THE CAPTURE AND DEATH OF THE KRLLY GANG.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 14 July 1880, Page 2

THE CAPTURE AND DEATH OF THE KRLLY GANG.

«■ The following are tlie particulars of the capture and death of the memheis of the 1 Kelly pang taken from the .Melbourne papers brought by the Tnrarua : — Telegraphing on June 27tb, tlio Beechworth correspondent of the Melbourne j Argus says : — ' The town was thrown into ! a state of consternation to«day upon the arrival of a constable from Sebnstopol, a plnce about halfway letween Seeclis worth and El Dorado, with the report 1 that a man named Anron Slicrntt hud been shot dead at Sebastnpol on the previous night the perpetrators of Hip . fou] deed being the Kel v gun,'.' 'Foik 1 constables occupied his hut on the eight in question for t!-e purpose of • observing the place where it was thought ! the gang might at any moment call. About 6 o'clock.Tp.m. they" heard tho back door open, when a German liamp' l Anthony Weeks, who had been made • use of by the gang for the purpose, called Sherntt, and asked to be RUtiied on the road home. Upon Sherritt showing himself he was shot in the face twice by some person, supposed to be Joseph Byrne. There were in the hut at the time four policemen, Mrs Marry and daughter, the deceased, and his wile. A third shot was fired at Sherritt from the front door, when he fell, and died. The night was very dark, and as a bright fire was burning inside, the police were placed at a verj great disadvantage. Sherritt fell inside. and the doors were closed and several shots fired through them, and other parts of the building, at the police but without effect. An attempt was made to fire the building by the outlaws, who remained near the hut for some hours. Sherritt was 24 years of age, and noted us a runner and jumper. Prior to the KeUy ont break he was on very friendly terms with the gang, but recently placed himself in communication- wiih : ihe police, and fo«* mouths luvl been L emp'oyed by them The gang knew , that he was keeping the police posted 5 up, and gave out weeks ago that they intended to take Jiß life ' The Age gives tie following account of [ the capture of the outlaws : — lmraedian i tely on receirt of the news by Captain >' Standish on Sunday night that theKellys had broken cover and committed another diaho'ieal outrage near J3eechworth, he ordered a special train to start. When the train reached within a mile of Glenrowan, a man stopped it with the information that the Kellvs had stuck up the town and lifted the rails in front in order to destroy the party. But for this warning the train would have been lrarled into a deep gully. On arriving at the stas tion Hare, with one or two men pro* ceeded to the Gtanrowan Hotel. In an instant the men on the platform were convinced by the report of a shot fired from Jones' Hotel that they were in the presence of the outlaws. The black trackers sprang forward with their leader nnd soon look up a position in front of the house. Superintendent Hare walked '■oldly towards tho Hotel, and when within about 25 yards of the verandah !he figure of a man came round the corner nnd firi'd. The shot took effect in MiHare's wrist. Senior-constable K>lly and Mr .Rawlings were close by, and the former promptly returned the fire, which was taken up by Hare., although Wounded. Just before Superintendent Hire was wounded, Constable Bracken, a locsl policeman, who had been mode prison t in the hotel, courageously escaped, and. riinji'-nj: tow;xr is the station quickly spread the information thut tho Kellys, with shout 40 prisoners, wer>e inmates. The hotel wa* a we:ither''Oatd building, containing about six rooms, in* elusive of the bar. Behind the building was a kitchen, the walls of which vrere constructed of slabs. Into this the police fired. When abou' 60 shots had been fired into the building, Super- ' intendent Hare gave the order to stoo firing. This was repeated by Scniorconsta'.je Kelly to the men who under cover were ?u rounding the house at the bark, but the E>lijs fired three or four more shots, alter which one gave pent to coarse, brutal languace, calling to the po'ieo, ' Come on, you -— wretches. You can fire away, yon can never harm us.' Struggling shots were fived. Hare then left for Benalla. A long interval followed, dining which Mr Stainstreet, the station master, suddenly lei't the hole 1 , where he had been kept prisoner with other residents of Glen rowan/.. i1l walked boldly -away, and r. arrow!? 'escaped being shot by fh<. police, but saved himsplf by proclaims" jng iliat he was Ihe stationmaster. He

reported the gang io ■!"' still in thr house, and (hat the shots of the polic had struck the da»ttl»ier uf s Jou<Sl a Rifl 14 years of fIS«S on the head ; while the son, John Jones pine year? old, was vroundfd in the l»ip- Sf ' on nfler, painful hysterical screams were heard from Mrs Jon-s an 1 Mis K»-ar-clon, both of whom were diking about, disregarding the danger from tlwvolleys wh'rh the police at short Wter* va's "poured into the hale!. Mrs Jones srriof occasionally took the form of vmdictireness towards the polic?. whom she called murderers. Tho police frequently called upon the women to come uwuy, but they lieaiLa'eil, and Mrs Eearden and hor son wire fri-hteued to accompany Mr Eearden to the station. Now the firing of the poli.-cliecamorfiry brisk and wasrpplicd to by the desperadoes in the Ivtel. Constable K.-Uy this junetare found a riQ^ stained with blood onthe side of ihe h.il «.nJ this led to the opposition that one of the gang hod been .rounded and h«d esonped through tlir forest towards M-i-;m's L"ok-out. Just then nine police and .Superintendent Suds ler and Dr Hutchison came horn Benella and almost imniodial.ely after seven policemen, under Sergenut Stcelo arrived from Wangnrntta. Jusr- before their arrival n liravy volley was poured into the hotel by die police. According to a statement afterwards made, tint volley killed Joe Byrne, who was drinking whiskey at the bar, when he was shot in the groin. Ke n-as carried towards the bade of the building, where he gradually sank and died a painfal death. Next morning the police were disposed till round the hotel, when they were beset by danger from the rear. Ned Kelly was the Cfinse. It appears he was the man who shot Mare and he himself was wounded in the arm. He could not without danger got into the hotel, so he sprang u;-on a horse and during the excitement which followed got away towards Morgans Lookout ; but ho re* turned to fight his way to his mates. It was nearly ei^ht fi'cliu'k wh^n his laM figure was seen close behind the line of police. At first it wns tho'iuhMlvt he was a black fellow. He carried a grey coat over his arm, and walkod eooly and slowly among iho police, his hand, ohes 1 b'ck and sides all protected with heavy plates of qu-ir: ei— ineli iron. When within easy distance of Constable Ifelly, who Vas watching him, he fired. Th« police then knew who lie was and three shots cvere fired at him. The contest then bes. cime one which from its remarkable nature almost baffles description. Nine police joined in the conflict ; and fked point blank at Keliy ; but although it was apparent that many of the shots hit him, in consequence of the w»y in which he staggered, jet he always recovered himself, and tapping his breast he laughed in derision at his opponents, as he cooly returned the (ire, fijitimf only with a re\ r olyer. For half an hour this stran^R conrpar, wns carrier] on, n.nrl then . SprgrnDfc Ptep'e r pilhclosed in on him, and' when within only about 10 \a>'r!sof Imn he fiivd two shol.a int-'O his le2;s, nnd this brought the outlaw down. He \v is only wounded, and nrM>t-ar«d still determined to carry on the desperate corjfliet; bul; Steel'e brnvfily ru^liod bim, and seized the band in which Kelly held his revolver, the orly wetipon with which he wns armed. He ffred one shot after this, but without effect. When on the ground he roared with savage ferofity, cursing the police vehemently. He wasstr'p* ped of his armour, and then became quite submissive, after whiob he was borne to the railway station very weak, and some brandy was given him He made a statement in a defiant manner, defcrbinsr how Ihe plans of the gang had upsei him and miscarried. He said the armour was a perfect pros rection. tbe bully's striking like a blow from a man's fist. Supposing himself to be mortally wounded, he confessed to Father Gibney 1 1? everting to thb hoe] siege, at various times during the morning more police arrived, but ihe bushrangers could not. be dislodged, nnd, what was more perplexing still, the prisoners inside c-uhl not be persuaded to leave, nil hough the police repeatedly called upon them f o come out. At 12 o'clock, however, about SO men find you'hs rushed out of the front floor, carrying their hr.nda aloft. The police told them to iidvanc-rownrds where they were located. M;>uy of the unfortunate people were so terror striken that they ran hither nnd thither, screaming for mprey. 'i be police kept up a constant fire till noon but tbe bushrangers ceased to return it after I. The cannon telegraphed for from Melbourne did not arrive in time, so the police determined to fire the hotel. At this moment Mrs Skiligen. sister of tbe Kellys, appeared on the scene. Father Gibney earn stly requestpd her to so to the hotel and request her brother and Hart to surrender. She said she would like to see her brother before be died, but that she would sooner see bim burnt in the house tbau ask him to eu'.'i'etvder. This was, in fact, tbe procedure tbe police decided on in order to brir.g the outlaws from their cover. Some 200 persons by this time had arrived on the platform Th?n the police rpened up a heavy fire on the hotel from tbe front and rear. This wnss 1 done in order the c ; e ratio.!

of f'oMsfahlo Johnson, who rapidly appi(>.ic'Hcl the house on the north side with a bundle of straw, which he placod agi'insfc tbe weatherboards and ignited. It was known that Martin -berry, (lie old man, was still i n the house, and when the last p isoner left he was alive, (hough badly wounded. The 1 bought that the unfortunate m n should be sacrificed and perish in the fl-imes with the deternvnc?d bushrangers who had made so long a. sfand caused a feeling of horror to pervad.the crowd- Kate Kelly came upon the scene, exclaiming "My poor poor, brothers!" Mis Philigin exclaimed. ' 1 will see my brother before he dies,' and then sped towards the hotel, from the roof of which tongues of flune were beginning to ascend. Ihe police ordered her back, and she hesitated. FaHier Gibney emjrged from the cmvrd, saying 'he would save Sherry.' He walked boldly to the front door, and was lost to view amongst the smoke and a moment afterwards a mass of fl mes burst; from tbe walls and roof, At the s - me ir> stant a shout of terror from the crowd announced their fear.-* for the safety of the courageous priest. Constable Armstrong, with some other police, rushed in:o the building and in a few seconds they emerged with Fmher G'-buey, carrying with them Sherry, who was i;i a dvin« state, and the dead body of the outlaw Byrne. Sherry soon died. They stated that D;iu Keliy and ITarfc were lying on the floor apparently dead, bnfc notlrcg could he done to rescue them. Soon after the binding was completely demolished, and on search being made two charred skeletons were mked out from the smouldering debris'.