THE KELLY BUSHRANGERS.

Kumara Times, Issue 707, 4 January 1879, Page 2

THE KELLY BUSHRANGERS.

SERGEANT .KENNEDY'S LAST

MOMENTS,

The special correspondent of the Melbourne Argus, telegraphing from i Mansfi.-ld on Thursday, December 12, gives the following account of the last : moments Gf Sergeant Kennedy, who • was shot hy the bushrangers:— • The means by which the following ! account was obtained I am compelled in J honour to keep secret, but I place every ! reliance upon the source from whence lit came. One portion of the sad narraj tive is confirmed from the fact that ! when the remains of Sergeant Kennedy weie discovered there were found near j him some ..sheets of writing-paper, ; fastened together with a small paper \ binder, with three leaves torn from it, 'and upon' ; the missing leaves it is snp!'posej;.theJet.ter was written to his wife. jit hm. since be in proved thnt this paper ■ was- bought in Mansfield by (he late Serjeant Kennedy previous to his starting on the fatal expedition. The parj ticula>s given below were relate 1 by : Kelly himself personally to a confederate some time after (lie murders were committed whose name I cannot' reveal. Tiie following is the account referred to;—

M'lntyre's evidence, as given in the Mansfield Guardian is, in the main, pretty correct. Upon seeing M'lntyre gallop away, Kennedy continued to fire at us without effect, as we sheltered ourselves. We let him fire ahottt five shots from his revolver, he remaining nearly in one position, and standing. A shot was fired by one of my mates, after which he started to run, followed

■by my brother and myself. After running about a quarter of a mile, and apparently seeing no chince of escape, as we were making upon him with our weapons, Kennedy got behind a r.ree, and as I came, within pistol shot he fired his lust remaining charge. As I .-aw him levelling at my head, I suddenly fell on my knees, and as I did so I heuvl the bullet whiz just over my 1.).-ad. T '.hen tired at Kennedy, who fell wounded at the foot of the tree

\vh'>re is bedy was afterwards found. The 0.-her two men, Hart and Byrne, wh ■ were coming up to us, seeing that the sergeant was secured, turned and •-vent in pursuit of M'lntyre, wbo bad eooped on Kennedy's horse. The ser-

goant never moved from the Epot where lie fell, but complained of the pain ho felt from the bullet wound. I should say we were with him nearly two hours trying to get what information we could out of him. He always eudeav'oured to turn the conversation in the direction of his domestic affairs, his home, his wife and family, and very frequently of the little one he had recently buried in the Mansfield cemetery, to whom he seemed very much attached, evidently knowing he would soon be by its side. I could not help feeling verymuch, t niched at his pitiable condition, and after a little I said " Well, Kcunedy, I am sorry that I shot you. Here, take my gun and shoot me." Kennedy replied, •« No, I forgive you, and may God forgive you too." He then wrote as much on some slips in his note-book as his fast failing strength would allow him. After he had written what he could with bis pencil, he h mded the paper to me, and asked if I would give it to his wife. I took the paper, aud promised that when I had a safe opportunity I would do so. The sergeant then appeared to be suffering very much and in great agony. I could not look upon hini so, and did not wish to leave him alone to linger out in such pain, so 1 suddenly, without letting him see what I intended, put the muzzle of my gun to within a few inches of Kennedy's breast. When he saw that I was going to shoot him he be«i»ed of me to leave him alive, saying, «* Let me alone to live, if 1 can, for the sike of my poor wife and family. Tou surely have shed blond enough," I fired, and he died instantly, without another groan. We then took his cloak and covered it over his body, and left him to be buried by those who might find him. I did not cut off his ear as reported; it must have been eaten away.