of their premises, and Mr. Montague's paddock, , on the oppoatto aide of the road, bad tho fence washed

down nnd the oontents ' seriously damaged;' ' Mr. Kirwan'a paddock, previously ' very ' good ? i feed, is nearly covered with Band . and.:', rubbish. The sew bridge in Shnrp-stroet, on .the,, Queanbeyan road, never , a .model of engineering skill,.

waB washed away, part of it going through Market-';

squire sud being deposited in the neighbourhood of Mr. ': Montague's mill ; one of the large wooden piers belting* i ing to tba bridge being created on the Kiandra road,,,' bolted together andi some, tons weight, WHB partially

'* slewed" round. This ' was trivial, and hoB Binoe been ' rectified. To ennumeratn all tbe damage is impossible. '

As we stated tbe storm waa more severe in tho neigh« ?.,

bonrhood of Cooma' than aotunlly In the township, ^ , . though the latter Buffered most <from the flood. lt.. ' arose apparently at the Snowy Mountains and swept over'v Tbe Drothots near Cooma, passing in tbe direotion of

Braidwood. At Jindabyne they had ' very beavy hail,. ' literally blocks of iee, whioh ont the standing oropt down tbe name as o soythe. Though the lightning was very dangerous, we have not heard of any aooidents.

FiBItOR BNOOtTNTE« WIXII ' ' BtJ URANaBRB.-The Bathurst Free Pren Baye: -Mr. Lowie, tho telegraph line innpeotor, was yesterday proceeding to Orange, «nd when-near Guyong WBB attaokod by four ntmed and mounted bushranger». They first demanded ' the Inspector's money, and not being satisfied with the reply mado, two of tho robbers pulled him off bis horse. Mr. Lewis had no firearms with him ; he had however, tv small American tomahawk, whioh ho oarrled for the purpose of catting down branches of troca ou tbe line» One of the men rushed on him, but by a woll-direoted blow of tbe tomahawk on his bead, tho fellow wat knookod down senseless. Another of tbe rasoals then made floreely at the inspeotor, when wheeling th«, weapon round he stiuck the robber with its sharp edge

under the ear, prostrated him also. A third ono fired > at bim, and tho ball went tbrongh his hat. Mr. Ls wis then Bprong upon his horse, and WBB pursued by tba t o wretohea be bod- spared, leaving the two others groaning on tho ground. The tomahawk WBB lost in the encounter or there might have been 'more slaughter to report. Tho desperadoes attempted to bill Mr. Lewie*horse by stabbing it. Mr. Lewis himself escaped unhurt.'