THE KELLY GANG.

Temuka Leader, Issue 269, 13 July 1880, Page 2

THE KELLY GANG.

A LATER ACCOUST

On Monday, as particulars of the attack, capture, and death of the Kellys came to hand, all the papers issued extras—the Argus five editions. The following is a summary of the particulars :

Some obscurity surrounds the action of the police on the Saturday night after the death of Sherritt. According to the account of the stationrnaster at Glenrowan, the gang arrived at three o’clock on Sunday morning ; while ac(ording to the four policemen the gang only left Sherritt’s hut at six o’clock in the morning. Anyhow, the information only reached Beechwortb at one o’clock in the afternoon, and the police an I black-trackers immediately started in pursuit. The latter were leaving for Queensland on the following day, but the Government obtained permission to j retain them On leaving Sherritt’s the gang evidently made for their old haunts, but expecting an a arm would be made earlier by the police, they stopped at Glenrowan, awoke the stationmaster, having previously bailed up several servants on the railway. The platelayers were summoned, and made them tear up the main line on either side of the railway station, but strange to say, they forget to interrupt the tele graph. Hart meanwhile watehed the stationrnaster. The gang eventually bailed up the whole station, confining them in Mrs Jones’s hotel, 50 yards from ihe station, relieving guard by turns, and remained in possession all Sunday. The police, under Superin tendent Hare, arrived early on Monday roornin , the destruction of the train being onlv prevented by the di.-covery of the tearing up by the pilot engine sent in advance. A constable who escaped : from the hotel directed the police to tin-, locality, and firing immediately commenced, Inspector Hare being soon after shot through the wrist, though not seriously. On the arrival of the police, Ned Kelly disappeared in the bash for some hours, but returned at daylight, and was attacked by Sergt. Steele and Constables Kelly anj Dewitt. Kelly fought for half an hony before he was finally capture 1, with three wounds in his leg. At first it w»s stated that the wounds were mortal, but that is, now doubted. His body was encased in armour, the breast-plate consisting ot ploughshares j he also wore

an iron mask and hairnet. Active firing operations continued frpm |fche hotel for several hours, and it is stated that the gang held up the children at the windows to prevtnt the tiring. Police arrived from Wangaratta, Benalla, and Beechworth, and fully 50 surrounded the hotel, but remained under cover as far as possible, with the view of sparing unnecessary bloodshed. About ten a.m. all the civilians imprisoned in the hotel were allowed to leave. With the casual-, ties already reported, the platelayer was shot in tfyo groin, slid Byrne was killed previously. Dan Kelly and Hart remained in possession of the bipldjng and continued firing until two in the afternoon. The reppjrtVu wounded are daskson, a Press reporter, who was struck by a bullet, but not seriously injured, and a black tracker, who was grazed in the head. At the suggestion of the Chiel Secretary, who was at Wangaratta, a 12-pounder was despatched by a special train from Melbourne,with a detachment of artillery, to destroy the hotel to pre vent the outlaw’s escape. Orders, however, were given to fire the hotel, which was done, and the building was mainly burnt. Th bodies of Hart and Dan Kelly were discov red charred in their armor. Ned Kelly remained at Benalla, near Wangaratta, on Monday night. Latest. Very few additional particulars are to hand regarding the Kcl’y affair, all the accounts agreeing as to the main facts regarding the tragedy, which was unexampled in colonial annals, The armor worn by Ned Kelly weighed 97 bs, ami had 18 indentations in various parts. Thirteen bullets struck his body, though none of the wounls are apparently mortal, and it was only by firing low that he was ultimately brought to the ground and secured. He made a desperate resistance, howling like a wild beast when taken. He is now doing well. Superintendent Hare’s wrist is badly shattered, the ball passing through, He was compelled to abandon the command and was taken to Benalla, where he was attended to by Dr Ryan, of Plevna celebrity. Byrne was shot at an early hour when drinking whisky at the bar. The remaining two exposed themselves fearlessly to the police, and maintained steady firing all the afternoon. Both

were clad with mail, and shots had no

effect. The time of their death is,uncertain, and it is unknown whether they committed suicide, killed one another, or were shot by the police. The bodies wei*e found t >gcther by a priest rs the flames gained possession of the building

It was afterwards found that tiny were fearfully charred—mere cinders and bonThe platelayer was an old man of 60, whom the police accidentally killed. It was unknown that he was in the building nntP lie was brought tut in a dying state by the police, who rushed the building. Some of the other casualties are somewhat serious. Besides the girl wounded in the head, another child was shot in the high. Ab ./ name.* Reardon was also wounded, besides Inspector Hare and a Press reporter. During the day Kelly’s relatives came to Glenrowan, and were allowed to converse with Ned, who h *s since confessed to the priest. He is expected to be brought as soon ns possible to the gaol in Melbourne.

The liveliest satisfaction is expressed in the other colonies at the destruction of the Kellys, and congratulatory telegrams have been exchanged between Sydney and Melbourne. We take the following additional particulars of the destruction of the Kelly gang from the Melbourne Argus :

INTERVIEW WITH NED KELLY.

After the house ha 1 been burned, Ned Kelly’s three sisters and Tom Wright were allowed an interview with him. Tom Wright, as well as the sist-rs, kissed the wounded man, and a brief conversaiion ensued, Ned Kelly having to a certain extent recovered fi om the exhaustion consequent of his wounds. At times his eyes were quite bright, and although lie was of course excessively weak, his remarkably powerful physique enabled him to talk rather freely. During the interview he stated :—“ I was at last surrounded by the police, and only had a revolver, with which I fired four shots. But it was v.o good. I had •half a mir.d to shoot myself. I loaded my rifle, but could not hold it after I was wounded. I Lad plenty of ammunition, but it was no good to me. I got shot in the arm, and told Byrne and Dan so. I could have got oft', but when I saw them all pounding away, I told Dan I would see it over, and wait until morning. ” “ What on earth induced you to go to the hotel ?” inquired a spectator. We could not do it anywhere else,” replied Kelly, eyeing the spectators, who were strangers to him, suspiciously. “ I would,” he continued, “ have fought them in the train, or else upset it if I had the chance. I didn’t care a who was in it, but I knew on Sunday morning there would be no usual passengers. I first tackled the line, and could not pull it u; , and then came to ; Glenrowan station.” “ Since the Jerilderie affair,” remarked a spectator, “ we thought you had gone to Queensland.” “ It would not do for everyone to think the same,” was Kelly’s reply. “ If I were once right again,” he continued, . “ I would go to the barracks and shoot everyone of the—-—traps,, and not give 1 one a chance.”

Mrs Skiliion (to hex- brother) ; “■ It f s a wonder you did not keep behind a tree,” Ned Kelly -1 had a chance at several policemen during the night, but declined to fire. My arm was broke the first

fire. X got away into the bush, ancjl ' ' found my mare, and could hare rusfyed away, buv wanted to see the thing out, and remained in the bush . n A sad soen,e ensued when WihJ. Wright led Mrs Skillion to the horrible object which was all that remained of her brother Dan. She bent over it, raised a dirge-like cry, and wept Dick Hart applied for tne body of bit brother, but was told he could not hpvp it until after the post morterp examination. The inquest on the bodies will bp'' held at Benalla. Michael Reardon, aged 18, was shot' through the shoulder, but it is appa T . reptly rnly a flesh woqnd. The boy Jones was dangerously shot in the thigh ’ Both have been sent to the Wangaratta Hospital. A cannon was brought up as far as Seymour, but as the burning of Jones’ Hotel bad proved successful, it was counteimanded.