The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-27

they achieved wider and darker infamy by
a triple murder. On October 20, 1873, they
surprised four officers OF the Victorian POI
lice, who were encamped in the Bushworth
mountains, the range in which the horse
thieves bad their hding.place. Three OF
the officers were shot down in cold blood.
The fourth escaped into the bush, and car
ried to headquarters the report OF a CRIME
terrible beyond example In the an
nails Of the colony. The Government lost
no time in taking very active measures 10
root out the bushrangers. The muruerers
were outawed, and reward oil $1,000 was
offered for the body OF any member OF the
gang. dead or alive. a strong force OF po-
lice, assisted by volunteers, marched into
the Bushworth district and secured the
country far and near. But the Kellys were
not TO be found. or even heard OF. 1t was
as il they had vanished from the face OF the
earth. Tired OF the trackess search, the
volunteers returned home and the police
relaxed their vigilance. OF a sudden,
on the 10th OF December, the outlaws
were heard from again. They an
nounced their reappearance 10y rob
berry so astounding that even the
excitement which had followed the murder
OF the policemen six weeks before was
eclipsed by the new sensation. The gang
first captured the outlying homestead OF
Faithful's Creek and then used this station
as base, from which they operated against
the National Bank in the neighboring vii.
/ LACE OF Euroa. At FaithfulPs Creek they
| turned the homestead into what is known
| by the French police as "a m0use-trap."
All who approached the building were cap
tured. As the men employed about the sta
ton came to the house by twOs and threts
they were ordered to "baIl up"--that is,
THROW Up THEIR HANDS.
They were then marched off to the store
room, a strong, detached building, and
| confined under the guard OF one OF the
bushrangers. BY nightiali no fewer than
seventeen persons were shut up in the
mouse.trap, and by the next morning four
sportsmen from Melbourne were added to
the miscellaneous haul. December 11th,
after breakfast, the outlaws broke down the
telegraph line, and then three OF them
started for EurOa to carry on their project
against the bank, leaving their comrade
rs an armed sentry over the twenty
one disarmed prisoners at FaitbfulPs
Creek. The strange expedition was well
organized in its transport service. One OF
the bushrangers drove a pedler's 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 L. NJ, and, though the
office was closed to the public, managed TO
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 command
ed the manager and his two clerks to "bail
up" Then they opened the safe and took
out some 80, 800 in gold and $1,000 in bills.
Thus far, assuredly, they had shown con-
summate etirontery. But their perform.
ance still lacked its climax. Fearing that
the managers family would give the alarm.
the robbers actually determined to carry of
all the inmates Of the building. With men
Of their temper, TO resolve was TO do. The
two clerks, the manager his wife. her mo-
Their, seven children, and two female domes-
tics, were all compelled to get into the cart
or wagon. As the captyes oYercroWded
the conYeyances, the managers buggy was
taken from his stable.
THE PROCESSION
started for FaitbfulPs Creek. First came
the leader, Edward Kelly, driving the ped
Ier's wagon. The buggy followed, driven
by one OF the ladies'; then the cart, with
Daniel Kelly at the reins. Hart brought up
the rear on horseback. VIII it be believed
that the robbers and their prisoners actual
Iy passed in front OF the police office at
Euroa, and that the constable in charge
bowed TO the bank-manager, In the be-
lief that the expedition was family
party on a pleasure excursion! The rob-
bers returned to FaithfuIPs Creek unmO-
ested and after taking supper rode of
TO the mountains in the evening, hay-
ing first released one Of their prisoners on
the promise that the Others should not be
set free until the outlaws had gained fair
start. This exploit set the colony wild.
The reward for the apprehension OF Edward
Kelly was raised to $4,000. The police and
the volunteers returned to their search,
equipped for long service. The alarm was
so great that many OF the up.country banks
applied for parties OF soldiers TO defend their
vaults. But again the pursuit proved una
yailng. The Kellys, for the second time,
disappeared as II the ground had swallowed
them.
We cannot follow the gang through all
their exploits. The performance at Euroa
and Faithfulps Creek may be taken as sam
ple Of their work. We must hurry TO the
closing scene. On the 2Gth OF last June The
Kellys filed the measure OF their inlquity
by the murder OF a young man named
Aaron Sheriff, whom they decOyed from
his hut and shot down, in the BELIEF, which
would seem to have been well founded,
that he had given information OF their
whereabouts to the police. Then, learning
that
SPECIAL TRAIN
was coming from Melbourne with strong
party OF police and native truckers, organ
lied expressly for their capture. they deter
mined TO tear up the rails and wreck the
train. Accordingly, on Sunday morning,
June 9th, they came down to Glenrowan,
little township at the foot Of their home
range, Here they took possession OF the
Glenrowan Inn and established another
mouse.trap after the pattern OF the store
room at Faithfulps Creek. The station
master and the plate-layers OF the railroad
were captured, aud, in all, some seven
teen prisoners-men, women, and chill
dren-were confined in the inn. The
track was torn up, and the bush
rangers waited their victims. But the spe-
cial train escaped the snare. Superntend.
ent Hare had anticipated some movement OF
the kind, and had arranged TO have a pilot
engine run IN front OF the train. In addi-
ton, q faithful plate-layer risked his life by
running down the track to give warning.
The train was stopped. the police scrambled
out, and In moment the bushrangers at
the inn found their ambush surrounded by
an overwhelming force, and all chance OF
escape cut OF. Then the fight began. The