Illustrated Sydney News and New South Wales Agriculturalist and Grazier (NSW : 1872 - 1881), Saturday 10 July 1880, page 1


THE KELLY GANG.—THE MURDER OF AARON SHERRETT.

THE MURDEROUS ATTACK OF THE KELLY GANG ON THE VICTORIAN POLICE—Reprinted from the "Illustrated Sydney News," November, 1878.

CAPTURE

OF

THE KELLY GANG.

MONDAY, the 28th of June, 1880, will long be remembered in New South Wales and throughout the Australian colonies. On the morning of that eventful day, when people were everywhere thinking of the Raikes' Centenary celebrations of the previous days, the electric wires suddenly flashed forth the startling news that the desperadoes forming the Kelly gang had emerged from the rocky fastnesses in which they had been so long successfully concealed, and had added to the list of atrocities which have rendered their names doubly infamous by the cold-blooded assassination of a man suspected by them of being a treacherous friend. The news spread like wildfire through Sydney. In the bank, the shop, the warehouse, the factory, in every place where there were to be found persons to speak to each other, nothing was talked of save the raid of the Kellys. The whole issue of the Sydney Morning Herald was speedily exhausted, as was that of the Daily Telegraph, and an early edition of the Echo was hastily prepared and published, containing the astound-ing intelligence that Ned Kelly had been shot in the leg and captured, and that the other members of the gang were sur-rounded and expected to fall into the hands of the police. The excitement was tremendous. Business was almost at a standstill. The different newspaper offices were besieged by anxious crowds, eager for fresh news — which was speedily forthcoming — successive editions of the evening papers re-lating with almost terrible brevity the various incidents which preceded the firing of the hotel in which Ned Kelly's brother and fellow-outlaws had taken refuge. The sensa-tional events which so rapidly succeed each other from the moment when Sherrett was shot dead by Byrne on Saturday, the 26th of June, to the capture of the murderous ruffian who has so long formed the terror of the district surrounding his place of concealment, together with the horrible fate of the remainder of the gang on the following Monday, form one of the most thrilling chapters of modern criminal his-tory, one destined to create a powerful impression throughout

the whole civilised world.

THE MURDER OF AARON SHERRETT.

The first act in the fearful drama commenced with the assassination of Aaron Sherrett. It appears that about eight o'clock on the night of Saturday, the 26th of June, the gang went to a hut at Sebastopol, about seven miles from Beech-worth, on the Eldorado Road, and half a mile from the resi-dence of Byrne's mother. It was a two-roomed slab house. At the rear there was a stable, and in front several large trees. There were in the hut at the time four constables, besides Sherrett and his wife. A German, Antoine Weders, a resi-dent of the place, was brought, by the use of threats, by the gang to the house, and when he spoke Sherrett recognised his voice and opened the door. Then Byrne fired and hit him in the eye and chest. Sherrett died instantaneously. Byrne, after he fired the shot, said, "You will not blow now what you do with us any more." The gang then surrounded the hut, and called upon the police to surrender. Eight shots were fired, the gang getting behind the trees. The police, on being challenged, refused to surrender, and said they would rather die than surrender

FLIGHT OF THE GANG.

The gang kept the police prisoners for twelve hours, threatening to burn the house down and roast them alive ; but they were evidently apprehensive of assistance being forthcoming, for they speedily decamped, making their way in hot haste across country to their old haunts. They ex-pected, apparently, that the four policemen whom they left in the hut at Sebastopol would send intelligence of what had happened to Melbourne, and that a special train would be sent from Melbourne with a police force on the following morning. This train they resolved to wreck at Glenrowan, which place is on the direct line from Beechworth to the Kelly haunts. Had the train been wrecked, the outlaws, after witnessing the destruction, could easily have reached their fastnesses, and been once more secure. This desperate plot was defeated by Mr. Thomas Curnow, the local school-master, who stopped a pilot engine preceding the train, and gave information on which Superintendent Hare promptly

acted.

THE LOCALITY OF THE CONFLICT.

Glenrowan is a hamlet in the Great Murray district, situated about 150 miles north-east of Melbourne, on the main road from Beechworth to Melbourne, and six miles to the north-west of Greta. The north-eastern line of railway passes through it, and there is a station there. The popu-lation is but sparse, and the district is a pastoral one, a few small farms being scattered around the township. It is half way between Benalla to the south-west and Wanga-ratta to the south-east, and the outlaw was probably homing

for Greta when long-delayed justice overtook him. To the south lie Mansfield and the Strathbogie Ranges, where, among the fastnesses surrounding the head waters of the King River and the Broken River, the outlaws had an impregnable retreat.

THE AFFRAY AT GLENROWAN.

On arriving at Glenrowan Station, a mile and a half beyond which Kelly had caused the rails to be torn up, the police left the train ; no sooner had they done so than con-stable Bracken, the local policeman, rushed into their midst, aud stated, with an amount of excitement which was excusable under the circumstances, that he had just escaped from the Kellys, and that they were that moment in pos-session of Jones's public house, about a hundred yards from the station. He called upon them to surround the house, and his advice was followed without delay. Superintendent Hare with his men, and Sub-Inspector Connor with his black trackers, at once advanced on the building. Mr. Hare took the lead, and charged right up to the hotel ; when within a few yards of the building a volley was fired by the gaug from the verandah, and Mr. Hare was shot through the left wrist. Nothing daunted Mr. Hare peppered away at them as he best could, with one hand, and then was taken away, faint and bleeding, to the station-master's house, and thence to the railway station. The police and gang blazed away at each other in the darkness furiously, and it lasted for about a quarter of an hour, and during that time there was nothing but a succession of flashes and reports, the ringing of bullets in the air, and the shrieks of women who had been made prisoners in the hotel ; then there was a lull, but nothing could be seen for a minute or two in conse-quence of the smoke. In a few minutes Superintendent Hare returned to the railway station with a shattered wrist. He gallantly cheered his men on as well as he could, but gradually became so weak from loss of blood that he had reluctantly to retire, and was soon afterwards conveyed to

Benalla by special engine. On his departure Sub-Inspector O'Connor and Senior Constable Kelly took charge, and kept pelting away at the outlaws all the morning. By this time the hotel was completely surrounded by the police and the black-trackers, and a vigilant watch on the hotel was kept up during the dark hours. At daybreak police rein-forcements arrived from Benalla, Beechworth, and Wanga-ratta. Superintendent Sadleir came from Benalla with nine more men, and Sergeant Steele, of Wangaratta, with six, thus augmenting the besieging force to about thirty men. Before daylight senior-constable Kelly found a revolving rifle and a cap lying in the bush about 100 yards from the hotel. The rifle was covered with blood, and a pool of blood lay near it. This was evidently the property of one of the bush-rangers, and suspicion therefore arose that they had escaped. That the articles not only belonged to one of the outlaws, but to Ned Kelly himself was soon proved.

THE CAPTURE OF NED KELLY.

At daylight the gang were expected to make a sally out, so as to escape, if possible, to their native ranges, and the police were consequently on the alert. Close attention was paid to the hotel, as it was taken for granted that the whole gang were there. To the surprise of the police, however, they soon found themselves attacked from the rear by a man dressed in a long, grey, overcoat and wearing an iron mask. The appear-ance of the man presented an anomaly, but a little scrutiny of his appearance and behaviour soon showed that it was the veritable leader of the gang, Ned Kelly himself. On further observation it was seen that he was only armed with a revolver. He, however, walked coolly from tree to tree and received the fire of the police with the utmost indiffer-ence, returning a shot from his revolver when a good oppor-tunity presented itself. Three men went for him – viz., Ser-geant Steele, of Wangaratta, senior-constable Kelly, and a railway guard named Dowsett. The latter, however, was only armed with a revolver. They fired at him persistently, but,

to their surprise, with no effect, as he seemed bullet-proof.

It then occurred to Sergeant Steele that the fellow was encased in mail, and he then aimed at the outlaw's legs. The first shot of that kind made Ned Kelly stagger, and the second brought him to the ground with the cry, " I am done ; I am done ;" Steele then rushed up, along with senior-constable Kelly and others. The outlaw howled like a wild beast brought to bay, and swore at the police. He was first seized by Steele, aud as that officer grappled with him he fired off another charge from his revolver. This shot was evidently intended for Steele, but from the smart way in which Steele secured the murderer he escaped the shot. Kelly became gradually quiet, and it was soon found that he had been utterly disabled. He had been shot iu the left foot, left leg, right hand, left arm, and twice in the region of the groin, but no bullet had penetrated his armour. Having been divested of his armour, he was carried down to the railway station and placed in a guard van. Subsequently he was removed to the stationmaster's office, and his wounds dressed there by Dr. Nicholson, of Benalla.

THE HOTEL BESIEGED.

The determination of the police became increased when they obtained from different sources corroboration of the fact that Dan Kelly, Byrne, and Hart were still in the hotel. A rumour got abroad that Byrne was shot when drinking a glass of whisky at the bar of the hotel, about half-past 5 o'clock in the morning, and the report afterwards proved to be true. The remaining two kept up a steady defence from the rear of the building during the forenoon, and exposed themselves recklessly to the bullets of the police, but as they were also clad in mail, the shots took no effect. At 10 o'clock a white flag or handkerchief was held out at the front door, and immediately afterwards about thirty men, all prisoners, sal-lied forth, holding up their hands. They escaped whilst Dan Kelly and Hart were defending the back door. The police rallied up towards them with their arms ready, and called upon them to stand. The crowd did so, and, in obedience to a subsequent order, fell prone upon the ground. They were passed one by one, and two of them – brothers, named McAuliffe—were arrested as Kelly sympathisers. The pre-caution thus taken was highly necessary, as the remaining outlaws might have been among the crowd. The siege was kept up all the forenoon, and until 3 o'clock in the afternoon. By that time the shooting from the hotel had ceased, and the best part of the day having elapsed, the police, who were now acting under the direction of Superintendent Sadlier, deter-mined that a decisive step should be taken, and with that view telegraphed to Melbourne for permission to fire the building.

BURNING THE HOTEL.

The assent of the colonial authorities being obtained at a quarter-past 3 o'clock, a constable, named Johnson, ran up to the gate of the hotel with a large bundle of straw. He advanced under the protection of a continuous fire from his comrades at the doors and windows of the building. Having ignited the straw, he returned, his retreat being covered in the same way as his advance. The straw soon flared up and set the house on fire, and in a short time the flames were seen flickering through the bullet-holes in the roof, and travelled rapidly through the tenement. This was a moment of intense excitement. All hearts were relieved when Johnson was seen to regain uninjured the shelter he

had left. Every eye was now fixed on the silent building, and the circle of beseigers began to close in rapidly on it, some dodging from tree to tree, and many, fully persuaded that everyone in the hotel must be hors de combat, coming out boldly into the open. Just at this juncture, Mrs. Skillion, sister of the Kellys, attempted to approach the house from the front. She had on a black riding habit with a red underskirt and white Gainsborough hat, and was a prominent object in the scene. Her arrival on the ground was almost simultaneous with the attempt to fire the building, and her object in trying to reach the house was, apparently, to induce the survivors, if any, to come out and surrender. The police, however, ordered her to stop, and she obeyed the order, but very reluctantly. In the meantime the straw, which burned fiercely, had all been consumed, and at first doubts were entertained as to whether senior-constable Johnson's exploit had been successful. Not many minutes elapsed, however, before smoke was seen coming out of the roof, and flames were discerned through the front window on the western side. A light westerly wind was blowing at the time, and this carried the flames from the straw underneath the wall and into the house, and as the building was lined with calico the fire spread rapidly. Still no sign of life appeared in the building, and when the house was seen to be fairly on fire a Roman Catholic priest, who happened to be present, walked up to the front door and entered it. By this time the patience of the besiegers was exhausted, and they, all regardless of shelter, rushed to the building. The priest at much personal risk from the flames, hurried into a room at the left, and there saw two bodies lying side by side on their backs. He touched them,

and found life was extinct in each. These were the bodies of Dan Kelly and Hart ; and the reverend gentleman ex-pressed the opinion, based on their position, that they must have killed one another. Whether they killed one another, or whether both or one committed suicide, or whether both, being mortally wounded by the besiegers, determined to die side by side, will never be known. The priest had barely time to feel their bodies before the fire forced him to make a speedy exit from the room, and the flames had then made such rapid progress on the western side of the house, that the few people who followed close on the reverend gentleman's heels dared not attempt to rescue the two

bodies.

AFTER THE CONFLAGRATION.

After the house had been burned down the two bodies were removed from the embers. They presented a horrible spectacle — nothing but the trunk and skull being left, and these almost burnt to a cinder. Their armour was found near them. Byrne's body was found in the entrance to the bar-room, which was on the east side of the house, and there was time to remove it from the building, but not before the right side was slightly scorched. This body

likewise presented a dreadful appearance. It looked as if it had been ill-nourished. The thin face was black with

smoke, and the arms were bent at right angles at the

elbows, the stiffened joints below the elbows standing erect. The body was quite stiff, and its appearance, and the position in which it was fouud corroborated the statement that he received the fatal wound, which was in the groin, while drinking a glass of whisky at the bar. He had a ring on his right hand, which had belonged to constable Scanlon, who was murdered by the gang in Wombat ranges. The body was dressed in a blue sac coat, tweed striped trousers, crimean shirt, and very ill-fitting boots. Like Ned Kelly, Byrne wore a bushy beard.

AN INNOCENT VICTIM OF NED KELLY.

In the outhouse, or kitchen, immediately behind the main building, an old man, Martin Cherry, one of the prisoners of the gang, and who was so severely wounded by Kelly, that he could not leave the house when the other prisoners left, was found still living, but in articula mortis from a wound in the groin. He was promptly removed to a short distance from the burning hotel, and laid on the ground. When the priest administered to him the last sacrament Cherry was insensible, and barely alive. He had evidently suffered much during the day, aud death released him. He was born at Limerick, Ireland, and was 60 years old. Cherry, who was unmarried, was an old resident in the district, and was employed as a plate-layer, and resided about a mile from Glenrowan. It appears that after the first volley fired by the police Ned Kelly rushed inside the house. He had been wounded in the arm, and was like a wild beast. Nearly all the prisoners were huddled together iu the parlour. Ned Kelly ordered Cherry to pull down the blinds of the window on the side, so that those outside could not see where the fire was. Cherry replied, "I will not do that, I would be shot ; you had better do it yourself." The fierce outlaw held a rifle in his hand, and turning upon the poor old man shot him. Cherry fell, and some other members of the gang carried him to the kitchen, where he was found when the house was on fire. While the house was burning some explosions were heard inside ; these were alarming at first, but it was soon ascertained that they were cartridges burning. Several gun barrels were found in the debris, and also the burnt carcase of a dog, which had been shot during the melee. All that was left standing of the hotel were the lamp-post and the sign-board.

CHILD VICTIMS OF THE ENCOUNTER.

During the affray between the police and the gang, a boy and girl named Jones, children of the landlady of the hotel, were wounded. The boy afterwards died in the Wangaratta hospital. The girl is, however, progressing favourably. Another child victim, named Reardon, is lying in a critical state, and is not expected to recover.

BYRNE.

During the forenoon of Tuesday, the 29th, the body of Byrne was brought out of the lockup where it lay, and slung up in an erect position on the outside of the door, the object being to have it photographed by Mr. Burman, of Melbourne. The features were composed in a natural way. and were easily recognized. The face was small, with retreating forehead, blue eyes, the upper lip covered with a downy moustache, and a bushy beard covering his chin, whilst his hair had been recently cut. His figure was that of a tall, lithe, young fellow. The spectacle, however, was very repulsive. The hands were clenched and covered with blood, whilst blood also covered his clothes. The police soon had the body removed from the public gaze. Byrne had a number of nicknames. He was the idol of the girls of the district, who said he was such a handsome and 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-honoured custom with the people of the district, who will go into a stockyard 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 ! Byrne's body was secretly buried by the police.

NED KELLY APTER HIS CAPTURE.

From the morning of Monday, and until the fight was over and Jones's Hotel a mere heap of smouldering ruins, Ned Kelly, wounded and weak, lay in the railway station house at Glenrowan, with the roar and din of the battle ringing in his ears. When all was over Mrs. Skillion and Kate Kelly, who had tried to enter the hotel just previously to its beiug utterly consumed, were permitted an interview with their brother, Ned Kelly, and " Wild Wright," one of the best known of his sympathisers, was also allowed to speak to him. Amongst those who had been confined in the hotel, but were ultimately permitted to escape, were two men named McAuliffe, who, being well-known sympathisers with the Kellys, were arrested and sent away to Benalla. When Wright and Kelly's sisters were admitted to see him they kissed him repeatedly. There were several spectators present, and all noticed the spare and worn physique of the outlaw ; not that he is not a remarkably powerful man. but, like a wild animal liable to chase at any moment, and getting its sustenance almost at hap-hazard, he had not

(in trainers' language) an ounce of superfluous flesh on him. His eyes were bright, and he had recovered a good

deal from the exhaustion of his wounds.

ARRIVAL IN MELBOURNE.

On Tuesday morning, on the arrival of Ned Kelly in Melbourne, it was anticipated there would be immense crowds to meet the outlaw if he was announced to arrive at any particular station, so the police authorities indulged in a little manoeuvring, in order to prevent anything like a rush at the station. Barricades were erected at the Spencer Street terminus, and Sub-inspector Larnach was despatched thither with a party of police. This was, however, simply a ruse, for several members of the police force, attired in plain clothes, while all this was going on, quietly proceeded to the North Melbourne station, where they waited for the ordinary train from the North-East. There were two brake vans attached to it, the outlaw being in the last, lying on a pile of mattresses, surrounded by about a dozen armed policemen. He looked terribly emaciated ; his spare countenance was rendered more wan by the terrible bruises with which it was covered, the effects of bullets having struck the helmet which he wore during his fight with the police. His utter helpless-ness was apparent at a glance, and as he laid on the floor of the van his appearance was horribly pitiful. A crowd quickly surrounded the van, but the police soon cleared a passage ; a stretcher was handed in, and the outlaw was laid upon it. The mattresses were then placed in a four-wheeled vehicle which stood outside the reserve, and he was carried on the shoulders of the policemen thither. The vehicle, which was followed by several others, proceeded up Victoria Street, thence to the Melbourne Gaol. Near the gaol there was an immense concourse of men, women, and children. Although an attempt was made to give a cheer it was remarkably feeble. The waggonette in which Kelly was lying did not stop, but drove right into the gaol, the large gates being open for the purpose. Preparation had been made for his reception, and on his admission he was placed on a water bed, for the more effectual treatment of his

wounds.

HOW NED KELLY STARTLED THE POLICE.

The statement of Constable James Murdoch Arthur with regard to the encounter, shows the effect which the appear-ance of Ned Kelly and his extraordinary conduct had upon the police. In the course of his narrative, after describing the cautious manner in which he approached the hotel, he says :—"I moved to a log within 80 yards of a house, into which I commenced to fire. Sergeant Kelly left me there, and a bullet from the hut tore up the ground underneath my stomach. I consequently determined to go to another part of the log. I was very cold, and I filled my pipe to have a smoke. Just at daylight I was in the act of lighting my pipe, and heard Ned Kelly coming behind me. His extraordinary appearance so startled me that I let the pipe drop out of my mouth, and gazed at the strange object for a minute, not knowing but that it was a madman who had conceived the idea of storming the hotel, with a nail-can on his head. I then said to him,"' Go back you d——fool, you will get shot." The figure replied, "I could shoot you, sonny," and at that moment fired his revolver at me, but missed. He evidently was crippled, and did not take proper aim. We were then only between twenty and thirty yards apart. I levelled my Martini rifle, and fired at his helmet, thinking I would knock it off. It only staggered him slightly. An opening in the helmet looked like a huge mouth, and I fired at that, and hit him again. He still came on. I fired a third shot at his body, and heard it scud off him. I was completely astonished, and could not under-stand what the object I was firing at was. The men around me appeared astonished too. Someone said "He is a madman !" Dowsett, the railway-guard, said, "He is the devil !" Sergeant Kelly exclaimed "Look out, boys, he is the bunyip!" At once I sought shelter, and tried to get round at the back. I did so because I found it was no use of firing at him in front. Before I could succeed in doing so Sergeant Steele ran up from behind and shot him. When I shot at him first Sergeant Steele thought I had made a mistake, and called to me to stop firing. After he had been captured, Kelly shook his fist at me and swore."

WHAT A RAILWAY GUARD SAYS.

The following interesting particulars of the capture of Ned Kelly were supplied by Jesse Dowsett, guard on the Victorian Railway. He says :—"I came up with the train that left Benalla at 5 o'clock on Monday morning, and on arriving at Glenrowan I found they were still firing at the hotel. I had a Colt's breech-loading revolver supplied to me by our department. A woman was screaming near the hotel. I crawled up under the fence on my hands and knees, and got within 30 yards of the hotel. I called upon her in a low voice to come on, and she walked towards me. She proved to be Mrs. Reardon, with an infant in her arms. I caught hold of her, and brought her down to the platform. After getting some cartridges from another guard, I made my way back again to the front from tree to tree. Got pretty close up to the house, and was challenged by the police. I replied, "Railway." Went alongside of a constable, and at this time there was warm firing from the skillion window. All at once I saw the figure of a man looming up in the bush behind us, about 150 yards away. I called out to senior-constable Kelly, "My God, who is that ?" The senior-constable ordered the troopers who were nearer the man, to challenge him, and to shoot him down if he did not answer. The man only replied by firing four or five shots at us with a revolver, and steadily advanced, as if making for the hotel. We then made for cover, and went for him. After we had fired at him for some time, he sat down behind a tree evidently to reload his weapon. I asked senior-constable Kelly, "Cannot you pot him off from there ?" The senior-constable fired, and I saw that his bullet hit the right-hand side of the tree. He fired again, and I said, "By——, you have hit him on the hand," for I saw that he had been wounded there. The man then left his cover, and came straight towards us, walking right out into the open. I fired five shots at him, point-blank, from a distance of 12 or 15 yards, and hearing the bullets thud upon him with a metallic sound, and seeing him still advancing, I exclaimed, "This must be the devil." He then tapped his helmet with his revolver, and said, "You ——dogs, you cannot shoot me." I then thought the man was mad, and that he was ringing a bell. He then went into the fork of a fallen tree, and I went up to the butt end of it. I said to him, "You had better surrender, old man. Throw up your hands." He replied, "Never while I have a shot left." I then took a 'pot ' shot at him over the log, and said, "How do you like that, old man ?" He rose up and said, "How do you like this ?" firing at me. I was not hit. At this juncture Sergeant Steele left his tree, and ran up towards the man to within 12 or 15 yards, and fired. The man dropped behind the log. Steele, senior-constable Kelly, and I ran up. Steele seized the man by the hand, Kelly caught him by the head-gear, and I caught hold of his

revolver. Kelly pulled off his helmet, and Steele, catching hold of him by the beard, said, "By heavens, it is Ned –I said I would be at the death of him." The reporters came running up to us at the same time, and with their assistance we carried our prisoner to the railway-station."

NED KELLY'S CAREER.

For nearly ten years Ned Kelly has been in the black book of the police, there being several convictions against him dating as far back as November, 1871. The two first cases were for assault and threatening language, for which sen-tences of three months were recorded ; but as soon as these had expired, in company with Wild Wright, he was charged with horse-stealing, and subsequently convicted at the Beech-worth Assizes. The gang, of which he was the head, first became known to the public, some three years ago, as noto-rious horse-stealers, for whom the Victorian police were vigorously searching among the ranges at the head of King River, the neighbourhood of which being infested by relations and connections of the family, made the expedition, especially to men imperfectly acquainted with the intricacies of the country, one of peculiar difficulty. The horse-stealers and their friends were on the watch, and by a secret system of communication the ringleaders were made acquainted, not only that search was being instituted in the neighbourhood for them, but that the very movements of the searchers were being closely observed. At length the police party, which consisted of sergeant Kennedy and constables M'Intyre, Scanlan, and Lonergan – all strong men – left Mansfield in private clothes. Equipped with revolvers, a rifle, and a double-barrelled gun, they arrived at Stringybark Creek, about 20 miles from the township, and camped near the creek. They were provisioned for a fortnight, and within that time hoped to attain their object. They pitched their tent in an open space 80 yards from the creek, all around them being a thickly-timbered and scrubby country, with the ranges of hills in the distance. Kennedy and Scanlan went out on the search, leaving M'Intyre and Lonergan in

charge.

MURDER OE KENNEDY, SCANLAN, AND LONERGAN.

A fire was lighted, and the two latter were boiling the "billy" for the afternoon tea for their companions, when sud-denly through the grass appeared four men ; one of them, Edward Kelly, carried two rifles. This party made an imme-diate demand for surrender, and M'Intyre, being unarmed, held up his arms, while Lonergan attempted to get behind a tree, and drew his revolver. Kelly, seeing this, imme-diately shot him, and he died at ouce. Kelly then told McIntyre to advise Sergeant Kennedy and Scanlan to sur-render, but, on hearing them returning, he retired with his three associates behind some logs, warning M'Intyre under pain of death not to give the alarm. Kennedy and Scanlan

advanced and dismounted ; McIntyre went to them and

warned them, and immediately the bushrangers reappeared and fired at Kennedy, but without success. Scanlan tried to unsling his rifle, but before he could succeed in doing so he was shot down. McIntyre, seeing the hopelessness of the position, leaped on Kennedy's horse and succeeded in making his escape. How,Kennedy got away no one knows but the murderers, but his body was afterwards found about a quarter of a mile from the scene of the encounter, pierced by three bullets. McIntyre's horse had been wounded, and soon became exhausted and fell, throwing his rider with vio-lence, and McIntyre then had to make his way to Mansfield

on foot.

AFTER THE MURDERS.

After the Mansfield outrage, the outlaws remained in the Strathbogie ranges unseen until December 14, 1878. They then made a descent upon Euroa, where they bailed np a number of people at Younghusband's station, and stuck up the bank, and robbed it of £5,000. After the Euroa outrage, the Victorian Government despatched a detachment of the Victorian Artillery to the neighbourhood infested by the Kellys. Detectives and additional police were also sent up, but, as is well-known, their services were of no avail, and the military, after some time, were withdrawn.

THE GANG IN NEW SOUTH WALES. One Saturday, in February, 1879, the gang suddenly appeared at midnight in Jerilderie, in this colony, and stuck up the Police Barracks at Jerilderie. They bailed up the police, and put them in the lock-up, where constable Devine, who was in charge, was kept a prisoner until the following Monday night. The other constable at the station, Richards, was taken round the town in charge of Ned Kelly and Steve Hart. Mrs. Devine and her children were shut up in another room during Sunday and Monday, and no one was allowed to go near the barracks. Early on Monday morning Kelly's horses were shod in Jerilderie. On Monday the Kellys dressed in police uniform, and walked down the

street in company with Richards ; Hart and Byrne following on horseback. The Kellys walked to the Royal Hotel, where

they saw Cox, the landlord. Richards introduced Cox to Kelly, who said he wanted the rooms in the Royal, as he intended to rob the bank, but would not do anybody any harm. Two bushrangers were then placed by Ned Kelly at the front parts of the hotel, and as people went in for a drink they were seized and placed in a room, where Dan Kelly acted as sentinel. The bank was then entered at the rear by Kelly, who, with two revolvers in hand, announced who he was. Resistance was considered useless, and tke manager and the bank clerks all surrendered. Up to this time no one had the slightest idea that the Kellys were in Jerilderie. Mr. Living, the bank teller, was having his bath at the time the Kellys entered the bank. Ned Kelly ordered him into the bank, and compelled him to deliver up what cash he had, which amounted to about £691. The search for more money proving futile, Kelly went to the Royal Hotel, where the manager of the bank had been, with other citizens, placed under the serveillance of one of the party, and brought him to the bank, and com-pelled him to unlock the treasure-drawer, from which the scoundrel took £1,450. The Kellys managed the whole affair with judgment, and had there been twice the number of police would have carried out their design. The bush-ranging party left about 7 p.m., but no one knew what direction its members took. The Kellys openly stated that they came purposely to shoot Devine, and had it not been that his wife begged for his life, he would have been shot. The police had no means of following the rascals, being

unarmed and without horses.

PURSUIT OF THE KELLYS.

After the Jerilderie outrage, every exertion was made to render their escape impossible, and the Government of Victoria and New South Wales united in offering a very large reward for their heads – the sum of £8,000, – an amount equal to £2,000 for each offender. The gang were heard of in the neighbourhood of Gumbower Island, a piece of land which, in dry seasons, is approachable from the Victorian

side, but which, in the rainy season, forms an island, with

the river Murray flowing past it. The police, under Captain Standish organized a search party of black trackers to explore the whole district. Great privations were suffered by the body of police told off for this duty; many of the force being compelled to keep in the saddle eighteen or twenty hours of the day. We have reproduced au engraving which appeared in our columns shortly after the event. It repre-sents an early morning scene in the neighbourhood of the Strathbogie ranges, where, in some parts, the only track available is the dry bed of some creek or watercourse.

KATE KELLY

Is about 21 years of age. She is about 5 ft. 2 in. in height, and slightly built. Her general expression is of extreme mel-

ancholy. She can scarcely be called handsome, although when pleased her countenance assumes an exceedingly pre-possessing aspect, and her smile is dangerously fascinating. No one, to meet her casually, would imagine that the girl was imbued with the reckless courage that made Ned Kelly so infamous. She is only slightly educated, but is endowed with great natural intelligence, which to a great extent compen-sates for her lack of tuition. Kate is a dashing horsewoman, and on numerous occasions has defeated the efforts of large numbers of police to follow her into the Strathbogie Ranges. It is more than hinted that the immunity enjoyed by the out-laws so long, was largely due to the dauntless energy and activity of Miss Kelly, who seemed to be ubiquitious. She was repeatedly seen by the police in all parts of the north-eastern district, but none of the police could trace her.

NED KELLY IN THE GAOL HOSPITAL.

Ned Kelly remains in the gaol hospital, and is being watched night and day. Having regard to his critical con-dition, and the possibility of his injuring himself inten-tionally, or by any mishap, he is never left alone, a wards-man being told off to attend to him at night. Kelly had a good sleep on the night of his arrival, and was permitted by the medical officer to see his mother, whom he had urgently requested to see. Mr. Castieau, the governor of the gaol, was present during the interview, which lasted for a considerable time. Mr. Castieau cautioned Kelly to keep calm, and he replied that he would, requesting Mr. Castieau to give the

same advice to Mrs. Kelly. The mother seemed to feel acutely pained by the intelligence of the affray at Glenrowan, and at seeing the condition of her son. Kelly was in a tolerably communicative mood, and conversed freely with his mother. She was very anxious to obtain information with regard to the surviving relatives, as well as about those who perished in the affray. She earnestly enjoined him to pay all respect and attention to the priest who was attending him. Kelly maintains that he has been the victim of some-thing approaching persecution on the part of the police authorities, saying that their action had forced him into his career of lawlessness ; and denies having ever had the least intention of taking life, pointing out that he had numbers of opportunities of carrying out such an intention, if he had felt any desire to do so. He speaks in eulogistic terms of his comrades, attributing to them rather an excess of dashing bravery than the want of courage which was said to have been shown by them in his absence. Mrs. Kelly was allowed to remain with ber son for nearly half an hour, and was very reluctant to leave him, until she was promised that another opportunity of seeing him would shortly be afforded to her after he should have been restored to a better state of health.

THE KELLY GANG.—OUR ARTIST'S

SMALL SKETCHES WHILST AT GLENROWAN.

THE KELLY GANG.—THE CAPTURE OF NED KELLY.

NED KELLY, AFTER THE REMOVAL OF HIS ARMOUR.

NED KELLY IN ARMOUR.

KATE KELLY.

SUPERINTENDENT HARE.

AARON SHERRITT.

THE RECENT KELLY OUTRAGE.

THE FIGHT AT GLENROWAN.

THE APPEARANCE OF MRS. SKILLION.

DAN. KELLY AND HART IN THE BURNING HUT.

THE KELLY GANG.—FINDING BYRNE'S BODY.

THE KELLY GANG.—NED KELLY'S ARRIVAL IN MELBOURNE.