A NICE LADY-KILLER.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2289, 19 July 1880, Page 3

A NICE LADY-KILLER.

The report that Sergeant Steele had been shot at by Kate Kelly probably luid its origin in tlie knowledge that Steele is regarded with feelings of the deepest hatred by the Kelly sympathisers. At Wangaratta on July 5, Steele's dog was poisoned, and he has since received two letters threatening his life. It is now rumored that in Ned Kelly's possession was found a pocket-book, containing a number of letters implicating persons in good position, and the name of one member of Parliament is mentioned. The authorities will give no information on the subject. Byrne had a number of nicknames. He was the idol of the girls in the district, who said he was such a mild young gentleman that no one would believe him to be capable of interfering with anybody. One anecdote will suffice to show how mild he was. Some time ago, before he took to bushranging, he was running some horses to the stockyard at the Woolshed. The yard was old, and the fence was broken. He got his sister to help him, and to stand in one of the gaps in the fence. This is a time-honorod custom withtho people of the district, who will go into a stock-yard and chase the horses round themselves, but they use the women to fill up the gaps in the fence. One of the horses was a very wild one, and this one Byrne wanted to catch. It rushed straight at his sister, and knocked her aside, and escaped from the yard. Byrne was foaming with rage. He rushed at his sister, seized her by the hair of the head with one hand," and struck her over the face with the heavy bridle he carried. He cut her face terribly, and knocked her eye out. So much for the ladies' man. The "Age" states that from lirst to last the pursuit and capture of the ICcllys has cost Victoria .£IO,OOO.