Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-11-16
The Career of an Outlaw.

The execution Of Kelly, the New South
Wales outlaw. occurred few days ago. Ned
Kelly, the leader of the gang, was not %
years of age, and was the oldest of four
desperadoes. The others were Dan Kelly,
brother of Edward, Steve Hart and Joe
Byrne. Up to October. 1873, they had con-
fined themselves to horse stealing. About
that time constable, sent to arrest Dan and
Mrs. Kelly, was shot at by one Of the sons
They then took TO the bush, where they
were joined by Hart and Byrne, and two
Government parties were detailed to search
their supposed haunts. One set Of officers,
under the charge of Sergeant Kennedy, was
surprised by the gang on October 26, 1878.
and brutalIy murdered. with the exception of
Constable Mcintyre, and a sentence of out
lawry was proclaimed against the band. On
December ., they re-appeared from their
Businesses at Euroa, held the town in terror
all day. and finished by robbing the local
bank.
They vanished for time and were sup
posed to have left the colony until the fol-
lowing February, when they crossed the Dor
der into New South Wales, robbed the bank
at JeriIderic, held drunken orgie and again
got away scatheless. Ten thousand dollars
each was now offered for their heads by the
Governments of the two colonies, whose
laws had been outraged, and the Queensland
authorities sent down to Melbourne a party
of black crackers, yet not trace of the out
laws was found until the night of June &c,
when they rode up to the door of Aaron
Sheriff., situated about seven miles from
/ BeechwOrth. and about one hundred and
eighty miles from Melbourne, induced him
to come out and shot him dead at sight.
There were at the time four constables in his
house. concealed for the purpose of arresting
these very criminals, and although tainted,
did not even venture to fire at them. Next
day news of the outrage was telegraphed to
Melbourne, and the police were ordered to
go by special train and endeavor to arrest the
perpetrators. The murderers rode some
! fifty miles during the night, stopped at the
town OF Glenrowen, took all the inhabitants
to the chief hotel and commenced a spree.
( The police on arriving at once made for the
hotel, where the outlaws had still some thirty
| prisoners and were drinking heavily. but on
hearing the police approach fred volley up
on them, shooting Inspector Hare through the
wrist. The officers of the law then formed a
Gordon around the house, keeping upa steady
| fire, which the outlaws returned until day.
light. In the gray dawn three Of the attack
! ing party, startled BY several shots fred in
their rear discerncd wha; seemed to be a
headless figure in white approaching through
| the timber. firing as it came Good marks
men fired at short range only to hear their
bullets give out metallic ring, and hen the
! figure, tapping his breast with his revolver,
made similar noise, it struck one of his
assaiants that he had on a suit of armor. and
| firing lower down caused the figure to totter
and fall. To rush upon, disarm and remove
what proved to be an iron helmet, shaped
| like the lower length of a s:ovepipe, was the
work of a moment. and the features of Ned
Kelly, the leader of the gang, were recognized
| by Sergeant Steele breastplate made out
of plowshares protected his chest and stom-
ach, except at the lower part, which was
shielded by smaller plate hinged on. The
shoulders were covered bv similar plates and
the back protected in a similar manner. The
helmet was hinged and had slit in front.
about an eighth of an inch wide, for visual
purposes. The armor weighed over one hun
bred pounds and had no less than twenty five
bullet marks. The leader had escaped the
! Gordon about an hour before and rode away,
thinking the other members of the gang
would follow. but finding they did not, he
returned to rescue or die with them. Kero-
senc was procured as evening approached,
and straw saturated with it being placed
against the building, it was soon in flames
| The flames disclosed the dead bodies of Dan
Kelly and Hart living side by side. as if they
had shot themselves or each other, finding
escape hopeless. When the flames were ex-
tinguished only the charred trunks of the
pair, neither of whom was twenty years old.
remained, and by their side were found two
suits of armor similar to that their leader
wore.