Kyneton Guardian (Vic. : 1870 – 1881; 1914 – 1918), Saturday 3 July 1880, page 2
DESTRUCTION OF THE KELLY GANG.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
(FROM THE MELBOURNE PAPERS.)
PREVIOUS MOVEMENTS OF THE GANG.
BENALLA, 29th June.
The excitement caused here by the conflict between the police and the Kellys, and the destruction of the desperate gang of outlaws, is subsiding. A general feeling of relief is experienced by the respectable inhabitants of the district, and it is pretty certain that now the gang are no longer to be feared that some of their movements during the past twelve months will be made known. Already stories concerning their movements are freely circulated, and from these it is apparent that the police have during the past month or six weeks made it very unpleasant for the outlaws. It will be remembered that a little more than three weeks ago it was reported that Joe Byrne had been seen near his mother’s residence at the Woolshed. That story was quite true, and it has been suspected that they have since been lurking in the vicinity. A week before Sherritt was murdered, Superintendent Hare and Detective Ward were in his house, and the dead man then expressed his conviction that the outlaws were not far distant. After perpetrating the foul murder of Sherritt, it is probable that the gang rode at once for Glenrowan, crossing the Goulburn over the Pioneer-bridge, the King River at Oxley, and thence through Greta, where Mrs. Skillion and Kate Kelly reside. The sole object of their visit to Glenrowan appears to have been to murder the police and black trackers. The hatred which the leader of the gang had for the black trackers appears to have been very great, and it is certain that the fear of them has kept the gang quiet so long. Kelly knew that the trackers had gone to Melbourne, and he correctly formed the opinion that as soon as the intelligence of the murder was made known the trackers and police would be sent on by special train. It was with the object of destroying that train that he tore up the line. The way in which this cold-blooded attempt to commit wholesale murder was frustrated appears very surprising, and although it is known that it was Mr. Curnow, the local school-master, who gave the warning to the train, the reason which induced Ned Kelly to give him his liberty when he detained nearly every other person in the neighborhood is a mystery. Mr. and Mrs. Curnow, with Mr. Mortimer, a relative, were driving in a buggy through the railway gates when Ned Kelly bailed them up.
INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT
The prisoners heard Byrne fall at the bar when he was shot. He dropped down dead without uttering a word, and the bullet must have entered at the bar window. A difference of opinion exists, however, as to the hour of his death. Some say that he fell at daylight, others that it was about nine o’clock in the morning. At ten o’clock, when the prisoners made their escape in a body, they saw Dan Kelly and Hart standing in the passage fairly cowed. They looked gloomy and despairing, and said nothing to the prisoners as they left. The gang had all been drinking, and Ned has stated that he took too much liquor. His idea was that he and Byrne should clear away from the hotel after the first attack unobserved, that Dan and Hart should remain; that in the morning he and Byrne should return and charge the police, who, he argued, would then leave the hotel and engage them, and that Dan and Hart should then sally forth and take the police in the rear. He accordingly called on Byrne to follow him into the bush, but Byrne’s courage failed and he declined. The trees behind which Kelly stood when fighting in the morning are all pierced with bullets and slugs, and the place where he fell is saturated with blood. He had evidently passed the night under a fallen tree a little further up the rise, for there were found the marks of his feet and much blood.
The boy Jones has died at Wangaratta. He was shot when lying on the ground in one of the bedrooms. The bullet is said to have come through the wall, entered at his thigh, and passed into his body. Cherry was shot early in the morning, and his wound was dressed by some of his fellow prisoners. None of Ned Kelly’s wounds are of a deadly character. What were supposed to be shot marks in the groin are, Dr. Nicholson states, only grazings.
The charred remains of Dan Kelly and Hart were handed over to their friends and taken to Mrs. Skillion’s place at Greta, and are there now. John Grant, undertaker, of Wangaratta, was employed by their friends to provide coffins of a first-class description, the cost being a matter of no consequence. He arrived with them in a buggy at Glenrowan yesterday afternoon, and they were seen to be high-priced articles. The lid of one was lettered “Daniel Kelly, died 28th June, 1880, aged 19 years,” and the other “Stephen Hart, died 28th June, 1880, aged 21 years.” How the remains are to be distinguished from each other is a problem that will not be easily solved. During the afternoon Inspector Sadlier telegraphed to the local police that the remains were on no account to be interfered with until the magisterial inquiries were held, and steps were at once taken to carry out these instructions.
REMOVAL OF NED KELLY TO MELBOURNE.
Ned Kelly was on Tuesday morning removed by Captain Standish to the Melbourne Gaol. Whilst in the lock-up here on Monday night and the following morning he conversed freely with the police. Senior-constable Kelly had several conversations with him. The constable asked him, on behalf of the widow of Sergeant Kennedy, if Kennedy had given him a letter before he died. He replied, “No, he fought to the last, and I had to shoot him, or he would have shot either Byrne or myself. When he fell, all he said was ‘God forgive you.'” Constable Kelly also said, “Is Fitzpatrick’s story that you shot him true ?” and he replied “Yes, it was I who shot him.” He also said, “I shot the police at Stringy Bark Creek because if I had not done so they would have shot me. We would have been fools to have let them do that.”
The body of Byrne was brought to Benalla, and at an early hour this morning it was photographed. Miss Lloyd and Miss M’Ilroy were permitted to see the remains. They also saw Ned Kelly prior to his departure. Miss Lloyd bade him an affectionate farewell, and at the station she appeared dreadfully agitated.
INQUEST ON BYRNE.
It was at first announced that the inquest on Byrne would not be held until to-morrow (Wednesday). Quite unexpectedly, during the afternoon, Mr. Robert M’Bean and Captain Standish held a magisterial enquiry. The proceedings were conducted very quietly, so quietly in fact that no one knew of the affair until it was over, and there were only two or three persons present in the court-house, where the inquiry was held. Senior-constable Kelly, who was at Benalla, and was desirous of being present, knew nothing of it until it was all over. The inquiry was of a purely formal nature. The first witness called was Robert M’Intyre, police-constable, stationed at Melbourne. He identified the body in the possession of the police as that of Joseph Byrne, one of the outlaws who had shot the police-constables Kennedy, Scanlan and Lonigan, at Mansfield, on the 26th October, 1878. Witness was one of a search party sent out to arrest the four outlaws, but principally the two Kellys, who had been concerned in the shooting of Constable Fitzpatrick at Greta.
Louis Piatza, a contractor living at Glenrowan, who was one of those detained in Mrs. Jones’s Hotel, Glenrowan, also identified the body aa being that of Joseph Byrne, the outlaw, who, in conjunction with the Kellys and Hart, resisted the police at Glenrowan on Monday last.
Edward Canny, police constable, stationed at Benalla, deposed that he knew Joseph Byrne, the outlaw, a member of the Kelly gang, for over eight years at the Woolshed, at Beechworth, and other places. The body before the Court was that of Joseph Byrne.
Superintendent Sadlier produced the proclamation issued in the Government Gazette, published in October and December, 1878, which offered £4000 reward for the apprehension of Edward and Daniel Kelly and two others, known as King and Brown, who were afterwards found to be identical with Hart and Byrne. He also produced copies of the New South Wales Government Gazette, offering a similar amount for the apprehension of the outlaws. The reward was to be withdrawn at the end of the present month, but as the gang had been captured before that date the reward was still in force. Mr. M’Bean entered a decision of justifiable homicide, and stated that Byrne had come by his death at the hands of the police while they were in the execution of their duty. The body was afterwards handed over to some of the friends of the deceased, who were anxiously waiting for the police to give it up. It was taken to Greta, to be buried in the Wangaratta Cemetery with the remains of Hart and Dan Kelly.
THE WARNING BY MR. CURNOW.
Mr. Curnow was in Benalla to-day, and had an interview with Captain Standish. I was, unfortunately, unable to see him, but from what I could glean from Mrs. Curnow, I learned that after he returned to his house he kept a look out for the special train, and when he heard the train approaching he ran along the line to give the warning. Both Mr. and Mrs. Curnow fear that in consequence of the action which he took that the friends of the gang will do them injury. The fearful end of the gang, however, will, I imagine, deter anyone from openly exhibiting their sympathy for them. With regard to the brave conduct of the Catholic priest at the fire, I regret to say that I was wrongly informed as to his name. Gibney is his name, not Tierney, and it appears that he was simply on a visit to the district. The police are in possession of information which causes them to suspect that a certain country blacksmith made the armour for the gang, and it is possible that proceedings will be taken against him. The ploughshares and mould boards out of which the armour was manufactured was stolen from five farmers at Greta, at Easter. One of the farmers has identified some of the plates by marks on them. The police at the time were informed that it was intended by the gang to turn the mould-boards into armour, but they laughed at the idea.
KELLY IN GAOL.
Edward Kelly still remains in the gaol hospital, and is being carefully watched night and day. Having regard to his critical condition and the possibility of his injuring himself intentionally or by any mishap, he is never left alone, a wardsman being told off to attend to him at night. Dr. Shields, the medical officer of the gaol, continues to attend the prisoner, and reports a slight improvement in his condition. Kelly had a good night’s sleep on Tuesday, and was suffering less pain yesterday than on the previous day. As he appeared to be stronger, the prisoner was permitted by the medical officer to see his mother, whom he had urgently requested to see. Mr. Castieu, the governor of the gaol, was present during the interview, which lasted for a considerable time. The mother seemed to feel acutely pained by the intelligence of the affray at Glenrowan and at seeing the condition of her son. Kelly was in a tolerably communicative mood, and conversed freely with his mother. She was very anxious to obtain information with regard to the surviving relatives, as well as about those who had perished in the affray. She earnestly enjoined him to pay all respect to the priest who was attending him. Kelly denies having ever had any intention of taking his life, pointing out that he had numbers of opportunities of carrying out such an intention if he had felt any desire to do so. In his references to his exploits, Kelly spoke, as of a valued servant, of his grey mare, stating that he would rely on her to carry him away, with all his weight of armour, in the event of his being being pressed by the police. He had, however, no desire to escape from the scene of the last affray. Mrs. Kelly was allowed to remain with her son for nearly half an hour, and was very reluctant to leave him, until she was promised that another opportunity of seeing him would shortly be afforded to her, after he should have been restored to a better state of health. At a late hour last evening Kelly was progressing favorably, and appeared to be out of danger, although still in a very weak and helpless state.
BENALLA, Thursday.
At Wangaratta on Monday Sergeant Steele’s dog was poisoned, and last night and to-day he received two letters threatening his life. It is now known that Joe Byrne was keeping company with a girl at Beechworth, and was often in and out the township, the similarity in appearance which exists between Joe and another brother named Patsie enabling the former to pass himself off as the latter. Great curiosity was expressed regarding what has become of Kennedy’s watch. It was supposed to be in the possession of Ned Kelly. Detective Ward is most anxious to glean some news of it, and states that he will make a searching inquiry; for it is believed and currently reported to be in the possession of Mrs. Skillian, but she when questioned on the subject states that it was in the possession of Dan Kelly and was destroyed at the fire. This, however, is improbable, for some remains of it would have turned up. The ruins of the hotel have been turned over by visitors, and fresh relics are being constantly found and seized upon. Any little thing connected with the affair always draws a crowd of curious people.
WANGARATTA, Thursday.
The feeling expressed on all sides concerning the manner in which the police fired into the hotel is very strong and expressions of disapproval are to be heard on all sides. A priest who came up from Melbourne yesterday warmly condemned the action of the police. He was told that the police did not fire at haphazard into the hotel, but this he would not believe and said that it was his opinion, as well as that of the majority of persons interested in the matter, that the firing was carried on most recklessly, and it is a matter of wonderment that more were not shot. All is quiet at present.
BURIAL OF THE REMAINS.
The bodies of Dan Kelly and Hart were interred by their friends on Wednesday in the Greta Cemetery. About a hundred friends and sympathisers were present, but there was no disturbance. Etty Hart, sister of Steve, was, however, very excited, and fell into hysterics.
NED KELLY, THE MURDERER OF CHERRY.
It has transpired that the unfortunate line repairer, Martin Cherry, was not shot by the police, but by Ned Kelly, and that intentionally. The fact was at first suppressed by these who knew it out of a fear that they might be marked men if they made the disclosure. Three of the prisoners have, however, ventured to tell the police, on the condition that their names should not be published. They were interviewed separately, and their statements all correspond. This is the fifth deliberate murder committed by the gang, and it was perpetrated under the following circumstances:— When the gang fired their first volley from the verandah of the hotel, they retired inside. Ned Kelly, as is already known, was wounded on the foot and arm. He went to the window of the front parlour to fire again on the police, but the blind was down, and having one arm wounded he could not hold it aside and fire at the same time. He therefore ordered the old man Cherry to hold the blind up whilst he fired. Cherry refused, and Kelly at once shot him with his rifle in the groin, and he fell. Kelly may have intended to fire at the poor man’s legs, or being disabled, he may simply have been unable to raise his rifle. The fact, however, remains that it was he who did the deed, and that he thus added one more fiendish murder to the black list against his name. It seems that immediately after this he made his escape by the back door, and got into the bush before the police got the house surrounded. The coat which Ned Kelly wore was a long grey mackintosh. It covered his armour, and is full of bullet and slug holes. Senior-constable Kelly and his men returned from Glenrowan this morning, and reported that suring the night perfect quietness prevailed here.
Glenrowan 