THE kEALLY GANG.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, 2 August 1880, Page 2

THE kEALLY GANG.

THE Fa^T YeAß's PboGEEDINGM. (From Ballarat Courier, July 3.) Assistant-Commissioner Nicolson, who had charge of the police in the North* eastern district from May, 1879, up (o the beginning of June, 1830, has stated hat never a month passed without his receiving authentic information of movements of the outlaws, Sueb was the terrorism, however, that tue latter caused, and such their cunning, that in most instances the information received by the police came too late to be of any us*. It will be remembered that very soon after Mr Nicolson took charge of affairs the permanent garrison men were withdrawn from the district, and the police force (here was considerably reduced the number of constables left there being sixty. With this reduced force Mr Nicolson improvised a new system of operations, which new system was continued after his removal to another district, and until the destruction of the gang. Previously to the introdaction of the new plan the course adopted was to send large bodies ! of police— numbering perhaps a dozen, with fifteen horses — out info the distric 1 to look for the Kellys. These troops would have no idea when they started where or in what direction the Kellys were, and would have no such idea when they lcfurned to the point of departure. They attracted much attention, cost a lot money, were sufficiently numerous to feel tolerably secure and in fine weather enjoyed themselves immensely. The leading feature of the new system was the dispersal of the force in small parties of four men, or fewer, stationed in places likely to be attacked or haunted by the gang. Tbese men were not in uniform, and it is, bye the bye, a singular fact that policemen in uniform were often able to pick more information than those in plain clothes. In what is known aa the Kelly country, a stranger is, because he is a stranger, and no matter how he is dressed, an ol ject of suspicion to such persons as the Kellys and their friei d--, and they hive hem so much on tbe alert that no one would have thought to have dreamt of sending a constable in uniform to obtain particulars regarding them. Knowing this, men in uniform, when oster* sibly engaged in performing ordinary routine duties, have often been able. simply because they were not suspected of having any other designs to obtain genuine information as to the proceedings of the gnng. The small parties of police scattered through the country received instructions to act on their own responsibility, and sometimes had to conceal themselves for weeks when watching a place. Prior to the withdrawal of the black trackers. Mr Nicolson found them so useful that he reported, about throe weeks ago, that if they were taken a way the gang would be most likely to c mmit another outbreak. The black trackers not only frightened the Kellys, but caused them much inconvenience and hard wnrk. For instance, it is. well known that bushmen of the Kelly type object to walking much, and always ride on horse* hack if they get a chance. The presence of the Queensland aborigines in the dis>» trict tfien compelled the gang to walk, in order to avoid giving the aborigines a i chance of following horses' tracks, where they would otherwise have ridden. Some time people used to wond»r how the bushrangers when mounted, could cross the railway line or bridges without being seen. It was ultimately ascertained that the plan they adopted was to ride up to the railway fence, say, and then dismount, hand over their horses to sympathisers, and cross the line on foot. The sympathisers would ride the horses boldly through the nearest level crossing, and no one would suspect that the animals were those of the gang, the members of which would receive tack (heir horses at some spot agreed upon. During the past few months traces of the gang were often discovered by the Mack trackers. Sometimes the trace would be the marks where bridles had been hung round a tree, and sometimes a gunyah. If a track whs new, and had not been crossed and recrossed, the blacks could follow it with unerring certainty ; and their astuteness in that direction astounded and terrified Ned Kelly, than whom there are fpw belter white bushmen. Although the bushrangers were in the district, they were seen by compnras tively few of their friends. There were various signals by which the gang com-, municated with their friends. Sometimes a stone placed in' a peculiar position would be the signal, and sometimes «n eccentric horse-track. Thus, one of the gang would ride in a ciicle near a sympathiser's hut, and then jump a fence, and again ride circuitously, and finally strike off in the direction where the outlaws were hid. The sympathiser, on seeing the track, would carry provisions in (he direction indicated. When carrying provisions for the gang, t.lie sympathisers would adopt all sorts Hf devices to avoid discovery. Occasionally they would pretend to be drunk, and miike night hideous with their cries.; Hearing the wild fellows abont:, honest' residents of the district would retire into their homes; but the gang would also Lear them, and answer with a peculiar signal. All of a sudden, when time and place suited, a member of the gang would appear, take the provisions, and hurry out of sight in a moment. The precautions

devised by Ned Kelly were so elaborate •hit some very experienced police ■ fficers doubt whether one of the gang could have betrayed the others into the hands of the police. When they ex« tinguished iheir fires they would rerco-.e the ashes ami scatter them far and wide, and cover orer the black spot with earth. But their fires were always small, like those made by wild aborioinas. A.s an indication of the caution with which tbe gang worked, it may be mentioned that they used to draw up and reduce into writing elaborate details of their proposed plan of operations prior to making a raid It is known that the arrangements to be followed, both in the Jerilclerie and Euroa affairs, were fully made beforehand and committed to paper, the object in doing so bring to assist the memory. The de» censed Joe Byrne, wlio was ihe best scholar in the gang, and who, whpn a boy, distinguished himself at school for his ability, was the secretary. For some months past the police havebeen gradually closing up sources ttuough which food was conveyed to the buslnangers. and the latter were suffering from an insufficiency of food. Dan Kelly and Byrne, in particular, presented of late a very emaciateJ appearance.