The True Story of the KellyGang of Bushrangers Chapter 2 page 3

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To Monk’s saw mill the journey was a gruesome one. Part of it lay through thickets of dead wattles, brittle sticks that snap and cut, and tear with their sharp ragged edges. In addition, therefore, to the melancholy caused by the death of the constables, those who escorted them had the horror of seeing their faces and inert limbs bruised and disfigured by the trees and bushes, against which the horse bumped them as he forced his way through the forest.

When Monk’s saw mill was reached this painful phase of the journey concluded; for a vehicle with four horses was in waiting, provided at the police officer’s request by Mr Kitchen, a leading resident, who gave great assistance to the police. Thence unto Mansfield the cavalcade followed the vehicle until near the town, when some of the horsemen galloped on to tell the people what they had discovered of the murders. The bodies were conveyed to the dead room of the hospital to await the inquest which soon followed, and Mr Pewtress was busied in dealing with a pile of telegrams and correspondence relative to the outrage, the news of which, by this time, have been flashed everywhere and created a profound sensation throughout Australia. Three or four constables, from different outlaying districts, had arrived, under orders from headquarters, at Mansfield, but still the inhabitants, who were possessed with panic, were not satisfied with the arrangements made for their defence.

Mrs Kennedy, wife of the missing Sergeant Kennedy, who resided in Mansfield , was the object of universal sympathy and commiseration. The uncertainty as to her husband’s fate was terribly hard to bear, and few people dared hold out hope to her of ever seeing him again alive. M’Intyre was unable to say anything as to the seriousness of his wound, but he was a good officer who had been concerned before in the arrest of cattle stealers friends of the Kellys; and they had given proof of bloodthirstiness which left little room to hope for mercy from them to their enemies. During the day an inquest was held upon the bodies of Scanlon and Lonigan, in both of which numerous bullet wounds were found, some of them apparently inflicted after death. M’Intyre, who gave evidence at the inquest, repeated the story which he had given to Sub Inspector Pewtress, and nothing else to throw light upon the matter was forthcoming. Some little excitement was caused in the town by the arrest of two brothers, named ‘Wild’ Wright and ‘Dummy’ Wright, friends of the Kellys, who were well known to the police and supposed to be sympathisers with the bushrangers. They were charged, on this occasion, with using threatening language to members of the search party, and showed considerable resistance, when they were locked up.

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