Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 – 1954), Saturday 3 July 1880, page 21
THE GANG’S ARMOUR AND AMMUNITION. ETC.
All the armour and other articles belonging to the outlaws were brought into the barracks to-day, and great numbers of people assembled to view them. The horses they had were also examined to discover brands, but no clue as to their ownership has yet been found, with the exception of Ned Kelly’s mare, which belongs to Mr. Ryan, of the Major Plains. As showing the resources and determination of the outlaws to commit the most horrible crimes when nesessity compelled them, there was in the barracks to-day a nail-can, with a plug in the top, filled with blasting powder, and two large coils of fuse, which had been found on one of the packhorses. Some weeks ago the police received information that a large quantity of blasting powder and dynamite had been obtained by the Kelly’s relatives, and at the same, time several mould-boards of ploughs and steel plating were stolen in the neighbourhood of Greta. It was thought at the time that these articles were taken with a view of further fortifying their headquarters, which were supposed to be somewhere, in the King River Ranges, in order to stand a regular siege when discovered, and that the powder was for the purpose of blowing up the hut, police, and all, if the worst came to the worst, and the gang could hold out no longer. The surmises as to the stolen mould-boards were, however, incorrect, as the breast-plates and helmets of the outlaws were formed out of mould-boards beaten out and shaped round to fit the body and head closely. A quantity of the armour was found in the stable of Jones’s hotel, where it had evidently been hidden by the outlaws, and the weight may be imagined when it was almost, impossible for Ned Kelly to get on his horse with the armour on. The quantity of arms and ammunition they had, too, was something enormous. It was all brought into, the barracks, and besides rifles, double-barrelled guns, and revolvers, there were old pistols of a description long since out of use. The most interesting article, however, was the rifle which Ned Kelly constantly carried. It is a strong weapon, capable of being fired with the greatest ease and rapidity, and of shooting at long, distances. According to Kelly’s account, he could hit anything the size of a man with it 600 yards away. Five shots had been fired from it during the fight, but one chamber was still loaded, and this, the last shot in Ned Kelly’s rifle, intended, no doubt, to put an end to the life of some policeman, I fired myself to-day into the ground in the Benalla police barracks, with the very party around who had been in the thick of the fight, and who, one and all, had escaped unhurt. The first party who went out from Benalla on the morning of the memorable 28th, and made the preliminary attack on Jones’s hotel, was selected by Superintendent Hare, and consisted of Senior-constable Kelly (in command), and Troopers Charles Arthur, Kirkham, Barry, Canny, Gascoigne, and Phillips. These were the men, who, I am told, first opened the ball, and those who afterwards were in the very thick of the fight were Sergeant Steele, Trooper Montifiort, and others, who galloped down from Wangaratta immediately the news came of the outlaws being abroad.
Glenrowan 