The Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express at KellyGang 9/11/1878
THE POLICE MURDERS
From the Melbourne papers we furnish our readers with the following items of news. The excitement has in no way abated, and all information refer- ring to the outlaws is eagerly sought for and the papers read out to small groups of anxious llisteners upon the arrival of the mail at Alexandra:-
BENALLA, Tuesday
A special party of men who have. been in reserve for several days have just been ordered up the line. It is the impression of the police that the Kellys are still in the ranges north- east of this place. It has been ascertained that they have endeavoured to pass themselves off as police, with the assistance of the handcuffs and revolvers they got at the Wombat, but their youth and looks ought to be against them.
One of Strahan's party arrived from Mansfield to-day. They worked the ranges from the Wombat to the head of the west branch of the King, going along the top of the range. They were out for four days and had a good deal of wet weather, but Saturday was fine, and they got an extensive view of the valley of the King from the high ground. The tracks seen were not recent, and doubtless were left by horsemen connected with stations beyond Mansfield. On one night they stopped at an old hut on the Wombat range. They crossed the blazed track from Mansfield to Glenmore, but did not descend to Quinn's old haunts. News was circulated in Benalla yesterday to the effect that the Kellys had stuck up a store on the King River between Glenmore and Whitfield. The statement was found to be correct, but the occurrence took place three weeks ago. The owner of the store tried to shut Kelly out, but at night the marauder forced a road in, and told him that if he ever barricaded his doors in that way again he would be shot. The man was so frightened at the threats he heard that he made no complaint to the police, and his relatives only mentioned the matter privately in the course of a visit to Benalla yesterday, so for his sake the name of the locality must be withheld. This will show how effectively the scattered settlements have been held in terror. To show how extensive the Kelly connexion is it may be mentioned that scarcely a day passes that we do not hear that some relative has been in Benalla.
Isaiah Wright was brought up at Mansfield to-day and discharged, the police not pressing their complaint against him.
WANGARATTA, Tuesday
The account which has been obtained from Mr Nicolson shows that none of the supposed Kelly party are wounded and that satisfactory item in past reports must be given up. Margery is a selector near the Murray. On his way backwards and forwards to the river last Tuesday he saw four men near a lagoon. He had some talk with them. They said at first they were police, and afterwards one of them stated that he was Kelly. They showed handcuffs, and he saw that they carried firearms in their swags as many shearers do. He had a long talk with them, and they got some loaves of bread and a bottle of wine from him, but made no demand for provisions, and did not stick him up. He told them that if they were the Kellys they had better clear out, as that was no place for them. They stayed some time at the lagoon, and kept him there also. Before he went up to them he had seen them on his way to the river, where he had set some fishing lines, and he passed once or twice before he had the curiosity to see who they were. The police ascertained that Margery had been drinking, but in their inquiries in the neighbourhood they found that other persons had seen the same party. This occurred on the Tuesday. and it was not until Friday night that Mr Nicolson arrived from Benalla.
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