An account of the Glenrowan siege from the perspective of Father Matthew Gibney.
Category: News Reports
Mr Jesse Dowsett, who was a guard in the special train which took police to Glenrowan when Ned Kelly was captured in June, 1880, died at his home in Dandenong, early today, aged 88. Mr. Dowsett assisted in the capture of Ned Kelly, and was one of the very few participants in the affair commended by the Royal Commission which sat subsequently.
Regret was expressed in the Police Department today at the death of Mr. Michael Edward Ward, 76, formerly sub-inspector in the Criminal Investigation Branch, which occurred at his home, Airdrie road, Caulfield, this morning.
Her residence, a four-roomed slab hut, with a bark roof, stands in the middle of a paddock comprising about 40 acres. It is within a short distance from a mountain called Quarry Hill, whence a good view of the surrounding country can be obtained. Within the paddock there were two or three horses and as many cows, and there were a few fowls and a tame kangaroo about the house. But the place presented a gloomy, desolate appearance. There was a very small kitchen garden, but there was no other land under cultivation. Some of the panes of glass in the windows were broken, and, excepting that some creepers had very recently been planted at the foot of the verandah posts, no attempt had been made to beautify the house, or make this home look homely.
The meagre items of news that became disseminated during the early part of the day were made the foundation of some sensational narratives with regard to the proceedings of sympathizers with the Kellys. It transpired that there had been a scene of disorder at Greta. Hart and some other friends of the outlaws indulged in some wild threat, stating their determination to prevent an inquest being held. An official report received during the morning reported that fifty armed men had joined Hart and his friends. The Chief Commissioner of Police (Captain Standish), who had returned to Melbourne, sent a body of armed police to the district by the earliest train, and another detachment was sent from Wangaratta, but consequent on the great excitement prevailing in the district the police were very guarded in their movements.
In his home at Glenhuntley he still treasures the relics of that memorable morning when the reign of terror of the Kelly gang came to an end. In a green baize he keeps the revolver which he took from Ned. It is the weapon that Kelly took from the police sergeant at Jerilderie when the gang held up the town and robbed the bank. A chip from the handle shows where one of the police bullets caught Ned. Kelly’s thumb at Glenrowan. Another interesting relic in Mr Dowsett’s possession is the long boot worn by Kelly in the final fight. It was used as evidence at the trial and shows the hole made by one of Sergeant Steele’s bullets. The mustard tin in which Kelly kept his ammunition shows two holes made by the bullets fired at him by Dowsett. One of the bullets was found inside the tin, and is shown by Mr Dowsett as evidence of his good aim.
A brief discussion on the difficulty in choosing what to keep or cut when writing a book based on fact.
Officers of the Victorian Education Department joined on Friday in the expressions of general regret of the death of Mr. Thomas Curnow, the hero teacher who saved the train containing 40 police and a number of Pressmen from destruction by the Kelly gang of bushrangers, at Glenrowan, 42 ½ years ago.
A contemporary new report describing the siege and Ned Kelly’s arrival in Melbourne.
NED KELLY (the Melbourne Herald learns) is cheerful and hopeful. He displayed in gaol none of the bloodthirsty characteristics attributed to him. He was indeed so mild and quiet in his demeanour that it was difficult to reconcile him with the terrible bushranger of the newspapers.
Glenrowan 