Kilmore Free Press at KellyGang 10/6/1880
THE KELLY GANG
After a considerable period of inactivity amongst the members of the police force appointed to do duty in the Kelly country, the opinion began to gain ground more particularly in Melbourne, that the gang of outlaws were no longer inhabitants of Victoria. In Benalla, he ? and the other leading towns in the north eastern district, the opinion entertained has been of a very different nature and throughen that portion of the country an outbreak on the part of the gang has been daily expected. The renewed activity of the police at Benalla on Monday ? did not create surprise although it provoked excitement. At an early hour in the morning both the trackers and police were observed hurrying between their quarters and the stables, and very soon afterwards a party of about twelve were en route for Beechworth.
All sorts of rumours were at once present and public fancy exaggerated the state of affairs, but once more those ? ? ? that the gang of murderers may be ? were deemed to disappointment. During the long course of silence which has been maintained concerning the doings of the gang and police. Assistant Commissioner Nicolson has observed the strictest secrecy, and even his men, when instructed to perform any special duty, have not been informed of its object or the cause of the instructions. However, notwithstanding this secrecy, it is well known in the north-eastern district that tidings of the outlaws have from time to time been obtained. It is almost needless to say they are surrounded by hosts of friends, as that fact has bean ever and over again stated. The mountains afford them a secure retreat, and well informed an they doubtless are, they on all occasions have been enabled to elude the police. `
The task which Mr Nicholson has been hitherto called upon to perform has been every difficult one. On very many occasions false rumours have been circulated, which have given the police a considerable amount of annoyance, and the country has been involved in expense in the shape of special trains to convey the police from one part of the colony to another. That probably has caused the Assistant Commissioner to observe a certain amount of caution before taking any decided action upon the reports coming to hand, and to that, possibly, is attributable delay which occurred in the to movements of the police on the occasion of' the recent scare. The authorities are quite reticent on the subject, but it has become known that two men on Sunday night made or their appearance in Beechworth with the information that they had seen Byrne at his mother’s house near Everton.
That information was at once circulated but it was not until the following morning that the police from Benalla set out. They proceeded with black trackers to Mrs Byrne's, and searched a number of houses in the neighbourhood, but they could find no trace of the outlaws, and have since returned to their outlaws, and have since returned to their quarter, scouring the country towards Greta on their way back in order possibly to see if there were any fresh tracks leading to the mountains. On Wednesday I took the trouble of riding in the same direction and came across some of the men. They, however, had been unsuccessful in their circumstances. That they are anxious to capture the Kellys I have not the slightest doubt, but their continual success must have damped their ardour; red tapeism too has, I think, not improved their temper. By Wednesday night the whole of the police had returned to Benalla, and on that day Superintendant Hare arrived from Melbourne to relieve Assistant Commissioner Nicholson. Yesterday morning Detective Ward arrived in Benalla but he was quite secret as to the nature of the information which caused the police movements. Soon after his arrival he had an interview with Superintendent Hare, and will leave Benalla again to-day.
On Wednesday, when at Greta, I was much surprised with the decadence observable. The country in the vicinity has in the past been so overrun with cattle stealers that honest settlers have to a considerable extent been discouraged in their efforts to establish homesteads, and what was a few years ago a thriving locality is now a picture of desolation. Kate Kelly and her sisters reside about three miles outside of the township, which they frequently visit in order to buy provisions. They never venture to say anything about their brothers when there, and as a matter of fact the business people do not care to speak to them on the subject. To the east of Greta: the country is very wild all the way to the King river. It is in that tract of country that many people are inclined to believe the Kellys took refuge immediately after the murders were perpe?. When the news came down to Benalla ? ? ? ? ? ? had been stuck up, an impression got abroad that the robbers might probably be the two Kellys and Hart, but there does not appear to be any foundation for the surmise.
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