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Sydney Morning Herald (26)

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MELBOURNE, Wednesday, 1am

The following is an account of the interview with Messrs Tarleton and Living, of the Bank of New South Wales, Jerilderie. The above gentlemen having reached Melbourne yesterday afternoon, they supplied the following information:- Mr Living, the teller of the bank, states that about 10 minutes past 12 on Monday morning he was sitting at desk in the bank, when he heard footsteps approaching him from the direction of the back door. He at first took no notice, thinking it was the manager, Mr Tarleton. The footsteps continued him, when he turned round on his office stood and noticed a man approaching from the back door. He immediately accosted the fellow, who had a revolver already levelled at him, and on asking the intruder who he was and what right he had to enter the bank by the back way, he answered that he was Kelly, and ordered Mr Living to bail up. The fellow, who afterwards turned out to be Byrne, ordered him to deliver up the firearms he had. Living replied that he had none. Young Mackin, who was standing in front of the bank, then came in, when Byrne ordered hin to jump off the counter, which Living did. He then told him to come with him to Cox’s hotel, and remarked that they had all the police stuck up. They went into the hotel, where they met Ned Kelly, who asked for Mr Tarleton, and was told that he was in his room. They went back to the bank, but could not find the manager in his room. Ned Kelly said to Mr Living, “You had better go and find him.” Living then searched and found the manager in his bath. Mr Living was at first a little alarmed at not finding the manager in his room, and at first thought he had got some clue that the bushrangers were in the place and cleared out. On finding the manager in his bath, he said to him, “We are stuck-up, the Kellys are here and the police are also stuck-up.” Byrne then got Hart and left him in charge of the manager. After he had got out of the bath, Ned Kelly came and took him into the bank, and asked him what money they had in the bank. Living replied therewas between £600 and £700, when Kelly said “You must have £10,000 in the bank.” Living then handed the teller’s cash, amounting to about £891. Mr Elliott, the schoolmaster, then went into the bank, and as soon Kelly saw him he ordered him to jump over the counter. Mr Elliott that he could not, but Kelly made him, and they then tried to put the money in a bag but not having one sufficiently large, Ned Kelly went and brought a bag, and we put the moneyinto it. Kelly asked if they had more money, and was answered “No.” Kelly then obtained the teller’s revolver, and again requested more money. He then went to the treasure drawer, and requested to know what was in it, and was told by Living that it contained nothing of any value. Kelly insisted on its being opened, and one of the keys was given to him, but he could not open it owing to the manager having the second key, which was required to open it. Byrne then wanted to break it open with a sledge hammer, but Kelly brought the manager from the Royal Hotel and demanded the key, which was given to him, and the drawer was opened, when the sum of £1450 was taken out by Kelly and placed in the bag. Kelly then took down a large deed box, and asked what it contained, and was told that the contents consisted of a few documents which were of no use. He replied that he would burn the contents, but Mr Tarleton argued with him, and Kelly took one document and put it into the bag, and then expressed his intention of burning all the books in the office. He, however, left the rest of the papers, and said that he would come back and see if there were any deeds for town allotments. The whole party then went into the Royal Hotel. Daniel Kelly was in the hotel, and Ned Kelly took two of the party out to the back of the hotel, where he made a fire and burned three or four of the bank books. In the meantime Mr Rankin and Mr Gill seeing the bank door open, went in, and was immediately followed by Kelly, who ordered them to bail up. Both gentlemenat once made off, Mr Rankin remaining into the hotel, and Mr Gill in some other direction. Ned Kelly ran after Rankin and caught him in the hotel. Kelly caught him by the collar, and asked him why he ran away, at the same time telling him to go into the passage, and that he intended to shoot him. He took Mr Rankin into the passage, and, after straightening him against the wall, levelled his revolver at him. Several persons called out to Kelly not to fire, and he did not. He then called Hart by the name of “Revenge,” and told him to shoot the first man that attempted any resistation, and told Rankin that if he attempted he would be the first shot. Kelly then asked for Gill, and took Richards and Living with him to look for Gill. The policeman had his revolver with him, but Kelly had previously withdrawn the cartridges. They went up to Gill’s house and saw Mrs Gill. Kelly said to her, “I have a statement here which contains a little act of my life, and I want it published by Mr Gill; will you take it?” She refused to do so. Mr Living then took the paper, and promised to have it published, and asked to get one. The party then went to McDonald’s Hotel, where Kelly took a brood mare out of the stables, and remarked that he would take the animal but would return it in three weeks.

The party then went to the telegraph office and met Byrne, who had cut the wires. Ned Kelly then broke the insulators at the office with his revolver, and after this he took the postmaster and his assistant to the Royal Hotel and left the party there. Kelly then returned to the bank and obtained a saddle and pair of riding trousers belonging to Mr Tarleton, and also a gold chain and a gold watch. The saddle was then put on the mare and Dan Kelly mounting it rode away, but returned in five minutes. Dan Kelly and Hart then both kept guard at the hotel, and Ned Kelly informed the postmaster that if he attempted to mend the wires before next day, or offered any resistance, he would be shot. He also told Mr Jefferson that he intended to take him a few miles in the bush, and then liberate him. He informed those present that he intended sticking up the Urana coach that night and would shoot any one who attempted to give warning. Byrne still rode in the direction of the Murray with the money, and in the meantime Mr Tarleton had suceeded in dispatching a manager to Urana to warn the bank manager there. The remaining part of the gang then rode in the direction of the police camp, and the party were liberated, and Mr Living started for Deniliquin. This completed Mr Living’s narative, and the following additional particulars are given by Mr Tarleton, manager of the bank. The manager states that at the time of the occurrence he had not long returned from a ride of forty miles and was having a bath when the teller came rushing into the bath-room, and explained that they were stuck-up. Mr Tarleton at first thought it was rubbish; but on seeing two men with revolvers he believed such to be the case. As soon as he came out of the bath, Hart pointed the pistol at him, and then searched his clothes. Mr Tarleton then made some inquiries as to the movement of the Kelly gang, but Hart, answering one or two questions, replied in an angry voice, that he had better cease makingsuch questions. Hart then took him into the hotel ansd as he was going as he noticed Byrne strike the Chinese cook. He was then placed with some other in the bar parlour, where he was kept until walking back to the bank. Hart stood the whole time at the door of the room with revolvers and evinced a strong desire to shoot anybody occasionally, if there was a little too much talking in the room. During his confinement in the room he was placed in such a position that he thinks he could have knocked Hart down, but on asking the policeman if he would back him up, he replied that Dan Kelly had then covered with his revolver, and if he happened to miss them he would be sure to kill some of the outlaws. The gang then prepared to go, but before doing so Ned Kelly made a speech with the evident intention of exciting pity.

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