Old news from Armidale and New England

Empire (Sydney), Monday 28 October 1872

A rather important case of this character, says the Armidale Chronicle, will shortly come before the judicial authorities at Bundarra. Pending the result, and the affair being now sub-judice, we refrain from giving the names of the parties who are said to be involved in the transaction. As far as we can learn, the facts of the case appear to be as follows:- Fifteen head of cattle belonging to Mr. Sydney H. Darby were lost; they were all marked with Mr. Darby’s brand ; they were afterwards found, when it was discovered that they had all been rebranded the new mark being above that of the original brand ; the fifteen beasts were now secured in a paddock, and two men and a black boy appointed to watch them. For two nights there was no result, but on the third the watchers were started by the sudden appearance of four men. Beyond assisting by their presence, two of them appear to have taken no further part in the proceeds ; but the other two, who were armed, and one of whom wore a mask, set to work, tied up the watchers, broke down the fence, and drove out the cattle, all subsequent trace of which has as yet not been discovered. We understand that two of the young men who have been mentioned as taking part in this affair, are connected with families of the highest respectability, but that one of them had at a former time undergone a judicial examination for an offence of a similar character, for which, however, he was acquitted. In the meantime, Mr. Abbott has left for Bundarra, in order to watch proceedings on behalf of one of the accused.