The Argus at KellyGang 13/11/1878 (3)
The people here cannot understand why all the police and the head-quarters are at Benalla. Nothing has been done there, and nothing is likely be done, either by the bushrangers or the police. Here, in or near Mansfield, is likely to be the scene of action, and yet the police cannot be obtained at any price. There are no men here to send out if wanted, nor yet to relieve any party that might come in. If men are telegraphed for round here, the reply comes that they are not to spare. Surely some men could be obtained from Melbourne for an emergency like this. I have just heard that this Walter Lynch has been before the Police Court on five different occasions.
PROPOSED REMOVAL OF THE MELBOURNE GAOL
On Monday morning after the 6 o’clock officer’s parade was over, Mr Castieau addressed his staff, and stated that he had a most unpleasant duty to perform, which was to read a memorandum he had received from the Penal-office relative to the proposed removal of the gaol. The governor than read the memo., which was to the following effect:―“That it is proposed to reduce the number of male prisoners to a maximum of about 60, and the male officers in proportion. The Chief, senior, and ordinary warders were to receive a general intimation that they would probably shortly be transferred to other gaols.”
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THE KELLY GANG AT EUROA.
[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
(FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER)
EUROA, Thursday.
The more the last daring outrage of the Kelly gang is looked into the greater is the astonishment evinced at their cool impudence and daring effrontery. In a well populated township, with more than the usual number of persons about, owing to its being licensing day, not more than 40 yards from the principal hotel, and in full view of the railway station, that they should manage to clear out the bank and make prisoners of 14 people, and drive them through the town ship into the bush is almost beyond belief, while it is a matter of surprise with many persons still that some hitch did not occur, so as to upset the whole scheme. But even if it had been known that the gang were in the township, I doubt whether there would have been any attempt made to interfere with them. There appear to be scarcely any fire arms in the place, and the terror which is now evidently attached to the name of the Kelly's would render it quite possible for them to carry out any freak of a similar character in the most open manner.
Then, again, at the Faithfull Creek station everything played into their hands. The station hands and the others who were made prisoners came up in straggling twos and threes, and being unarmed were very easily secured. In fact the whole transaction was apparently looked upon by the gang as an immense joke, and they did not hesitate to say so to some of their prisoners, with whom they generally kept up the most amicable relations, and chatted and laughed with them the greater portion of the time. There were one or two occasions when the evil spirit cropped up, and there was likelihood of blood being shed, but these were times when Ned Kelly was thwarted or opposed in his orders, but as long as everything went as he wished he was perfectly calm in temper. The same cannot be said of the younger Kelly, who is evidently one of those bullying, tyrannical ruffians, whose sole delight is in inflicting cruelty for the purpose of enjoying the agonies of his victims, and more than once Ned Kelly had to interpose his authority to prevent blood shed. Ned evidently holds supreme authority, and his orders are unhesitatingly obeyed. It is said by more than one of the prisoners that Ned Kelly is not at all unprepossessing in appearance, but they all unite in declaring that Dan Kelly has a most villainous cast of countenance. They do not appear to have treated their prisoners at all harshly, but allowed them to take their meals, and even gave some of the silver which they had stolen from the bank to one of them. Ned Kelly also gave the boy belonging to the hawkers waggon, whom they took with them into town when they went to the bank, £2 for his services, and also presented him with the silver watch taken from the body of Constable Lonigan. This latter has since been given up to the police authorities.
The hawkers waggon was seen standing at the door of the bank by more than one person, but as the boy was in it, and there was no appearance of any disturbance inside the bank, of course no suspicion was aroused. The gang do their work so thoroughly that nothing is left to chance, for when the bank clerks put their arms up as ordered, Ned Kelly made sure they had no firearms by passing his hands over their clothes before he allowed them to put their arms down. A remark made by Ned Kelly proves that he was a little disappointed at the comparatively small sum he obtained from the bank. He said he fully expected to get about £10,000. This remark of his of course strengthens the belief that many persons have that if they are not captured very shortly another bank robbery will soon be heard of.
In addition to the notes and gold carried away, it is stated that a number of valuable securities and title deeds were also taken. Mr. Scott, the manager, asked Ned to give them up, as they would be of no use to him but this he refused to do, and at the same time announced his intention of burning them. Mr. Scott then asked particularly for one which he named. Ned Kelly gave a rough glance through the mass of notes and papers, which were all mixed up together in the sack he was carrying, but as he could not put his hand on it at once, he said it was too much trouble to find it amongst so many documents and refused to look for it any more.
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