The True Story of the KellyGang of Bushrangers Chapter 9 page 3

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Accordingly Mr Nicolson on December 10 telegraphed to the officer in charge at Albury asking him to meet him that evening. He telegraphed also to the Commissioner, informing him of the move, and he and Mr Sadlier at eight o’clock in the evening went down to the railway station to take the Sydney train for the border. On the platform they met Mr Wyatt, a police magistrate for the North Eastern District, and noticed immediately that he was in a most excited state. He appeared to be concealing something beneath his coat, and, calling to Mr Nicolson to accompany him, he rushed into the nearest room on the railway station, which proved to be the ladies’ waiting room, and, as he himself said, he felt very much shocked at the necessity of excluding ladies from it. However, he closed the door and did so, also excluding Mr Sadlier, who employed himself unsuccessfully in trying to discover from the railway officials the cause of the excitement while Mr Wyatt communicated his news to Mr Nicolson. It was to the effect that the telegraph wires were broken down between Euroa and Violet Town , apparently cut with some sharp instrument, and Mr Wyatt believed it was the work of the Kellys. In support of his statement he showed Mr Nicolson several broken ends of the wires, which he had obtained earlier in the day from the place where the smash had occurred. Mr Wyatt and Mr Nicolson presently issued from the room and for a minute or two the conversation continued, Mr Wyatt asking the police officers if his news would alter their plans. He was in an extremely perturbed state, and his want of calmness did not impress Mr Nicolson with the weight of his communication, more especially as the guard and the driver of the train assured him that there was nothing wrong—a circumstance arising from the fact that Mr Wyatt, in his zeal for the public welfare, had given them the most emphatic orders not to create any alarm. If questioned about the broken telegraph line, they were to say, ‘It looks like a whirlwind;’ and unfortunately Mr Wyatt neglected to make an exception of the police officers when he urged the railway men to preserve a calm and unconcerned demeanour to everybody. His own evident perturbation did something to atone, but he himself also forgot in the hurried conversation to supply Mr Nicolson with several important details which might have affected the police officer’s judgment. The result was that to Mr Wyatt’s question, ‘Will this alter your plans?’ Mr Nicolson replied, ‘No; it will not alter them;’ and with Mr Sadlier he entered the train and proceeded on the journey to Albury.

The whole conversation had taken very few minutes. Telegraph lines were frequently broken in that district. No one but Mr Wyatt seemed to have an inkling of anything wrong. The police officers were on what they considered an important quest, and even had the Kellys cut the wires it might very well have been to prevent reports of their flight across the Murray reaching Melbourne.

It was unfortunate that Mr Wyatt was not more explicit, for he had really important news beyond the breaking of the wires to impart. Going by luggage train from Violet Town to Euroa on that day, December 10, shortly after the train left the station he was addressed by a telegraph repairer named Watt, from Benalla, who came along the foot plate and told him the wires were down. Mr Wyatt and Watt agreed to keep a look out on either side of the train, and about eight miles from Violet Town, and three and three quarters from Euroa, which is on the south of Melbourne side, Mr Wyatt saw that a considerable length of wire and six posts were down. This was opposite a station homestead named Faithfull’s Creek, which lies in full view of and only a few hundred yards from the railway line. Watt came again along the footplate to Mr Wyatt, telling him it was impossible to mend the line without further material and assistance, and asking Mr Wyatt to send a message for him to Melbourne . Then, the train slowing down, Watt jumped off the footplate and the train went on to Euroa, while the repairer walked towards the Faithfull’s Creek homestead.

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This document gives you the text of the report about the KellyGang for this day. 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. This document is subject to copyright.

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