The Argus at KellyGang 13/5/1879 (2)
REPORTED APPEARANCE OF THE KELLYS
[BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH]
(FROM OUR OWN REPORTER)
DANDENONG. MONDAY
On Sunday night the district of Dandenong was thrown into a condition of great excitement in consequence of information which came to hand leading to the belief that the Kelly gang were too hotly pursued by the police in the vicinity of their old haunts, and were endeavouring to make their escape towards country in which they were not so well known. Shortly before 7oclock, when the residents of the district were making their way to the churches of the various denominations having pastors resident here, Mr Wooster, a state school teacher, who resides at Narreewarren, rode into the township, and in great alarm in- formed the police that the Kellys had made their appearance at the Emerald diggings. He stated that the authority upon which he made the assertion w as the statement made to him by a selector named Milliard, who lives near the diggings, which are situated about 16 miles from this place, to the elect that on Thursday last a man with a swagger ing habit came to his place and demanded food. Milliard at first refused to supply him, when the man opened his coat and, displaying a belt stuck full of revolvers, announced that he was Ked Kelly. Milliard then complied with his request, and gave him food. The reason he kept the fact so long to himself was that he promised the man he would not say any thing about it, as the presumed outlaw intimated that if he did so he would be shot. Wooster also said that there were four other mounted men at the place at all hours. The man also told Milliard that he had lost a horse, branded GP or JP, which he had stolen from a man named Hutton, at a township in the neighbourhood of Wangaratta. Constables Hayes and Keegan, who are in charge of the station here, at once telegraphed to the Richmond depot, and to-day Superintendent Hare, with a party of troopers, carne out early in the morning. Having heard the statement made by Wooster, Superintendent Hare decided upon going out in the direction indicated, but on going out to Milliards selection it was ascertained that the whole affair had been greatly exaggerated, and that the idea of the Kellys being in the neighbourhood was very improbable. It happened that an armed man did stick up Milliard's hut, and represented himself to be Ned Kelly, and that he said there were four other men in ambush close at hand. His description, however, does not coincide with that of the outlaw, and there is no doubt but that the offender is some adventurous scoundrel passing himself off as one of the Kelly gang. Superinten dent Hare was so convinced of this, that after ascertaining the real facts of the case he started to night with his party for Melbourne. To-morrow a party will start from Dandenong m pursuit of the man, and another party will set out from Berwick, so that doubtless the offender will be captured. Despite the result of to day's investigation, an opinion generally prevails here that the Kellys are not far off, and both the police and the residents of the district are fully armed and constantly on the alert, expecting a visit from the outlaws. There can, however, be no question but that the man who was seen has nothing whatever to do with the gang.
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