The Commencement of the fight.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1252, 8 July 1880, Page 3

The Commencement of the fight.

The Kellys surprised the township of Glenrowan, consisting of about half-a-dozeu house.*, including' two bush hotels, Jones' Glenrowan Hotel being-about 200 yzrds from the station, on the west side of the lini, whil-jt McDonalds hotel is about the biime distance on the other side of the line, in an indent. The men on the platform were convinced from a report of a shot fu-cd from Jones's hotel that they were in the presence of the desperate outlaws. The next few minutes were produotive of panic and excitement. The pnlioo abandoned their hordes and rushed to their arms. The black trackers sprang forward Avith their leader, and soon took a good position in front of the house, where Superintendent Hare could be plainly seen by the light of the moon. He walked boldly towards the hotel, and when within twenty-five yards of the verandah the tall figure of a man ran round the corner and fired the shot which Look effect on Mr Hare's wrist. But Kelly found in him a foeman who would not shrink from him. Senior Constable Kelly ant) Rawlins were close to him, and the former promptly returned the fire, which was taken up by Superintendent Hare, although wounded, and Mr. Rawlins followed his example. Just before Superintendent Hare was wounded, ConStable Bracken escaped and spread the neAvs that the Kellys wen \n the hotel. Behiud the building there was a kitchen, the walls of which wore constructed of slabs, and into this the police fired. About sixty shots had been sent into the Avails, when the voice of Mr. Hare was distinguished above the screams of terrified women and children who were in the hotel, giving the order to stop firing. This was now repeated by Constable Kelly to the men who were under cover surrounding- the house at the back; but the Kellys fired three or four shots, after which one of them gave vent to curses and brutal language, calling to the police, "Come on, you wretches, and you oan fire away ; you can never hurt us." A few straggling shots were then fired, the sharp sounds of the rifles being echoed from the mount called "Morgan's Look-out," at tb,e foot of which the fight took place. Then all was silent again, and after the lapse of about a qaarter of an hour Superintendent Hare approached the railway station, and said that he hsd been wounded in the wrist. The wound was a very bacl one, but the representatives of the press suqoeeded in stopping the rapid losa of blood.