THE KELLYS.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1080, 21 January 1879, Page 6

THE KELLYS.

EUEOA BANK BOBBERY — AN INCIDENT. On of the most thrilling incidents of >he Euroa bank robbery, writes the Bennlla correspondent of the 'Daly Telegraph,' has yet to be recorded. Mr Goruiau, the railway htation master, itappi-ars, weutaci-o^s to the bank a few minutes after 4 o'clock and knocked at the door for admission Not receiving a reply, he repeated the knock ; still no answer. He then went into De Boos's hotel, and asked if the clerks were in their rooms, or anywhere abouf, to which M rs De Boos rep ied in the negative. He then returned to the bank, aud knocked more loudly than before, which was not responded to, whereupon he withdrew. It now appears that, when Mr Gorman first knocked, Nkl Kelly, having the whole of the institution bailed up inside, said to Hart, "Steve, guard the front doer." This he did by tafeiug his position behind the door, holding his revolver iv readiness to shoot any one who might be unfortunate enough t > turn the handle, as the door w«s not locked. Mr Gorman says he did not try the door because of the silence inside. I tiring the whole of this time the boy Becroft, who is a native oi LongwGod, and employed by the hawkdr to drive a second vehicle, was seated in the waggoi.ette, and waiti g a few yaids from the door that Mr Gorman was knocking at. ' This lad had every opportunity, of apprising the whole of the inhabitants iv that part of the township without the slightest risk on his own part, and if he had done so do doubt the ruffians would have been apprehended.^ it was/ Mr Gorman narrowly^ escaped being shot and the gang got ■off*- with their prisoners, as already described.^ ; - • • The movements of Miss Kelly, who exhibits so strong an attachment to her brother Ned, -'are (remarks tlie 'Herald ') being .closely- watched 'by the police. In spite of all their vigilance, however^ she contrives to elude them, nor can they discover whither she goes or whence the re-

turns. It appears that frequently she | leaves her home at midnight on a fleet j horse, and rides at full gallop through the \ bu>h. To follow her in these perilous jj rides is impossible. She is seen to appear rapidly in ?aiiou« places wh.ch are miles \ B part. Morning fiuds her io \ midday at Bena la, and evening at Violet 1 Town. She is reported, as hating beea 1 seen up the King Kiver and in the Strath- f bogie almost simultaneously. No one \ doubts that Miss Kelly is in constant | communication with the outlaws, but it is j difficult, to procure legil evidence of the j fict. Could this be done, her arrest under | the Outlawry Act would certainly be ac« | complished without hesitation. kellt's letter to the vicToaiiir GOVEENMENT. A. Melbourne paper has the following : — The long- talked-of letter written by Edward Kelly was presented by the recipient, I Mr I). Cameron, M.L A. to Mr Graham Berry at the Treasury yesterday. The Premier, on perusing the effusion, considered that n>> .goo'J could, pdssbly fo low its publication, whilst it might have the effect of still further inflating the vanity of the ruffianly writer, who, at the foot of the epistle, signs himself, in red ink, ''Edward Kelly, enforced outlaw." The scoundrel, in the letter, accuses certain membr rs of th* police force of having committed grave offences against the chastity of certain female members of his family, .'and. more' particularly-- .mentions the name of trooper Fitzpatiitjk, whose evidence was mainly instrumental in convicting Mrs Kelly, of the murderous assault made upon him in connection with the attempted arrest of Dan Kelly, in April last. .' Edward" Kelly accuses the police of having do«g«d him for years pasl, without any just cause, and he attributes the murder of Sergeant Kennedy and Constables Lannigan and Scanlan to these ciruurastauces. The outlaw, whose penmanship is by no moans bad, with the most unblushing effrontery, and in the coolest manner, alludes to the assassinations, and states that murder was not contemplated by the gang— who merely, according to his statement", desired to possess themselves of the ill fated troopers' arms and ammunition. The letter goes on to recapitulate the fearful scene of the three murders, and his account in the main agrees with the statements already given by Constable M'lntyre, the only survivor of the party who were despatched from Melbourne to arrest himself and his bro her Dan. The dehpecado insists that the wrongs which he alleges his sisters have sustained at the hand* of certain constables bhall he righted, and hints that if this plea be not attended to, still more sanguinary acts will , be committed by himself and his confederates. Kelly does not ask for pardon, either for himself or his fellow-murderers. , ■

MOVEMENTS OF THE GA.NG.

The Alexandra correspondent of the * Argus' telegraphs the following communication .: — " In some telegrams I sent to the 'Argus' a few days ago, I menlioned about one of Kelly's gang being seen between Yea and Seymour. The report has since turned out to be correct, as I have been informed a. hut in the Switzerland .Ranges for a week, while the party of police under senior-constable Irvine were searching within a tew miles of them. The Kellys left their hidingplace last week, and it is supposed that they made direct for Mansfield, as early one morning four horsemen, each carrying a gun before him on the saddle, we-e. &ecu galloping at a rapid pace through Molesworth towards Alexandra, The person who saw them says he feels certain that they were the Kellys from the description of the men and the arms they carried ; but as it wasonly just daybreak when he saw them, and as they rode very fast, he could not get more than a passing glimpse at their faces. This.Btatement is confirmed 'by 'a report that four men, all well armed- and having three h*y horses and a gray, were seen on the s:»rae day near Yarck, and about eight miles from Alexandra. If these men were Kelly's gang it would seem as if they were making almost directly back to their old haunts, as by crossing the Puzzle Banges, near Merlon, they could . tlien very easily »et to either the Strathbogie or King Kiver ranges. While writing on. the .; subject of the Kellys, I may mentionsome particulars which have reached me, and which may, perhaps, be interesting to ytiur readers. It wisl be remembered that some articles of female clothing — a hat, veil, &c. — were found at Younghusband's station after the Kellys had left. I'h.ese^ it afterwards transpired, were worn by Steve Hart, one of the gang, who was in the habit of going about in female atti'e, in order to reconnoitre and. get all the intelligence possible of the movements of the police. Hart usually went on horseback, and his slender figureand boyish face, together with his general good looks, gave him altogether the appearance of a woman, and dressed as such he was in Jamiesbn a few days before the Euroa robbery without being recognised by any oue j and f l have been toid also he actually walked through the police in Mansfield, and then rode away towards the Wombat, leading another horse, which he was taking to his mates. He was * met -a . few miles . from Mansfield by some persons, who, surprised at; seeing, as th^y thought, a lady riding out attended in that direction, in* quired if he was not afraid of meeting Kelly's gang, to which H*rt replied itiat he was not| nor*bf meeting the police either, as he had plenty of arms, . at the same time displaying two revolvers. He. then gal oped away, leaving the he met in a 'state of wonderment at the courage, of, as they thought, a young lady returning alone into the stronghold of the bushrangers,"