eGold - A Nation's Heritage

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BALLARAT DIGGINGS.— A serious outrage occurred on Saturday last at Ballarat. A tent occupied by Mr Patterson of Geelong was entered about eleven o,clock at night by three men, whose faces were disguised by being blackened from the chin upwards to the nostrils. The inmates of the hut were in bed at the time the robbers entered. Patterson was seized by the throat by one of the gang who presented a pistol at him, whilst another searched him. Patterson had sixteen ounces concealed inside his Guernsey, which during the scuffle that ensued he seized a favorable opportunity to slip from him, into a cask containing sugar and some other articles. The thieves decamped taking with them one ounce of gold, a five pound note, an order for one pound, and a brace of pistols. One of the scoundrels finding that he was baulked of his prey, threw a large stone at Patterson as he was sitting on the side of his bed, which he narrowly evaded by stooping down.— Another outrage attended with serious consequences occurred since. Three men who had been boasting of their gains, were waylaid near the swamp, and maltreated to such a degree, that the life of one of them is despaired of, and the other lies grievously wounded. Geelong Advertiser, 5 December 1851