The Argus at KellyGang 22/11/1879
THE BUSHRANGERS
[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH]
Captain Moonlite
Our special reporter telegraphed from Gundagai yesterday the following additional particulars of the bushranging outrage at Wantabadgery -
THE SCENES OF THE ENCOUNTERS
GUNDAGAI, Friday
When Moonlite and his gang crossed from Victoria into this colony is not jet known, but they were seen in this district for about a week before their outbreak. Last Tuesday week they struck the Wagga road a few miles below Gundagai, and travelled westwards towards Wantabadgery station. They camped at various places on the road, and lived on the hospitality of the people. When seen at this time they had a few firearms, but were by no means fully armed, and it is now evident that their main object in sticking up Wantabadgery was to obtain horses and firerms. The gang had originally consisted of five men, and the sixth man, Bennett, who says he is a sailor, must have joined them in this district, for he was shepherding for a few days, about a fortnight ago, for Mr Jenkins, at Nangus, on the Wagga road, and was discharged for some offence. They reached the Wantabadgery station on Friday last, and applied there for work. Mr Baynes, the manager, regarding them as suspicious characters, said he had no work for them, and ordered them away from the premises.
They next appeared at the old station, a short distance from the Australian Hotel, and asked Mrs Reid, the manager's wife, if they could have lodging for the night. Mrs Reid replied that she could not accommodate them, and they camped for the night in a neighbouring paddock. On the following afternoon they stuck up the new station as has been already fully narrated. This station is 15 miles in length by eight in breadth. The house is situated on the north bank of the Murrumbidgee, and on an extensive flat studded with trees like an English park. The country around is hilly, and there is plenty of timber about, but compared with the Kelly district in Victoria it is open, and can he traversed easily in any direction on horseback. The house is one story, a new building, of brick and slate, with gardens in front and on the west side. The kitchen and storerooms and a fence form a quadrangular backyard. There is another yard on the east side, in which there are a bathroom, a laundry, and groom's residence, and in the centre are a number of trees.
It was in the backyard that Moonlite shot one of Mr M'Donald's finest colts, simply because it would not stand steady until he could mount. He put a bullet right through its heart, and then, in a most matter of fact style, directed a number of his prisoners to "limber" it out of the yard by the legs. It was also said that he abused the overseer, and threatened to hang him from one of the trees in the neighbouring yard.
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