Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-10-15
A GANG OF BUSHRANGERs.
Capture OF "A Party OF Notorious Aus
trniian Bandits---A Chapter OF En-
citing scenes. Resembling the End
OF the Mortified KObber Raiders.

'Al last the colony OF NlctOfla mas
been freed from n cloud had almost
written disgrace-which has been
hanging over il for how nearly two
years. I'm October, 1879, the bush
rangers known throughout Australia Al
the Kelly gang, began the career 81
crime which has ended 1T last in a
7 most dramatic manner. So long had
the Kelly band defed the utmost ef.
forts Of the Victorian police, aided by
| black crackers from Queensland, that
many people thought they had left
Australia, and had escaped either to
California or South America. Yester-
day evening, however, news was tele-
grnphed down to Melbourne which
proved conclusivcly that the tive
kcllys, Ned and Dan, with their as.
situnt outlaws, Hart and Byrnc, were
Still in the colony. a man named
Sheriff, who il connected with the
KclIys by marriage, and who was for a
long time what is here called 4 Kelly
sympnthyzer-m other words one oi
their nccomplices had lattcrly turned
traitor and had been giving informa-
ton 10 the police rs 10 the outlaws
movements, doubtless with il view To
sharing ii the $4,000 reward offered
by the government for their capture.
The kclIys suddenly appeared be-
fore Il lonely hut III the bush near
Glenrowan, where Sheriff WAS hiding
in company with fourpolicemen. They
caught 4 German, and compelled him,
with a revolver at his head, to ask
L E.. 40 Il t..lI
him the way, Ms he, the Ger
man. was 'bushed THAT Il, had
lost hs road. Recognizing the Ger
mans voice Sheriff came out Of the
hut, and the instant he did 50 waA Shot
down bv joe Ryan, one pf the outlaws,
The bushrangers having killed their
betrnycr retrcatGd to the bush into the
dark and fired into the hut, calling on
the police to surrender, This the
troopers steadily refused to do, MI
though unable 60 return the kellY's fire
etlcctnally in tho dark, and themselves
being much exposed, rs there was II
bright fire burning III the hut. When
morning came the outlaws retreatcd
and the police were able to telegraph
10 Melbourne what had occurred. A
special train WAS ut once sent with re-
cnforcmcnts ofpolice III 70 Glenrowan
Knowing the desperate character Of
the gang il occurred to the police to
send OH Il pilot engine in front Of their
train, and it was lucky they did, us
they nearcd Glcnrowan The driver dis
covered, in time to bring up, that tho
rails had been torn mp. During the
delay which occurred i trooper came
galloping up to say that the kellys had
hailed up II hotel three miles OIL had
driven half the township into it, and
would lac oil il not pursued ut once
Tho police instantly started IN pursuit,
and arrived ia front Of the hotel just as
Ned Kelly, the chief Of the gang was
making of into the bush.
"a hot fight cnsued, in which the
police and Il man named Dowsett, II rail
way guard took part. Kelly wore his
extempori1ed armor, made of plough
shares, on his breast; and is said also "
helmet and thin wire mask on his face
At last III was brought down hy two
shots ono striking him !" .i,e alIpmrn
md lie otncf IN the groin. The in
slant he fell the police rushed in and
secured him, and he isnow ON the road
TO Melbourne Jail under strong guard.
II is not thought he will survive. The
police then attacked the hotel At
FIRST they were only to sur
round ii, because there we're
some thirty innocent people in
the house. Aiter time these man
aged TO escape, and then the police
opened i heavy fire II is said hut
for the sake Of humanity hope il can
not hc true thnt the three bushrangcrs
kept back two little children in the
hotel, holding them up at the windows
and firing from behind them, Ono
child is said to have been shot dead
and the other badly wounded. But |
can net believe this until hear il from
mn actual eyewitness. A constant
firing was maintained ON both sides for
hours and the police do not seem "a
have been hit, though nj unlueky
newspaper reporter, named Rawlns,
is stated 10 have been wounded.
Tho first hushranger to fall WAS Joe
| BrNne, the ono who, us | have said,
murdered sheriff the night before.
Steve Hart aud Dan Kelly, the two
survivors, still fought ON, answering all
calls TO surrender With oaths and jeers.
| \ field piece was on its way from Mel
bourne III order, il necessary, to batter
the house down But before il arrived
the police on tho spot took other
measures. For half IN hour no shot
had heen fired from the house, and il
denth-llke silence prevailed Unwilling
- risk valuable lives against those oi
men already food Cor the galloWs, the
officer IN charge Of the police deter
mined "a tire the house, and 50 Is conn
pei those IN il ifsHll alive either e.
burn OF surrender. 50 il heavy fire
was opened al thu front of the house
while i trooper crept round and fired
il from the back. soon I'LL Was iii il
hla1e, hut still NJ one appeared ont.
side thu flaming building. II This
junoture. Kate Kelly, tho outlaw
sister. and their married sister, Mrs.
Seaman, appeared on the scene, NJ.
eommnird hy Roman Catholic
priest. The good father hrnely vol
'luntaored t. enter the burning house
hnd seeif the outlaws still survived. lie
Y AaI1 halb Isyrp.. n1,I Hart Head riij