Ovens and Murray Advertiser at KellyGang 24/7/1880 (11)

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Full text of the article

(see previous)

“I have the honour to be, sir your most obedient servant.

“I think, also, that the thanks of the Government are due to Mr Rawlins, who ably assisted me throughout the firing. He had previously offered me the benefit of his knowledge and experience of that part of the country. He ran considerable risk in serving out the ammunition to the police, and I feel very grateful to him for his personal services to me.

“Since writing the above I have seen a statement made by Mr O’Connor to the press, and after reading it I can have no doubt his statement is perfectly correct, but in my report I have merely stated facts that are within my remembrance, and no doubt in the darkness of the morning, and the excitement of the time, I may have omitted many incidents that occurred.

“When I took charge of the district from the 2nd June last, as far as I was able to ascertain, no more was known of the outlaws or their movements than when I left Benalla 12 months ago. The statements that have appeared in the public press for some weeks past, to the effect that the outlaws were surrounded by a cordon of police and their agents, had not the slightest foundation. I do not take any special credit to myself and men in being able to surround them in Jones’s hotel on 28th June. The chance occurred. We took advantage of it, and success attended us. You may recollect that at my interview with the Chief Secretary I objected to having a large party of trackers kept at Benalla, and as Mr O’Connor objected to divide his men, I suggested that some native trackers should be provided from Queensland for our own force. I said also it was a general belief that the outlaws were afraid to show out because of the trackers, and my in opinion, if such was the case, the sooner Mr O’Connor and his men were removed the better, because, should the gang make a raid, there would be a probability of capturing them, but as long as they remained in the mountains we had little chance of finding them. Mr Ramsay agreed with me in this opinion. I frequently expressed the same opinion to you in the last few months.The trackers were removed on the 25th June. The outlaws believing they had left for Queensland, showed out on the 26th.On the 28th the gang was destroyed, and its leader captured.

Francis Hare,

“Superintendent of Police.

“The Chief Commissioner of Police.”

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SUPERINTENDENT SADLEIR’S REPORT

see earlier copy in Royal Commission and Argus 20/7/80

“Police Department,

“Superintendent?

“Benalla, July 1st, 1880.

“Sir,—I have the honour to furnish the following report for your information of such of the proceedings of the 28th ult., in relation to the capture of the Kelly gang, as occurred whilst I was in command of the party of police carrying on the attack:—

“I was first made aware of the encounter with the gang by Superintendent Hare’s return, at about 4 a.m.; and after exchanging a few words with him as to the position of affairs, proceeded to Glenrowan by train, accompanied by the whole of the reserve on the Benalla station.

“Immediately on reaching Glenrowan, and on dispersing to take up the best positions we could find around the building, numerous shots were fired from the direction of the house, striking the ground and fences close to us. After finding Mr O’Connor and learning what I could from him of the positions of the men, I made myself assured that the buildings were surrounded by the police, and in this I was greatly assisted by Constable Dwyer, 2507, who was always willing to run the gauntlet under fire from one post to another.

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