Herald (34)
The Herald
10/08/1880
... part of the KellyGang story
' ' 'full text of the article'
A THIRD EDITION of The Herald will be published this afternoon, and will contain continuation of the Kelly trial, and other items of news
NED KELLY’S TRIAL
(By Electric Telegraph – From Our Special Reporter)
Beechworth This Day
There were very few persons present at the opening of the court this morning, but Dick Hart was again upon the scene.
Robert Scott deposed: On the 10th December I was manager of the bank at Euroa. I saw the prisoner in the bank on that day. He was accompanied by Hart. They were armed. The prisoner told me to bail up and I put my hands up. He robbed the bank, and then ordered myself and my servant into a spring cart. He drove part of the way, and I drove the rest. He drove to Faithful Creek Station, and I was put into the store among the others. On the way we had conversation as to the police murders at the Wombat Ranges. I asked him, “Who shot Lonigan?” and he said “I shot Lonigan.”
To Mr Gaunson: Miss Shaw was in the spring cart all the time.
Robert M’Dougall a warehouseman, residing in Melbourne deposed: In December, 1878, I was a bookbinder in the Government printing office. On the 10th day of that month I was returning from a shooting excursion in the Strathbogie Ranges. Mr Dudley, Mr Casement, and Mr Tennant. Three of us were in a spring cart, and Mr Tennent was on horseback. In afternoon we were passing through Younghusband’s station when the prisoner Kelly came behind me and he said, “Turn the horse round, the station is stuck up.” He had a revolver. I was driving and he covered me with it. Mr Dudley said, What authority have you for sticking us up?” We all jumped up and then the owner (Mr Casement) also jumped up. The prisoner said to him, “You’re Ned Kelly; where did you steal the spring cart.” Mr Dudley said, “We did not steal the spring cart, we are honest men.” Prisoner produced a pair of handcuffs from his belt and said to Dudley, “I will put these on you. If you’re not quiet.” Dudley said, “Look here, I’ll report you to your superior officer.” (Laughter) We took prisoner for a policeman. Mr Tennant, who was on horse back, then came up and asked what was up. Mr Dudley told him that the station was stuck up. Mr Tennant said, “Don’t get up on the cart.” We went over to the station. The prisoner went with us. A man, whose name afterwards to be Byrne, also accompanied us. Byrne had been bringing in some Chinese. Both parties joined at the station. We were introduced to the prisoner by one of the station hands, who said he was “Ned Kelly.” It was the witness Stephens who introduced us. I was searched by Dan Kelly, and then we were put into the storeroom. We remained there until about 10 o’clock last night. The persons there. I can’t fix the time, but I know it was about 2 o’clock when we were put into the storeroom with the others. The prisoner went in and out, and during one of the visits Mr Dudley and I were standing near the door, apart from the rest. Prisoner remarked to Mr Dudley, “Is it not bad enough to be called a proscribed outlaw, without taking cheek from the likes of you?“ That was because Mr Dudley had been giving him cheek when we were first taken. He was giving tremendous check when we we were first bailed up. He was getting outrageous,. although an old man. After speaking about being a prescribed outlaw, prisoner took out a big gold watch and said to Dudley, “This is a nice watch, isn’t it?” and Dudley said “Yes.” Prisoner said,” That was poor Kennedy’s watch. Was it not better for me that I shot the police, than them carry my body into Mansfield as a mangled corpse?” He had a policeman’s Spencer rifle strapped on to his shoulder. I don’t know that he said anything about it.
To Mr Gaunson: I could not swear that it was a policeman’s rifle. I have seen the witness Stephens, and recognised him as having been at the station. When we were at the Strathbogie Ranges we had a double-barrelled fowling piece and a rifle. We were stuck stuck up just near the railway gates. At first we took Kelly for one of the police. We had ammunition in the cart. We had about 80 or 90 bullets. We had been kangarooing. We had not been Kelly hunting.
We had no idea of him at all when as we thought the police stuck us up. Tenant offered to load the guns, we said, We’ll help you Kelly. He did not say “to catch the Kellys, or to shoot the Kellys.” At the time the station was stuck up we did not imagine by whom it was done. The watch produced by Kelly opened with a spring. (Mr Gaunson produced his own watch, a gold hunting watch.) The watch was like this. I cannot swear this is or is not the same watch. prisoner was in and out from 2 o’clock until 10 o’clock at night.
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