The Argus at KellyGang 13/12/1878 (3)

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  THE KELLY GANG AT EUROA

[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH)

(FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER)  

EUROA, Thursday

The more the last daring outrage of the Kelly gang is looked into the greater is the astonishment evinced at their cool impudence and daring effrontery. In a well populated township, with more than the usual number of persons about, owing to its being licensing day, not more than 40 yards from the principal hotel, and in full view of the railway station, that they should manage to clear out the bank and make prisoners of 14 people, and drive them through the township into the bush is almost beyond belief, while it is a matter of surprise with many persons still that some hitch did not occur, so as to upset the whole scheme. But even if it had been known that the gang were in the township, I doubt whether there would have been any attempt made to interfere with them. There appear to be scarcely any fire arms in the place, and the terror which is now evidently attached to the name of the Kelly's would render it quite possible for them to carry out any freak of a similar character in the most open manner.

Then, again, at the Faithfull Creek station everything played into their hands. The station hands and the others who were made prisoners came up in straggling twos and threes, and being unarmed were very easily secured.

In fact the whole transaction was apparently looked upon by the gang as an immense joke, and they did not hesitate to say so to some of their prisoners, with whom they generally kept up the most amicable relations, and chatted and laughed with them the greater portion of the time. There were one or two occasions when the evil spirit cropped up, and there was likelihood of blood being shed, but these were times when Ned Kelly was thwarted or opposed in his orders, but as long as everything went as he wished he was perfectly calm in temper. The same cannot be said of the younger Kelly, who is evidently one of those bullying, tyrannical ruffians, whose sole delight is in inflicting cruelty for the purpose of enjoying the agonies of his victims, and more than once Ned Kelly had to interpose his authority to prevent blood shed. Ned evidently holds supreme authority, and his orders are unhesitatingly obeyed. It is said by more than one of the prisoners that Ned Kelly is not at all unprepossessing in appearance, but they all unite in declaring that Dan Kelly has a most villainous cast of countenance. They do not appear to have treated their prisoners at all harshly, but allowed them to take their meals, and even gave some of the silver which they had stolen from the bank to one of them.

Ned Kelly also gave the boy belonging to the hawkers waggon, whom they took with them into town when they went to the bank, £2 for his services, and also presented him with the silver watch taken from the body of Constable Lonigan. This latter has since been given up to the police authorities. The hawkers waggon was seen standing at the door of the bank by more than one person, but as the boy was in it, and there was no appearance of any disturbance inside the bank, of course no suspicion was aroused.

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