Sticking Up Near Tumut

2 April 1866 The Tumut and Adelong Times

Considerable excitement was manifested in town on Friday last from a report that a man had been stuck up and robbed of £25 on the previous night near Gocup, by two armed men.

We are in possession of the whole of the circumstances connected with the case, but, for the ends of justice, it is advisable to refrain from giving publicity to some of the details.

The facts are these:- A Victorian pig-dealer, named Thomas Boyce, en route from Gundagai to Tumut, camped on Thursday night midway between Gocup and the halfway house.

This person was accompanied by his hired man, and about 10 o'clock Boyce, who was standing by the fire, saw two men on horseback pass slowly on the road.

There being nothing unusual in that, Boyce soon after went to bed under the cart he had with him.

Shortly after, supposed to be about 12 o'clock, he heard the galloping of horses, which approached to the cart, when one of the riders instantly dismounted, and asked him how he was getting on.

After replying to him he got up, and then saw that the lower part of their faces was covered with a rag, and the one that had accosted him armed with a revolver.

The ruffian without any further conversation demanded Boyce's money, and subsequently took £25 in notes and 9s. 6d. in silver.

Boyce asked them to leave him the silver to buy some bread with, but they replied that that old story wouldn't do now, they wanted all of it.

They then asked him for his saddle, whereupon he begged them not to take it, but they told him that they were not such fools as to leave him a saddle to ride into town to give information.

Having possessed themselves of all they thought proper to steal, they rode off a few yards, conversing together, when they halted and called to Boyce to approach them.

Having complied with their request they returned him the silver, remarking that as he had no more money they would give him back that to get some bread and then rode away.

On reaching town on Friday Boyce gave such information to the police, as doubtless will eventually lead to the detection of these rascals.

We omitted to remark that both, of the fellows were armed.