Obituaries Australia

On the night of Monday last, the 20th instant, Mr. John Hume, late of Appin and the Fish River, hearing the report of shots, and justly conceiving that the house of his neighbour, John Cooper, of Guning, on the Yass road, was being attacked by bushrangers, he called on his servants to accompany him, in order to assist and protect his neighbours. Some of his servants accordingly did accompany him, and on reaching Mr. Cooper's they found there three armed bushrangers. One of those villains immediately asked who Mr. Hume was, the latter made the same inquiry of the villains; the answer he received was a ball from a gun or pistol: the robber perceiving that the poor gentleman was not actually dead, fired a second and third shot, all of which passed through different parts of his body. Mr. Hume's men were either very great cowards or were badly armed; it is perhaps owing to one or both of these causes that the whole of the bushrangers made their escape. The account of his death having reached his residence, a cart was despatched for his body, still warm and reeking with blood. Here was a sight for his disconsolate family!—a wife and eight children, the greater number of the latter even being little females, all of whom are now deprived of a father and protector. Mr. John Hume lost his life while endeavouring to assist his neighbour; he may thus be called a martyr to charity. The bushrangers detained his body for some hours.