Sydney Morning Herald (42)

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The report says that when he first showed at the rear of the police, surrounding the house, they thought he was a blackfellow, and walked coolly and slowly among the police. When within easy distance of senior-constable Kelly, who was watching him, he fired. The police then knew who he was and sergeant Steele, senior-constable Kelly, with Mr Dowsett (a railway guard), fired on the ruffian. The contest became one which was surprising. The police fired point blank at Kelly; but although it was apparent that many of the shots hit him in consequence of the way in which he staggered, yet he always recovered, and tapping his breast, laughed derisively as he coolly returned the fire, fighting only with a revolver. For half-an-hour this contest was carried on, and then sergeant Steele closed in on him, and when within ten yards fired two shots into his legs, and this brought the outlaw down. He was only wounded, and appeared still determined to carry on the desperate conflict, but Steele rushed him, and seized the hand in which Kelly held his revolver, the only weapon with which he was armed. He fired another shot after that. When on the ground he roared with savage ferocity, cursing the police. Kelly was then overhauled, and it was found that he had improvised armour for head, chest, and arms, out of stolen plougshares from neighbouring farmers, manufactured, as is supposed, by confederate blacksmiths in their neighbourhood.

The attack on the Glenrowan Hotel was still proceeding. That house was a weatherboard building, having six rooms, with brick chimneys, and a kitchen behind of slabs. The point the police wanted to know was whether they could attack by burning the house down? They telegraphed to Captain Standish, the head of the Victorian police, asking whether they could fire the building? The reply was that they could, if all persons, other than the gang, were out of it. It appears that when this answer come such was not the case. On the receipt of this, sergeant Johnstone, under a final covering police volley, approached the house with a large bundle of straw, which he placed against the walls, ignited it, and retired safely. At first it was thought this firing had failed, but very soon it was seen that it had been effective, for the inside lining being of calico, the flames soon found an entrance, and very soon smoke first and flames afterwards governed the Glenrowan Hotel in mastery. Just then a Roman Catholic priest, Father Gibney who, travelling on the line, had remained at Glenrowan to witness the encounter, rushed into the house, and was the means of bringing out a man named Cherry in a dying state, and the body of Byrne—Dan. Kelly and Hart being dead and their bodies almost consumed.

Ned Kelly was found to be wounded in several places, but not fatally, his armour completely protecting vital parts. The rest of the gang also wore breast armour. Byrne was shot in the abdomen ; and it is not known whether Dan Kelly and Hart were shot by the police, or, finding escape impossible, shot themselves, their charred remains only being found. Kelly, the leader, was forwarded to Melbourne, and is recovering fast from his wounds. It took fifty policemen to capture—if capture it may be called—the outlaws, and their proeeedings in firing into the house when some twenty men, women, and   children were imprisoned there, and finally setting fire to it when it was not positively known whether there was any innocent person within the building, has been severely commented on by the entire Press of the colonies. Cherry, a platelayer, died on the spot; the son of Mrs. Jones died shortly after.

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