THE KELLY GANG.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1988, 8 July 1880, Page 3

THE KELLY GANG.

The Bluff correspondent of the " Otago Daily Times " telegraphed the following particulars to that journal of the breaking up of the Kelly gang:-

Telegraphing on June 27th, the Beechworth correspondent of the Melbourne " ArgUß " says:—'"The town was thrown into a state of consternation to-day upon the arrival of a constable from Sebaatopol, a place about halfway between Beechworth and El Dorado, with a report that a man named Aaron Sherritt had been shot dead at Sebastopol on the previous night, the perpetrators of the foul deed being the Kelly gang. Four constables occupied his hut on the night in question, for the purpose of observing the place where it was thought the gang might at any moment call. About bix o'clock p.m. they heard the back door open, when a German, named Anthony Weeks, who had been made use of by the gang for the purpose, called Sherritt, and asked to be guided on the road home. Upon Sherritt showing himself he was shot in the face twice by some person, supposed to be Joseph Byrne. There were in the hut at the time four policemen, Mrs Barry and daughter, the deceased, and his wife. The hut was small, and the front door faoed the back. A third shot waß fired at Sherritt from the front door, when he fell, and shortly died. The night was very dark, and as a bright fire was burning inside, the police wore placed at a very great disadvantage. Sherritt fell inside, and the doors were closed and several shots fired through them, and other parts of the building, at the police, but without effect. An attempt was made to fire the building by the outlaws, who remained near the hut for some hours. Sherritt was twenty-four years of age, and noted as a runner and jumper. Prior to the Kelly outbreak ho was on very friendly terms with tho gang, but recently placed himself in communication with the police, and for months had been employed by them. The information he afforded as to the movements of the gang was valuable, and it is stated on good authority that not only did the gang ascertain who was keeping the police posted up, but that they also gave out weeks ago that they intended to take his life." The " Age " gives the following account of the capture of the outlaws : —" Immediately on receipt of the news by Captain Standish on Sunday night that the Kellys had broken cover and committed anoth'er diabolical outrage near Beechworth, he ordered a special train to start. When the special reaohed within a mile of Glenrowan, a man stopped it with tho information that the Kellys had stuck up the town, and had lifted the rails in front in order to destroy the party. But for this warning the train would have been hurled into a deep gully just below Glenrowan station, and behind a curve in the line, which would have prevented the conductors seeing tbe pilot engine go over the embankment where the rails had been torn up. Mr Superintendent Hare,'with one or two policemen, proceeded on the pilot engine to the railway station, closely followed by the special. On arriving at the station the horses were got out of the trucks, whilst Hare, with one or two men and Mr Rawlings, proceeded to tho Glenrowan Hotel. Mr Bawlings, when he left Benalla, jocularly made a boast that they would bring back the remains of the outlaws ; but ho little thought that his prediction would prove absolutely correct. In an instant the men on the platform were convinced by the report of a shot fired from Jones' hotel that they were in the preseace of tho outlaws. The police abandoned the horses and rushed to their arms. The black trackers sprang forward with their leader, and soon took up a position in front of the house. Superintendent Hare walked boldly towards the hotel, and when within about twenty-five yards of the verandah the figure of a man came round the corner and fired. Tho shot took effect on Mr Hare's wrist. Senior-constable Kelly and Mr Bawlings were close by, and the former promptly returned the fire, which was taken up by Hare, although wounded ; and Rawlings followed their example. Just before Superintendent Hare was wounded, Constable Bracken, a local policeman, who had been made prisoner in the hotel, escaped, and, running towards the station, quickly spread the information that the Kellys. with about forty prisoners, were inmates, The hotel was a weatherboard building, containing about six rooms, inclusive of the bar. Behind tho building was a kitchen, the walls of whioh were constructed of slabs. Into this the police fired. When about sixty shots had been fired into the building, Superintendent Hare gave the order to stop firing. This was repeated by Senior-constable Kelly to the men, who, under cover, were surrounding the house at the back, but the Kellys fired three or four more shots, after which one gave vent to coarse, brutal language, calling to the police, " Come on, y OU wretches. You can fire away, you can never harm us." Straggling shots were fired. Hare then left for Benalla. A long interval followed, during which Mr Stainstreet, the stationmaster, suddenly left the hotel, where he had been kept prisoner with other residents of Glenrowan. He walked boldly away, and narrowly escaped being shot by the police, but saved himself by proclaiming that ho waß the sta'.ionmaster. He roportod the gang to be still in the house, and that tho shots of the police had struck the daughter of Mrs Jones, a girl fourteen years of aee, on the head ; whilst the son, John Jones, nine years old, was wounded in the hip. Soon after, painful hysterical screams were hoard from Mrs Jones and Mrs Reardon, both of whom were walking about, disregarding the danger from the volleys which the police at short intervals poured into the hotel. Mrs Jones' grief occasionally took the form of vindicliveness towards the police, whom she called murderers. The police frequently called upon the women to come away, but they hesitated, and Mrs Raardoh and her boh were frightened to accompany Mr Reardon to the station. Now tho firing of the polioo became very brisk, and was replied to by tho desperadoes in the hotel. Senior-constable Kelly at that juncture found a rifle stained with blood lying on the side of the hill, and this led to the supposition that one of the gang had been wounded and had escaped through the forest towards Morgan's Lookout. Just then nino police and Superintendent Sadler and Dr. Hutchinson came from

Benalls, and almost immediately after seven policemen, under Sergeant Steele, arrived from Wangaratta. Juet before their arrival a heavy volley wan poured into the hotel by the police. According to a statement afterwards made, that volley killed Joe Byrne, who was drinking whisky at the bar, when he waß shot in tho groin. He was carried towards the back of the building-, whore he gradually sank, and died a painful death. Next morning tbo police were disposed all round the hotel, when they were beiet by danger from the rear. Ned Kelly was the cause. It appears he was the man who Bhot Hare, and he himself waß wounded in the arm by firo whioh was returned. He could not without danger get into the hotel, so he sprang upon a horse, and during tho excitement whioh followed got away towards Morgan's Lookout ; but he returned to fight his way to his mates. It was nearly eight o'clock when his tall figure was seen close behind the line of police. At first it was thought he was a black fellow. He carried a grey ooat over his arm, and walked coolly and slowly among the police, his head, chest, baok, and sides all protected with heavy plates of qnarter-inch iron. When within easy distance of Senior-con-stable Kelly, who was watohing him, he fired. Tho police then knew who he was, and Sergeant Steele, Senior-constable Kelly, with Mr Dowsett, railway guard, fired on him._ The contest then became one which, from its remarkable nature, almost baffles description. Nine police joined in the oonfllct and fired point blank at Kelly ; but although it was apparent that many of the shots hit him, in consequence of the way in which he staggered, yet he always reoovered himself, and tapping his breast laughed in derision at his opponents as he coolly returned the fire, fighting only with a revolver. It appeared as if he was a fiend with a charmed life. For half an hour this strange contest was carried on, and then Sergeant Steele rapidly closed in on him, and when within only about ten yards of him he fired two shots into his logs, and this brought the outlaw down. He was only wounded, and appeared still determined to carry on the desperate conflict; but Steele bravely rushed him, and seized the hand in which Kelly held his revolver, the only weapon with which he was armed. He fired one shot after this, but without effect. When on the ground he roared with savage ferocity, cursing the police vehemently. He was stripped of his armour, and then became quite submissive, after which he was borne to the railway station very weak, and some brandy was given him. He made a statement in a defiant manner, describing how the plans of the gang had upset him and miscarried. He said the armour was a perfect protection, the bullets striking like a blow from a man's fist. Supposing himself to be mortally wounded, he confessed to Father Kierney. " Beverting to the hotel siege, at vorious times during the morning more polioe arrived, but the bushrangers could not be dislodged, and what was more porplexing still, the prisoners inside could not be persuaded to leave, although the police repeatedly called upon them to come out. At 12 o'clock, however, about thirty men and youths rushed out of the front door, carrying their hands aloft. The police told them to advance towards where they were located. Many of the unfortunate people were so terror-stricken that they ran hither and thither, screaming for mercy. They then approached the police, and throw themselves upon their faoas one by one. _ They were called on, and having been minutely searched, were despatched to the station. The police kept up a constant fire till noon, but the bushrangers ceased to return it after 1. It was believed that Hart had told Kelly they intended to be quiet, and escape at night. The cannon telegraphed for from Melbourne did not arrive in time, and the police determined to fire the hotel. At this moment Mrs Skiligin, sister of the Kellys, dressed in a dark riding habit trimmed with scarlet, and wearing a jaunty hat adorned with a conspicuous white feather, appeared on the scene. Father Kierney earnestly reauested her to go to the hotel and request her brother and Hart to surrender. She said she would like to see her brother before he died, but she would sooner see him burnt in tho house than ask him to surrender. This, in fact, was the procedure the polioe decided upon in order to bring the outlaws from their cover. Some 200 persons by this time had arrived on the platform. Then the police opened up a heavy fire on the hotel from the front and rear. This was done in order to oover the operations of Constable Johnstone, who rapidly approaohed the house on the north side with a bundle of straw, whioh he placed against the weatherboards and ignited. It was known that Martin Sherry, an old man, was still in the house, and when the last prisoners had escaped he was alive, though badly wounded. The thought that the unfortunate man should be sacrificed and perish in the flames with the determined bushrangers who had made so long a stand, caused a feeling of horror to pervade the orowd. Kate Kelly, at this junoture, came upon tho scene, but the general expression which escaped her lips waß the one uttered in heartbroken accents, 'My poor, poor brothers!' Mrs SkilUgin exclaimed ' I will see my brother before he dies,' and then sped towards the hotel, from the roof of which, by this time, tongues of flame were beginning to ascend. The police ordered her back, and she hesitated. Father Kierney emerged from the orowd, saying 'he would save Sherry.' He walked boldly to the front door, and was lost to view amongst the smoke, and a moment afterwards a mass of flames burst from the walls and roof. At the same instant a shout of terror from the crowd announced their fears for the safety of the courageous priest. Constable Armstrong, with some other police, rußhed into the building from the rear, and in a few seconds afterwards their forms, with that of Father Kierney, were seen to emerge, carrying with them Sherry, who was in a dying state, and the dead body of the outlaw Byrne. Sherry soon after died. On reaching a place of safety, they stated that Dan Kelly and Hart were lying upon the floor apparently dead. Nothing, however, could be done to rescue their remains from the fire. Soon afterwards the building was completely demolished, and on search being made two charred skeletons were raked out from the smouldering debris. All tho bushrangers were clad in the same armour as that worn by Ned Kelly, which weighed as muoh as 971 b, and hod evidently been conatructed'by some up-country blacksmith out of ploughshares."