The Argus at KellyGang 18/12/1878

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(full text transcription)

THE MANSFIELD MURDERERS

The mysterious letter which the Kellys exhibited at the Faithfull Creek Station has arrived in Melbourne. It was addressed to Mr Donald Cameron MLA. Mr Cameron, it will be remembered, put a question in the Assembly to the Chief Secretary as to whether inquiries hid been made as to the cause of the outbreak and very much to his surprise he has been honoured with the out- laws confidence. The circumstance proves that the, men are readers of the papers and are aware of what takes place in Parliament. The letter was delivered by post at Parliament-house, and was received by Mr Cameron in the afternoon. Never thinking that it was a communication from the out-laws, he allowed it to lie unattended to for some time, and, on eventually opening it he tore up the envelope. On seeing what the contents were, he gathered up the fragments of the envelope, and found that it bore the Glenrowan postmark of December 14. He declines to give the document to the press until he has first consulted the Chief Secretary and police authorities. It may, however, be stated that the letter is evidently composed with the object of obtaining public sympathy, and it appears to be perfectly genuine. It is written by a clever illiterate person in red ink, covers some 22 pages, and is signed " Edward Kelly, a forced outlaw." The place from which it was written is not stated. The fact that it is written in red ink is evidence of its authenticity, inasmuch as Kelly left a bottle of red ink behind at Mr Younghusband's station. The envelope, too corresponds to the one stamped by Mrs Fltzgerald, being square and having two postage stamps. Kelly relates his whole history from boyhood up to the Enroa outrage. He charges members of the police force with having wronged his relatives, and with being the cause of his crimes. These charges have been repeated more than once, but as they are such as are often made by criminals, they would require corroboration before they could receive the slightest consideration. The letter concludes with certain fiendish threats, which Kelly says he will carry out if justice is not done to his mother.

Mr Cameron, whilst very judiciously suppressing the letter until he can consult with the Chief Secretary on the question of whether it should be published or not, will notify the nature of the threats to the authorities concerned, so that by precautions being taken their execution may be prevented. Just before closing his lengthy epistle Kelly say a that he had some thing more to write, but that he would be unable to do so unless he "robbed" for more paper.

Captain Standish, the chief commissioner of police, was yesterday gazetted a justice of the peace for all the bailiwicks, in order that he might have more power for suppressing the active sympathisers of the murderers. With retard to the case of the man Lynch, who was arrested at Mansfield for writing a threatening letter to Mr Monk, in the names of the Kellys, the law officers of the Crown have taken steps to have his trial held in Melbourne so that the witnesses may be beyond the reach of intimidation.

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