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The Argus (14)

The Argus continued with its reports of the KellyGang and Glenrowan.

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full text of the article

DESTRUCTION

OF THE

KELLY GANG

FURTHER PARTICULARS

NED KELLY BROUGHT TO MELBOURNE

DEATH OF THE WOUNDED BOY JONES

The excitement that was created in Melbourne by the intelligence of the latest outrage of the Kelly gang, and of their capture at Glenrowan, was intensified yesterday when it became known that Edward Kelly, the one survivor of the band of desperadoes, was on his way to Melbourne . Crowds of persons collected at the newspaper offices and at street corners, eager for further information. Rumours of a conflicting nature were in circulation, some affirming that Edward Kelly had succumbed to the injuries received in the last affray at Glenrowan. It soon became known, however, that the authorities had made arrangements for bringing him to town yesterday, and the utmost curiosity was manifested as to the probable time of his arrival in town. It was understood that he would be brought down by a special train, to arrive shortly after the ordinary midday train. In the anticipation of obtaining a number of persons assembled at the Spencer street station, and it was found necessary to bring the barricades used on occasions of unusually heavy traffic into use in order to keep the people clear of the trains. A goodly number of people also went to the Essendon station, believing that the prisoner would be removed from the train there, and taken as quietly as possible to the Melbourne gaol. At the North Melbourne station which had been selected as on the whole the most convenient place for taking him out of the train, several hundreds of people had assembled to await the arrival of the train from Wodonga.

Shortly before 3 o’clock the ordinary train arrived at North Melbourne , and the passengers soon informed the excited crowd that Kelly was in the van of the train. Despite all the efforts of the police and the railway officials who had been extremely reticent and had adopted every precaution to prevent a rush on the station, the crowd tried every means of obtaining a glimpse of the prisoner. Kelly was in charge of Senior constable Walsh, Senior constable Coghlan and Constables Griffin, Bunker, and Waldron, Dr Charles Ryan also travelled in the van in order to give Kelly the medical attention he required. Dr Ryan was intermitting in his attention to his patient during the long journey. On the arrival at North Melbourne station, Inspector Montford took charge of Kelly, who was placed on a stretcher, and lifted into a waggonette in waiting for him. His removal was to some extent impeded by the crowd which pressed round the van, and was with difficulty kept back. The patient lay perfectly helpless. His face wore a wan appearance, indicative of prostration, and his hands and feet were bound up. Although he looked at the crowd with some interest, all the look of bandage and gore. There was no demonstration of any sort made by the crowd, although the female section expressed commiseration for the worn out, broken down, and dejected appearance of one who had become known to them as a man of reckless bravery and of great endurance.

The waggonette was rapidly driven by a direct course to the Melbourne gaol. Along the route numbers of men, women and children rushed out from the factories, shops and private residences, and followed the waggoette, eager to obtain a glance at the prisoner. At the Gaol 600 or 700 persons had assembled. The waggonette drove up at a brisk pace, and was taken into the gaol yard before the people had time to obtain even as much as a glimpse at it. As it entered the gaol yard, three cheers were called for, and mildly responded to by the crowd, but the manner in which they were called for and given left it a matter of doubt whether they were intended as a recognition of the success of the police officers, who drove up behind their captive, or as a manifestation party of sympathy with and partly of recognition of the prisoner’s reckless daring. When safety lodged within the gaol walls, the prisoner was given over into the hands of the governor, Mr Castieau, who had him immediately removed to the gaol hospital. Dr Shield, of Hotham, the health officer for the gaol, was sent for, and was soon in attendance. He found the patient to be in a feverish state. A wound on the left foot showed that a bullet had passed through it. In the right arm there were two serious wounds, which had been caused by a bullet going right through the fleshy party of the lower arm. The right hand was seriously injured, and in the right leg there were found no less than eight or none slug shots. Dr Ryan was also in attendance, and the opinion of both medical gentlemen was that Kelly would in all probability recover from his injuries, serious as they were, and not withstanding the despondency and loss of spirit shown by the prisoner, who has never concealed the fact that he would rather die in any way than allow the law to take its course. During the afternoon the prisoner’s condition improved, and he became more communicative than at the time of his departure from Glenrowan. Almost immediately after his admission to the gaol, Kelly was visited by the Rev JP Aylard, who had a short interview with him. Upon that rev. gentleman devolved the duty of conveying to Kelly’s mother, who is undergoing her sentence in the same gaol, the first intimation of the distraction of the gang, of the death of Dan Kelly and Hart, and of the capture and removal to Melbourne of Edward Kelly. On the journey to Melbourne and after his arrival Kelly conveyed tolerably freely at times with those sound him, but divulged little that was new with regard to the proceedings or intentions of his gang. He was specially reserved in big references to his late mates, and as a rule declined to say anything about them. In reply to a question as to whether he had on any previous occasion been in Melbourne , he said that he must decline to answer it. He stated that the police had taken the gang unawares, and that finding that the police had discovered their whereabouts through the murder of Sherritt, the attempt to upset the special train was had recourse to as a desperate last resources. Kelly spoke frequently of his determination to bring the black trackers to grief, and alluded to that as one strong motive for the act in question. At a late hour last evening Kelly was progressing favourably, and his medical attendants considered him out of danger.

Superintendent Hare returned to town by the train in which Kelly was brought, which was, as previously stated an ordinary passenger train, and brought down a very large number of passengers. The superintendent proceeded direct to Spencer street . The large crowd, which had gathered there in anticipation of seeing Kelly himself, soon recognised Mr Hare and cheers were given for him with enthusiasm as he alighted from the train. He was in a weak state having suffered from great loss of blood through the wound in his wrist, which proved to be much more serious than was at first thought. Fears were entertained that amputation of the left arm would be necessary, but Dr Ryan who was attending him, held out strong hopes of the hand being healed without serious permanent injury. Superintendent Hare, immediately on his arrival in town proceeded to his residence at Richmond , and was in an improved state of health last night, though still weak.

Edward Kelly now awaits his trial for the series of outrages by which he and his late companions attained their notoriety. He has been brought to Melbourne on a remand warrant requiring him to appear before the Central Criminal Court at its sitting commencing on the 5 th prox. It is very doubtful however, whether, even if his recovery be assured, his condition will permit of his removal from the gaol hospital for some time to come, and it is probable that his trial will have to be postponed 

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A summary of the articles below

Death of the wounded boy Jones , Dr Chas Ryan , The Official Medical Report , The scene of the encounter , The attempt to wreck the train , Constable Bracken's Statement , Incidents of the Fight , Magisterial Inquiry on Byrne , Sub Inspecto O'Connor and the Black Trackers ,