Geelong Advertiser (Vic. : 1859 - 1929), Saturday 14 December 1878, page 3


THE KELLY OUTRAGES.

SERGEANT KENNEDY'S LAST MOMENTS.

The Mansheld correspondent of the Argus telegraphs the following :– The means by which the following account was obtained I am compelled in honor to keep secret, but I place every reliance upon the source from whence it came. One portion of the sad

narrative is confirmed from the fact that

when the remains of Sergeant Kennedy were

discovered there were found near 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 sup-

posed the letter was written to his wife. It has since been proved that this paper was bought in Mansfield by the late Sergeant Kennedy previous to starting on the fatal expedition. The particulars given below were related by Kelly himself personally to

a confederate some time after the murders were committed, whose name I cannot re-veal. The following is the account referred to :– M'Intyre's evidence, as given in the Mansfield Guardian, is, in the main, pretty correct. Upon seeing M'Intyrre gallop away, Kennedy continued to fire at us without effect, as we sheltered ourselves. We let him fire about five shots from his revolver, he remaining nearly in the one position, and standing. A shot was fired by one of my mates, after which he started to run, fol-lowed by my brother and myself. After running about a quarter of a mile, and ap-parently seeing no chance of escape, as we were making upon him with our weapons, Kennedy got behind a tree, and as I came within pistol shot he fired his last remaining charge. As I saw him levelling fair at my head, I suddenly fell on my knees, and as I did so I heard the bullet whiz just over my head. I then fired at Kennedy, who fell

wounded at the foot of the tree where his body was afterwards found. The other two men, Hart and Byrne, who were coming up to us, seeing that the sergeant was secured, turned and went in pursuit of M'Intyre, who had escaped on Kennedy's horse. The ser-geant never moved from the spot where he fell, but complained of the pain he 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 endeavored to turn the conversation in the direction of his domestic affairs, his home, his wife and family, and very fre-quently 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 very much touched at his pitiable condition, and after a little I said, " Well, Kennedy, 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 his pencil, he handed the paper to me, and asked if I would give it to his wife. I took the paper, and 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 him so, and did not wish to leave him alone to linger out in such pain, so I suddenly, with-out 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 begged of me to leave him alive, saying, " Let me alone to live, if I can, for the sake of my poor wife and fa-mily. You surely have shed blood 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 his ear off as reported ; it must have been eaten away.

MORE STICKING UP.

The Violet Town correspondent of the Age writes on Thursday :– Mr Lambell, a butcher,

has just been interviewed by me. He states that at 4 o'clock this afternoon, upon his re-turning homewards, about three miles from Violet Town, a horseman passed him, and, doubling back and riding up alongside of his wagon, asked him if he had any money. Throwing his leg over the saddle, he jumped into the wagon, drew a revolver, and, de-manding money, took from him one £5 note and several £1 notes and some silver. He

returned Lambcll one penny, telling him to go on, remarking, " We will be in Violet Town." He then rode off, and Lambell re-ported the offence to Constable Duross, the only constable on foot here. He then proceeded home, and, accompanied by Mr Frank Beggs as a volunteer, went out, but beyond learning that a man answering the description given had been seen, no trace was found. They then re-turned, and the constable sent a telegram to Captain Standish. More constables have been promised to be sent to Violet Town, where great consternation prevails. Impor-tant information has been received at Euroa this afternoon concerning the Kelly gang, but in the public interest the police refrain from being more explicit.

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST THE POLICE.

One of the Coranderrk blacks who has

been engaged in tracking the Kellys has made the statement that the police who were with him displayed a disinclination to find the desperadoes, even when he had good reason to believe that he was close upon them on one or two occasions. The source from which the statement has reachcd us

lends a certain amount of credibility to the charge, serious as it undoubtedly is.

THE STOLEN BANK PROPERTY.

The following correct description of the moneys taken by the Kelly gang from the National Bank, Euroa, has reached the de-tective office :– Sixty-eight £10 notes, sixty-seven £5 notes, 418 £1 notes, £500 in sove-reigns (not £300 as before stated), and about £90 in silver; also an ingot of gold, weigh-ing about 30oz., of a dark color, as if stained with sulphur aud charcoal; its shape is oval at the smaller and circular at the larger end.

Last night's Herald has the following :–

MANSFIELD, Friday.

A party of police has just returned from

an unsuccessful search after the outlaws. A report is current here tliat the four men were seen near a wild spot not far from Mer-tou, called Hell's Hole, and that later on yesterday they were within 20 miles of

Mansfield.

BENALLA, Friday.

Last Saturday morning the Kellys were seen at Keanamble Creek, about 12 miles from Violet Town, riding quietly along. A

man named Milliard became excited at Euroa

on Wednesday, and said the police were in-capable. He was locked up, but discharged by the local magistrates. The police are watching a number of suspicious characters, and will take in charge anyone who ex-presses opinions in favor of the Kellys. There are many enemies of the Kellys at Violet Town, who are afraid of their pro-perty being burned by Kelly's friends. The National Bank is managed by Mr Scott, who lives at Euroa, and has a clerk in charge. He keeps the front door locked, and is well armed with several rifles and revolvers. No

doubt there is very little money left in the bank. At 11 o'clock last night a horseman rode into Violet Town, and looked about him for some time, when he whistled and was joined by another. They were joined by two more, and the four rode away to-wards Benalla at a rapid rate. They had their faces covered, and rode splendid horses. Kelly boasted at Younghusband's that he would rob a Benalla bank. The police at Euroa got ready to start up the ranges last night, but camped

at the Creek ford for some time. There was a decided step to be taken last night, but it was stopped for some unex-plained cause, and the police went to Benalla. There is little doubt that the Kellys have been close to Euroa, with telescopes, watch-ing the men upon the hills. Many men stealthily left Euroa at different times and went up the ranges, probably to communi-cate with the outlaws. Detective Ward is very active at Benalla, under Captain Standish. Mr Hare has a splendid horse up here, and means to go at once on active duty in the ranges. There are over 100 men out in the ranges after the Kellys, but they are all in the vicinity of Benalla, away from Euroa. The proceedings of the police are very difficult to follow, as the black trackers watch everybody.