The Last of the Bushrangers Chapter 6 page 4
Story of the KellyGang - the Sup Hare's book
The Last of the Bushrangers.
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The Last of the Bushrangers by Sup Hare
“I am Ned Kelly; Bail Up.”
The proceedings of the three outlaws after leaving the station were as follows. It will be remembered the bank was three miles from Younghusband's station, and they left it at half past three o'clock. These banks as a rule close about this hour, and when the outlaws reached the township the bank door was closed. It was then five minutes to four as Ned Kelly drew up the hawker's cart in front of the bank, sending his brother and Steve Hart to the back of the premises. Ned then knocked at the front door; one of the clerks asked who was there. Kelly replied, “I have a cheque of Mr Macauley's to change; will you please cash it ?” The clerk answered, “It is after hours, and we cannot open the door now;" but Kelly begged so hard, saying it would be a great inconvenience not to get the cash that night, that the clerk opened the door and admitted him. Ned closed the door after him, and at once presented a revolver at his head, and ordered him to "bail up." At the same time Steve Hart, with a revolver in each hand, entered the back-door, and they took possession of the fire-arms that were in the bank.
Ned Kelly went in search of MrScott the manager, and found him in an office adjoining the bank. He stood at the end of the table, at the same time covering Scott with a revolver, and said, “I am Ned Kelly; bail up." Mr Scott's revolver was lying at the other end of the table, and had he picked it up, he would have been shot dead on the spot. Scott did not at first throw up his arms, but they pretty soon made him do so. Ned Kelly then went back to the bank, and left Hart in charge of Scott, and ransacked the place, and took possession of all the cash that had been in use during the day, which amounted to between £300 and £400 in notes, gold, and silver.
Kelly’s Politeness
Kelly next went over the private apartments where Mr Scott's family and servants were, and Scott cautioned him concerning his behaviour towards them, thereupon Hart at once pointed his revolver at his head, and told him to be careful how he addressed Kelly. Mrs Scott was not the least alarmed when she found out who her visitors were, and began chaffing Kelly, and telling him he was a much better looking man than she fancied he would be; but he was most polite towards her, and told her he wanted her with all the family to get ready to take a drive to Mr Younghusband's station, three miles off. Mrs Scott at once obeyed his commands, and told all the children and servants to put on their hats, as they were all obliged to go for a drive. Kelly went tack into the bank, and told Scott he knew there was more money in the bank, and he insisted upon having it. The accountant opened the safe, and Kelly took £1500 in notes, 300 sovereigns, £90 in silver, and thirty ounces of gold-dust. He then went into the strong-room, but left the bills and securities undisturbed. Kelly often said whilst in the bank, that it was no use resisting them, as he had eight armed men outside the bank, and he could call them to his assistance; but this was only "blow."
Mrs Scott afterwards told me that when Kelly spoke to her, she could hardly believe he could be the person he represented himself to be; he was a tall, handsome man, well dressed (with the hawker's clothes on), and spoke so kindly to her. She once or twice said, "Oh, nonsense, you are not that-bloodthirsty villain you have been represented to be." I might here state, that after the murders at the Wombat, the description of the outlaws was circulated all over the colony, and special measures were taken to protect the banks, and all kinds of weapons were supplied to their officers. It was feared that they would stick up one of these institutions, and Euroa was one of the most likely to be attacked; and yet the ease with which the whole affair was conducted appears to an outsider almost ridiculous.
The gang, having secured all the cash and arms in the bank, commenced to make preparations for their departure, and return to Mr Younghusband's station. Provision had to be made for the carting away of the whole household, which consisted of Mr and Mrs Scott, two bank clerks, Mrs Scott's mother, and seven children and two servants. Kelly went to Scott, and said, "You have such a large household, I must have your buggy; go and put your horse in it." Scott refused to do this, saying his groom was out, and told Kelly he had better do it himself. Kelly replied, "Well, I will do it myself." He accordingly harnessed the horse, and put Mrs Scott and family into the buggy, she driving it; and before starting away Ned kelly, seeing that Mrs Scott was so little scared at their presence, said to her, "Now, none of your larks."
Return from Euroa
He then told Mr Scott he would have to go with him in the hawker's waggon; but before leaving the bank, Mr Scott invited the bushrangers to have a drink of whisky with him, which they accepted, making Mr Scott drink first, for fear of the liquor being drugged. They all drank each other's health. The remainder of the party were divided, and put equally in the three conveyances. The hawker'a waggon came first, with Dan kelly driving, next came Mrs Scott with her own buggy, and Ned Kelly drove the other cart, with Steve Hart bringing up the rear on horseback. When driving along, Mr Scott and Ned Kelly had a long conversation, and he told the bank manager all about the shooting of the police at the Wombat, and showed him the gold presentation watch he had taken from Sergeant Eennedy's body, and said, "It was I who shot Constable Lonergan." Scott asked Kelly what Hart would have done to him when he threatened to strike him in the bank; his reply was, “He would have shot you dead on the spot." Whilst travelling along to the station, and when about a quarter of a mile from Euroa, they had to pass the cemetery; they observed a large party of people returning from a funeral, and these people were walking towards the cavalcade.
Ned Kelly took his revolvers from his belt and looked at Mrs Scott, with a peculiar expression on his face, as much as to say, the first person who gives the alarm will be the first to die. The returning funeral party passed them without taking the least notice of them, and so they continued their journey. Mr Scott asked Kelly which road he intended taking Kelly replied, "Oh, the country belongs to us, we can go any road we like." Scott asked Kelly to dlive, as he knew the road, but he refused this request. The road was very bad, and the cart going up a steep bank upset. Scott ran to the horse's head, and Kelly lifted out one of the servants; they got the cart up and made a fresh start. The money stolen from the bank was lying in the cart which Kelly drove. On arriving at the station all the males were put in the store-room, and the females and children were allowed to go into the house.
It was then half past five o'clock . The gang began to make preparations for starting off, when a train was seen approaching from Euroa. It pulled up opposite the station, with the intention of picking up the line repairer Watts, who had been left at this spot an hour or so before. Ned Kelly called out, "Here comes a special train with bobbies, but we are ready for them, we don't care how many there are, we can fight them." The train after waiting a short time moved on; the driver, not seeing Watts anywhere, started for Benalla.
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