THE PURSUIT OF THE KELLYS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 168, 9 August 1879, Page 3

THE PURSUIT OF THE KELLYS.

Trooper William. Knox, of the Victorian Mounted Constabulary, at present hero in Dunedin, for the purpose of escorting' hack to Melbourne Kenneth M‘Crao, arrested on a charge of forgery, commitcd in Sale, Gippsland, was for six and a-half months engaged in the pursuit of the Kelly gang. From October of last year until May of the present he was steadily occupied on this bnisiness, and his experiences afford a fair idea, of the difficulties to lie encountered in business of such a nature. On the first occasion lie formed one of a party of eleven, and subsequently one of. eight members of the Victorian Mounted Force. At the commencement the pursuit was confined to the north-east portion of Gippsland, the first station being Mount Look-out, afterwards crossing the Eohe to Mount Useful, and from there on 1 o Glencairn. The object of the visit in this direction was to prevent the gang escaping seawards, owing to a new track having been cut there, of which the gang were fully aware. During this, the first trip, the party experienced the roughest life it is possible for a trooper to conceive, having in many instances to sleep with the bridle on the arm whilst the horses fed- B l or food it was necessary to shoot kangaroo, wallaby, or any other game that was obtainable. During the whole trip a bed under coyer was rarely to be had. Excitement on this occasion there was none, except what lay in the very strong desire on the part of every! man to meet the gang. After a period of about seven weeks it became apparent to the leading authorities that the Kellys had shifted their quarters to another district, and a return was accordingly made to Bale. From here orders wore received to proceed at once to the north-east district of Victoria, where the greatest excitement at the time prevailed. Owing to the rumours afloat, a perpetual shifting of troopers from one place to another ensued, every man being 1 kept continually on the alert. The movements of the gang, however, were conducted with so much celerity and secrosy that, notwithstanding the utmost activity on the part of the police, they were, as wo know, unable to come up with them. The only time when Trooper Knox came as it w'oro almost within coo-e of the Kellys was after the latter had stuck up the Jerildcrie flank. About the 24th December information was received that the gang had crossed the Murray at Wentworths on the road back from Ncwßouth Walot to Victor-u. ()n reaching the spr/ scarei-.iv three-quarters of an hour had eiarv-u since the gang had crossed, and notwithstanding the most vigorous ellbris all traces of the bushrangers

were Mi' -: qucnily lost. Knox’s experiem.v da .’.-.is ibis time wer" roue/h >n tl.c I'strwi! • —liiitintr 0- nt a> h,t !.,• could i r provisions, and (m;-. iona;!v, w' n roach i: g n town.-e : u, g-Ming a cod for the id- nt. tic state-■■ dial everything was done by Captain Blandish that lay in his power for the convenience and comfort of the men engaged in the pursuit. la his -opinion the gang still remain in the King River district, where the murders were commited. All around there the country is infested with friends of the Kellys, and it was almost impossible to meat a single person living on the ranges who was not more or less connected with them. Information as to the whereabouts of the gang was consequently not to be relied on when emanating from 80 suspicious a source. He considers that every endeavour under the circumstances has been made by the Chief Commissioner to entrap the gang; but only a person who lias travelled what maybe termed the Kelly Country can form any idea of the difficulties to be surmounted. "y