The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (53)

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CHAPTER XIV

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Ammunition

The Kellys were now well provided with guns, rifles and revolvers.  They also had four suits of armour; all they now wanted was a good supply of ammunition.  The “Outlawry Act” made it a little difficult to buy ammunition in a country town.  It was therefore necessary to go to Melbourne to get a supply.  Rosier’s was the recognised gunshop in Bourke street, Melbourne, and it was arranged that the cousin who helped to make the armour should go with Mrs Skillion and a friend from Glenrowan way.  The three were to go down together.  Mrs Skillion and her cousin blacksmith met the Glenrowan man at Benalla railway station and secured three first-class return tickets to Melbourne.  The three called at Rosier’s in the afternoon; they wanted ammunition; they said they were going on a shooting trip on the Phillip and French Islands in Western Port.  Rosier had all the ammunition they ordered except that required for a certain rifle.  He had some of this class, but not enough.  The party paid for the ammunition and said they would call back again next morning at 11 o’clock, as Rosier promised to have the extra quantity in for the rifle by that time to complete their order.  In order to establish their bona fides, Rosier was paid £2 deposit on the further supply, for which they would call next day.  The Glenrowan friend took the ammunition already secured and left by train that afternoon for Benalla.  He disembarked at Benalla, and that night the ammunition was handed over to the outlaws.

As soon as the party left Rosier’s the latter reported to the police the sale of a large parcel of ammunition.  “They are coming back again tomorrow morning,” said Rosier; “they are sure to return, because they paid me £2 as a deposit on the further supply of rifle cartridges they want.”

Mrs Skillion and the blacksmith had tea at Bobby Burns Hotel, and engaged rooms for the night, they paid for them in advance.  They did not intend to return to this place, but in the event of the police following them to this hotel they would doubtless wait for them to return, just as the police were doing at Rosier’s.  They stayed at another hotel.  Next morning the police came to Rosier’s and planted themselves in the shop ready to pounce upon these unarmed simpletons from the country.  They waited till 11 o’clock in their cramped positions, but as country people are not always punctual, the police made allowances, and waited on and on, but the owner of the £2 deposit did not turn up.  Again and again Rosier assured the police that these country customers would return, as they had paid £2 deposit.

Mrs Skillion and her cousin boarded the evening train at Essendon for Benalla.

By this time the police woke up and wired to Supt Sadleir at Benalla to watch the evening train for the Kelly friends and relatives, and to search the train for ammunition, which under the War Precautions or “Outlawry Act” was contraband of war.  When the train drew into the Benalla railway station Mrs Skillion and Tom Lloyd were detained by the police, while the latter searched the train for ammunition.  No ammunition could be found.  The police then jumped to the conclusion that the packet must have been dropped from the train between Violet Town and Benalla.  Mrs Skillion’s friend had left his horse in a small paddock near the Benalla pumping station.  The police seized this horse as soon as Supt Sadleir received the wire from Melbourne and stabled him in Cobb & Co.’s stables.  When their search of the train failed, the police, feeling somewhat ashamed, told the cousin that they found his horse wandering in the street and “kindly” took charge of him on account of their “good will” for the owner.  The outlaws were now fully equipped with arms and ammunition and with armour; but they were in no hurry yet awhile to levy tribute on the banks.

They attended socials dances among their friends.  On one occasion the outlaws were resting in the Strathbogie Ranges and had arranged with Ben Gould to have a supply of provisions for them when he attended a picnic some distance from Violet Town.  Ben Gould had his tent on the picnic grounds and sold hot saveloys to the public.  Ned Kelly and Joe Byrne walked into his tent.

Ben was thunderstruck when Ned Kelly arrived and said to Ben, “Have you got anything in the back, Ben?” Without answering Ned’s question Ben whispered, “Good gracious, man, don’t you know that there is £2000 on your head?” “Never mind that, Ben, old man,” said Ned, “we’re all right here.” Ben did happen to have “something” in the back and he gave each of the two outlaws a glass of whisky.  Ned and Joe mixed with the crowd.  Some of the Kellys’ friends recognised Ned, and busied themselves in showing their appreciation of the local constable, who, having come from the city, was a stranger in these parts.

The Kellys’ friends flattered the constable and shouted freely for him.  The constable thought that these were the nicest people he had ever met; they were so sociable.  He got pretty full, and as the afternoon advanced, someone suggested dancing on the green.  Good music was available, and Ned Kelly took the merry constable as his partner in a buck set.  Ned thoroughly enjoyed himself, and as the constable had never seen a photograph of Ned Kelly except distorted and extravagant press pictures, and knew for a certainty that the outlaws would not be there, he also enjoyed himself.  The constable had not the slightest suspicion that his arms had been around an outlaw on whose head there was a reward of £2000.  Towards evening the people began to drift away from the grounds.  The constable went home, and Ned and Joe Byrne had a meal with Ben Gould, and then went off with a good supply of rations.  Dan Kelly and Steve Hart could hardly credit Ned’s account of the fun that Joe and himself had had at the picnic.

As a neighbour and her two daughters were returning one night from a dance at Greta they felt somewhat scared on suddenly meeting four horsemen, and in the confusion she pulled up her buggy horse.  One of the horsemen said, “I suppose you thought we were the Kellys.” The lady replied, “We’re not afraid of the Kellys, they would do us no harm; the Kellys are all right.” “You’re right, old woman, the Kellys won’t harm you.” She then recognised the spokesman to be Ned Kelly.  Although police parties were for a time constantly watching the homes of Joe Byrne, Steve Hart and the Kellys, they never seemed to get into close quarters with the outlaws, and if they had been in close quarters with the Kellys the police did not know it. 

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This document gives you the text of this book about the KellyGang. The text has been retyped from a copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. We also apologise for any typographical errors. JJ Kenneally was one of the first authors to tell this story from the KellyGang's point of view