Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-08-27
THE EVENING STAR.
p, I>SG.
The Kelly Gang.
TIE ExTIEPATIoN OF A RAND or ,rS-p,,,,x

TIE EXTIRPATIoN OF A BAND or ,rsrR,r,,x
BCSHRANGERs
Some eight weeks back the csh,e ra,o-,os
that the police or Victoria had festroysi tho
Kelly gang OF bushrangers For neeTlv 80 80
years ihis 81, mite band OF outlaws, though NUM-
Scourge 10 the colonial authorities. The bash
rangers captured stations, and robbed HANKS
and hMrled the country at their own wild will
They avoided CT shattered every snare that was
set for them. They baIlied the utmost energy
and ingenuity OF their pursuers. The Kellyis
were Gesperadoes OF unique pattern. AS ban
dts. they took in Australia the position which
the Benders hold as murderers, in this country.
Meme but themselves could te their parallel
and tEeir end matched their career. Three OF
the outlaws died, as Macbeth craved 10 fail,
with harness on their backs. The fourth. the
eader OF the gang. was made prisoner; but not
III SIX wounds had brought him down. Nor
even then; by surrender, Tor be fought while
lylGg on the ground. and was oyeTp0wered In
oitse grapple. The story of the band is well
worth telling. II shows that in robbery. as in
war. lnconceivable audacity is often the key TO
unimaginable success.
The gang or bushraDcers was COMPOSED OF
t"0 kehy brothers. Edward and Daniel an
Two otler men named Hart and ByEne. Ed
ware heNy was the leader or the band. To
Gtaftet had long been known as horse steaiers
ueICfe tncy achieved wider and darker infamy
bA a ulple murder. On october PC. ISIS they
SntplEta four officers OF the Victorian polict',
VINO were encamped in the Bushworth noun
tils s, Tue range III which the horse thieves had
lntlr hiding place. Three OF the Officers were
snot Down in cold blood. The fourth escapf d
Into tie bush, and carried TO Headquarters IN
ltlUit or crime terrible beyond example IN
me annals Of the colony. Tue government los
no nIne ID taxing very active measures to roo
Uutlawed, ana reward OF s., SEQ was ofrere
IoT The body or any member OF tn
gag: dead or alive \ strong force of
lolice, assisted by volunteers marched into the
Bushworth district and secured the country
lar and near. But the kellys were not 10 ba
louiG or even heard CT. 1t was as If they had
VANISHED from the face OF the earth. Tired OF
the trackless search, the volunteers returned
nome. ard the police relaxed their vigilance
or suGden. On the 10Th OF December the out
avs avs were heard frotn again. They Announced
liielf r6appeafahce by robbery so astounding
tbat even the excitement which had followed
the murder OF the policemen six weeks before
vas ecnpsed by the new sensation. The gang
tIs Cap me outlying homestead of Faith
IulIs Creek, and then used this station as base
IRON which they operated against the national
rank III the neighboring village OF Euroa. AT
talthfulls Greek they turned the homestead
INTO what Is known by the French police as "a
mouse trap All who approached the building
were captured. AS the men employed about
NE station came 10 the house by twoS or threes
'hey were ordered to bail up;' that is,
TO THROW Up THEIR HANDS.
ihey were then marched of TO the store room
strong, detached building and confined under
The guard Of one OF the bushranger5. By night
TAU no fewer than /, persons were shut uD IN
the mouse trap, and, by the next morning four
spoitsmen from Melbourne were added to the
miscellaneous haul Dee. 18th, after breakfast
the outlaws broke down the telegraph line and
then three OF them started for Euroa to carry
Oh their project against the bank, leaving their
cOIhF3Ge as an armed sentry over the u dis
armed prisoners at Faithfulls Greek. The
strange expedition was well organized In its
transport service. One OF the buShrangers
drove q pedlers wagon. Another drove cart
taken from the stables OF the station. The third
outlaw did patrol duty on horseback. The
party arrived at the bank about 4p.m and
though the Office was closed to the public, man
a9ed 90 secure admission by pretending that
they wished TO make deposit. As soon as they
were inside, the buShrangerS closed the door
drew their revolverS, and commanded the
manager and his TWO clerks to ''bail up Then
lhey opened the safe and took out some 81 500
ID gold and $4,000 in bills. Thus far, assuredly
they had shown consummate effrontery. But
their performance still lacked Its climax. Fear
Ing that the managers family would give the
alarm, the robbers actually determined TO carry
OH al The inmates OF the building. With men
OF their temper to resolve was TO do. The two
clerks, tue manager bis wife, her mother,
seven children and two female domestics were
all compelled to get into the cart aud wagon.
AS the captiVes overcrowded the conveyan es.
the managers buggy was taken from his
Creek. First came the leader, Edward Kelly,
driving the pedler'S wagon. The buggy fol-
lowed, driven by one of the ladies; then the cart
with Dan1 Kelly at the reins Hart brought up
the rear on horseback. VIII it be believed that
the rebels and their prisoners actually passed
10 'front.' OF the police Office at Euroa. and that
H.
ager, in the belief that the expedition was
1aLniy party On a pleasure excursion? The rob-
tels returned 10 FaithfulrS Creek unmoiested,
and after taking supper, rode OFF to the m oun-
tans In the evening, having first released one Of
Their prisoners on the promise that the others
should not be set free until the outlaws had
gained 2 fair start. This exploit set the colony
Wild. The reward for the apprehension of Ed
ward Kelly was raised to S.. 600 The police and
tie volunteers returned TO their search, equip
iled for lorg service The alarm was so great
that many OF the up-cOuutry banks applied for
Parties OF soldiers to defend their vaults. But
sgaintheI ursuit proved unayaililg. Thekellys,
or the second une disappeared as II the ground
had swallowed them.
We cannot fellow the gang through all their
tkpoltS. The performance at Euroa and Faith
fulls Creek may be taken as sample OF their
work. We must hurry 70 the closing scene. on
The Goth Of last June the KellyS filed the meas
ure OF their intquity by the murder OF yoang
man named Aaron Sheriff whom they decoyed
nom his hut and shot down, In the belief, which
had given Information OF their Whereabouts to
the police. Then, learning that a special train
was coming from Melbourne with a strong
party OF police and native truckers organized
expressly Tor their capture they determined to
tear UP the rails and wreck the train. Accord
lhgly, on sunday morning, June 81 they came
gown GOV l. 70 GlenroWan, little township at the
Ioot CT thelr nome range. Here they took
POSSESSION OF THE GLESRowAN INN
ana established another mouse trap after the
pattern or the Storeroom at FaithfullS Creek
Ii!e ototioi iuaSlSr ana Une plaCe-layerS OF the
railroad were captured, and, Ia all, some seven
teen pr1s0nerS-men, women and children
were confined In the inn. The track was torn
up, ana the DuShrangerS awaited their victims.
But the special train escaped the snare. Supt
Hare had anticipated some movement of the
kind, and had arranged to have pilot engine
run In front OF the train. In addition, faith
fut plate-layer risked his Life by running down
the track to give warning. The train was
stopped the police scrambled out, and 10 a
moment The bushrangerS at the inn found their
ambush surrounded by an overwhelming force
and al chance OF escape cut OF. Then the fight
began. The first shot Tired by the bushrangerS
disabled Supt. Hare, the leader of the police
He remained at his post for time,
but loss OF blood soon obliged him to
retire. His place, however, was efficiently
filled by the subinSpector, OConnor. The
fighting continued for several hours but at day
break strong reinforcementS OF police came up,
and, AFTER time. the fire from the hotel was
silelced. Suddenly the police found themselves
attacked in the rear by mysterious man, who
was dressed in long gray overcoat and wore
mask OF iron. He walked coolly from tree to
tree. ana received the fire CT the police with
Indifference Three Of the besiegers Sergeant
Steele and two Others turned their attention
to this new asSailant. They fired at him per-
sistently but, TO their surprise, without effect.
He appeared bullet proof. By happy thought
the sergeant called out to aim at the man legs
and the second bullet brought the outlaw to the
ground. He still fought like wild beast
brought to bay" But the police threw them
selves upon him and secured him. It was
hat Inn