Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Tuesday 16 May 1882, page 6


Pursuit of a Smuggler.

(firm One Border Post, has 10.)

A most exciting chase by a Victorian Customs officer after a Chinaman smuggling opium across the New South Wales border resulted last Sunday morning in the capture of 120 tins of opium. Mr D- Ferguson, Collector of Customs, Wodonga, received certain information on Friday last, and left Wodonga at 2 p.m. on horseback up the river. He warned the stations at Bethanga and Bungil to be on the alert, and ascertained at Jingellic that his quarry had crossed the Murray at that ford. Taking Constable Wallace, who had been out after the Kellys and knew the country well, with him, Mrs Ferguson proceeded to track the Chinaman step by step. He was dependent on any information he could pick up regarding the smuggler, who, he now ascertained, was rr 7 f one horse and carrying the contraband p on a pack-horse. Throughout Friday the whole of Saturday the Customs office executed his pursuit, accompanied by the constable, both

mounted on horses who had their work cut out for them, twisting and turning in the long course of the uncertain search, the riders at times Having to get off, strike matches, pick up the tracks, mount, and away again. On Saturday afternoon they struck the Colac Colac Creek, to find that the bridge was 10 miles lower down, and the tracks were lost Fortune favours the brave, and at this juncture Mr. Ferguson had the good luck to meet a young lady, daughter of a selector living near, who had seen a Chinaman with two horses that morning. Miss Range, the fair equestrienne in question, volunteered to show where he had crossed, and taking the lead gave the officers a rare gallop across country. The course lay past Mr. Raine's residence, And on arrival there, finding it too dark to proceed Mr. Ferguson called a halt until the moon rose, when the saddle was again resumed. The chase was kept up steadily until the Jibbee was reached. It is at this gap that the Omeo district is entered, and, knowing this, Mr. Ferguson, who had been advised that his Chinaman was making for Omeo, had directed two constables from Corryong to make for the Jibboom and intercept him. This proved to be an almost unnecessary precaution, for the gap could not have been faced by the Chinaman with a laden packhorse until daylight, and Mr. Ferguson was now on his heels. About three o'clock on Sunday morning, while following up the tracks in the same patient manner as already described, Mr. Ferguson and his companion heard some shouting, and riding up found that the two Corryong policeman had just come upon John fast asleep by his camp fire, with the two horses nibbling the grass close by. The Chinaman threw up the sponge at once, when the contents of his pack were exposed. He said he was Ah Gee, a selector at Omeo, and that he had bought the opium in New South Wales. He was arrested, and is now being brought to Wodonga (by easier stages than when he went away), where he will be brought before the Bench,

probably on Thursday. Mr. Ferguson will ask for a remand, and Ah Gee will probably be enlarged on bail until the Commissioner of Customs decides on the action to be taken. Mr. Ferguson rode upwards of 150 miles in effecting this capture, without any sleep, and with not more than a couple of hours' intermission out of the saddle. It must be looked upon as one of the cleverest seizures and one of the most persevering pursuits in the annals of the border customs, and it is bound to have a marked effect on the smuggling business in these districts.