LATER PARTICULARS
BEECHWORTH This Day
As a special train conveying Superintendent Hare and a number of police was travelling from Benalla to Glenrowan, at an early hour this morning, it was stopped and its occupants informed that the line had been pulled up by the Kelly gang a mile beyond Glenrowan. When the train pulled up at the Glenrowan station Superintendent Hare on going to the station master’s house, was informed that everybody in Glenrowan had been taken into bush by the outlaws. The police were immediately ordered to leave the train, when Constable Bracken appeared on the scene exclaiming, “I have just escaped from Jones’s public house; and for God’s sake go quickly, or they will get away.” Mr Hare, followed by two or three of the police, without the slightest delay, proceeded to the place indicated,; on nearing which a shot was fired, which struck Superintendent Hare in the arm, wounding him, but not seriously. It was fired from the inside. The house was surrounded by all the police then present, and contingents of police from Beechworth, Wangaratta, and Benalla were telegraphed for, and despatched accordingly.
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BEECHWORTH 10.15AM
Ned Kelly has been captured alive, although wounded. When searched he was found to have a complete suit of bullet proof armor underneath his clothes. The rest of the gang are not captured, owing to the police not wishing to incur unnecessary bloodshed by firing into the publichouse, which is full of the townspeople.
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11.15am
Ned Kelly, who was shot by Sergeant Steele while trying to escape, is mortally wounded, and is at present lying at the Glenrowan railway station. It is said that Byrne shot the publican. The people who were detained in the hotel by the gang have since been released. Dan Kelly, Hart and Byrne, are however still in the place, the doors of which are now open. Increased firing is being kept up. It is believed that the freeing of the civilians is only a bait to entice the police to enter the hotel. It is not expected that the outlaws will be able to hold out much longer.
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WANGARATTA, This Day
The Kelly gang made their appearance at Skerritt’s hut, at the old Woolshed diggings, within eight miles of Beechworth, on Saturday night. A German named Weeks, who had been in Skerritt’s hut, on coming out was bailed up and asked if he knew the person addressing him. He answered in the negative, where upon the man drew a revolver, and asked “Do you know Joe Byrne now?” The German answered that he did. Byrne then handcuffed his prisoner, and ordered him pain of death to go to the hut, and tell Skerritt “for God’s sake to come out.” He obeyed, and called Skerritt who came out and at once, and received three shots from Byrne. One bullet struck him in the forehead, another in the eye, and another in the breast. Sheritt’s wife was in the hut, and the gang declared, but for the pressure of the woman, they would burn the hut down in order to get at the police, who were in the hut at the time, they remained some time surrounding the hut and then took their departure for Glenrowan where they tore up the rails at the culvert where there is a steep incline at the bottom, and where engines are allowed an impetus to carry them up the opposite hill, but appears that on the pilot engine reaching Glenrowan station the driver was apprised of what had been done to the line ahead. When the special train containing Sup. Hare and his men came up and were likely stopped at the station, the Superintendent immediately alighted to make inquiries. He had not proceeded far when he met Constable Bracken, stationed at Glenrowan, who had been made a prisoner by the Kelly’s, but had just succeeded in making his escape. He told the Superintendent what had happened, and that the Kelly were in that place, pointing to Mrs Jones’ Hotel, and said it was his (the constable’s) intention to have gone to Wangaratta to inform the police there. The superintendent allowed him to carry out his intention. The men under Superintendent Hare immediately commenced to surround the hotel, and the firing from within began simultaneously. The superintendent was wounded in the arm. A girl in the house was shot in the head. At the stage a special returned with the news to Benalla. Through information received from the Wangaratta stationmaster, additional police were in waiting before the special was quite ready at Benalla. Consequently these additional constables were able to proceed to the scene of action without any delay of moment. Then the stationmaster at Wangaratta received a return telegram from Benalla to send on by a special engine the Wangaratta police, and this was also done promptly. There is now therefore, a large body of police (supposed to be about 50) surrounding Mrs Jones’ hotel, but I understand that the place cannot be attacked without entailing great loss of life.
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