Ovens and Murray Advertiser (Beechworth, Vic. : 1855 – 1955), Tuesday 19 April 1881, page 2
DISTRIBUTION OF THE KELLY CAPTURE REWARD.
The board appointed to inquire into and report upon the mode of distribution of the rewards offered by the Victorian and New South Wales Governments for the capture of the Kelly gang of outlaws have, as was intimated in a telegram which appeared in our last issue, sent in their report to the Chief Secretary. It will be seen on reference to the appending schedules that Superintendent Hare heads the list with £800; Mr Curnow, the late Glenrowan schoolmaster, comes next, with £550; Senior-constable Kelly, £377 11s 8d; Sergeant Steele, £290 13s 9d; Constable Bracken, £275 13s 9d; Superintendent Sadieir, £240 17s 3d. McPhee, guard of the pilot engine which headed the special train to Glenrowan, receives £104 4s 6d, and the driver and firemen the same amount each. Detective Ward is awarded £100; Senior-constable Mullane, £47 15s 9d; John Sherritt and the constables who assisted at the capture of the gang, £42 15s 9d each, and the native trackers £50 each. The board intimates that a copy of the report will be forwarded to the Government of New South Wales, and the printed evidence of the witnesses examined will be sent in to the Chief Secretary as soon as completed. We make the following extracts from the report :—
“They found, upon careful consideration of the circumstances attending the capture and death of the outlaws, that no information could be said to have been supplied (within the terms of the proclamation) leading (directly) to that result, with the exception of that furnished by Aaron Sherritt; and it is on account of Detective Ward’s connection with the employment of this man that the board have, after much deliberation, decided on including him in the number of those entitled to participate in the reward.
“The following are the results arrived at by the board:— Schedule A contains the names of those claimants whom the board do not consider entitled to participate in the reward. Schedule B contains the names of those claimants whose right to participate has been recognised by the board, and the amount awarded to each has been set opposite his name. The board regret, that adherence to the terms or the proclamation has compelled them to exclude from any share of the reward some meritorious claimants in the service of the Government, whose names will be found in Schedule C, and whom they desire strongly to recommend to the respective heads of their departments as worthy of special recognition for the zeal displayed by them, at all times, in their several positions during the long period of the search for the outlaws.
“In apportioning the reward, one moiety has been distributed, as nearly as circumstances would admit in accordance with the regulations in force in the Imperial service.
“A further distribution has been made to the parties under Superintendents Hare and Sadleir and Sergeant Steele, who took part in and performed special work, accompanied by much risk.
“Some rewards have also been recommended for the individual service of certain claimants, whose names will be found in Schedule D, but beyond these the board have not thought it within their province to distinguish further between members of a force, all of whom appear to have done their duty.
“The only witnesses whom the board deemed it necessary to examine were the Hon. Robert Ramsay, late Chief Secretary; Mr Melvin, reporter for the “Argus”; Mr M’Whirter, reporter for the “Age”; Mr Allen, reporter for the “Daily Telegraph”; and Mr Rawlins, a resident in the neighbourhood of Glenrowan, a volunteer who was with Mr Hare.
“These gentlemen, with the exception of Mr Rawlins, were not claimants, and we desire to express our opinion that the gentlemen of the press above mentioned, with Mr Carrington, who was also present, are deserving of the best thanks of the community for the able assistance they afforded the police at Glenrowan, through out the whole period of the encounter, and under circumstances of very consider able danger during the early part of the morning of the 28th of June, 1880. Had these gentlemen preferred claims, the board would have considered them entitled to participate.”
Glenrowan 