The Argus at KellyGang 2/5/1881
THE KELLY CAPTURE
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARGUS
Sir,—I have read your article in to-day's issue calling the attention of the Government to the totally inadequate provision made for Mrs Aaron Sherritt, whose husband lost his life while apparently faithfully endeavouring to assist the police in capturing the Kelly gang, and also to the necessity of an inquiry into the conduct of the four policemen who were in Sherritt's hut at the time of his murder. It seems almost incredible, but these men have been awarded £50 each by the Reward Board, probably owing to the amount of discretion they observed in not venturing even to give information of the murder in Beechworth (only about 10 miles distant) until 11 am on the next day.
I feel sure the public fully endorse your views on this matter, but there is one other point that I and many others would like cleared up, viz., as to whether police are justified in firing into a building in which there happen to be not only bush-rangers but a number of innocent people. At Glenrowan the police were fully aware that besides the Kelly gang there were 20 or 30 prisoners of theirs, men, women, and children, in Mrs Jones's hotel, and yet volley after volley was fired into the hotel until 10 or 11am, before the prisoners were released.
It appears that some of the police officers called upon them to come out at an earlier hour, but whenever a head appeared at any of the doors bullets were despatched at them, and two or three of the prisoners were wounded in this way. In my opinion there may have been some excuse for firing in this manner, but during daylight should the lives of innocent people been imperilled, especially when such a force could have been collected before the following night as to preclude the possibility of escape on the part of the gang.
April 28.
—Yours, &c.,
WANGARATTA.
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31-aug-10
