rt and made their way
up to Melbourne. News of the escape of these formidable and
blood-stained freebooters had been immediately transmitted to the
authorities of Victoria. As they had left Van Diemen's Land in an open
whaleboat, there was no doubt but that they would make for the Western
Port shores; and the Victoria police, stimulated by the hope of a large
reward, were keenly looking out for two persons answering to the
published description of the robbers. The boatmen who had conveyed them
across the Strait were seen and arrested at Dandenong, between Western
Port and the Capital; but no further trace of the bushrangers could be
obtained. The Melbourne newspapers furnish us with the conclusion of the
tragedy.

The following account of the capture of the chief of these desperadoes,
from the Melbourne "Argus" is more like a page from a romance than a
passage in real life. It is one more instance of what appears like a
special Providence laying its resistless hand on a murderer at the very
moment when he seemed to have secured his escape, and dragging him forth
to public justice. Within four hours after his capture, Dalton would
have been on board a ship bound for England.

"Between eleven and twelve o'clock on Friday night, Dalton entered a
coffee-shop in Bourke Street, in company with a man who had engaged to
put him on board the _Northumberland_ at daylight the next morning from
Sandridge, and for which he was to pay L4. This man, we understand, was
quite ignorant of the person he was bargaining with. Dalton asked the
proprietors of the shop, if they could change him some Van Diemen's Land
Notes for gold, as he was about to embark for England. They could not do
it, but a gentleman named Brice, formerly a cadet in the police force,
suspecting all was not right, said that he could, as he was a
gold-broker, if Dalton would only accompany him to his office. To this
Dalton consented, and placed three L20 and one L10 notes of the
Launcestoun Bank in his hands. They then left the shop together; the
night was extremely dark; the stranger, however, led the way, Dalton and
the boatman following close behind. After proceeding some little way,
they turned into Little Collins St. and by the back entrance, into the
yard of the Police Court. Here it was so dark that the outline of the
building could not be distinguished. The guide then showed them the door
of his alleged office which was no other then the clerk's room of the
Swa