The Police at Euroa--Aaron Sherritt--Jerilderie--Capture of the
Police Station and Constables--Amateur Policemen--The Royal Hotel
stuck up--Raid on the Bank of New South Wales--£2000 taken--Kelly's
Autobiography--His Account of the Fitzpatrick Affair--Departure of the
Gang--Return to their Haunts.
Very shortly before the Euroa Bank robbery, news came to hand that the
outlaws were about to make an attempt to leave Victoria, and cross the
Murray into New South Wales. The description of the place of crossing
and other details were given in such a circumstantial manner, that it
convinced both the inspecting superintendent and the officer in charge
of the district that the Kellys were to cross the Murray on the night
of the 9th December 1878. The inspecting superintendent went to Albury,
and he had hardly arrived there when he received a telegram, stating
that the bank at Euroa had been stuck up by the outlaws. He immediately
took a special train to Euroa. Before the arrival of the inspecting
superintendent a party of police were on the ground, and were waiting
for daylight in order to find which direction the outlaws had taken.
The police had some black trackers with them, but these were of little
use, being Victorian blacks, whose sense of sight and sagacity had been
destroyed by drink. All day long search was made, but no trace of the
outlaws could be obtained. The police were sent in every direction,
trying to find out some tidings of the outlaws, but without effect.
Some of the men were so knocked up from want of sleep, and the heat,
that it was thought many of them would have to go into hospital. The
inspecting superintendent was also exhausted with the hardships he had
gone through, and was suffering from bad eyes to such an extent, that
Captain Standish had to relieve him.
The day after the Bank robbery took place Captain Standish started for
Euroa. When he got there he found the inspecting superintendent so ill
that he telegraphed for me to come up and take his place, ordering
me to report myself at Euroa that evening. I did so. On my arrival I
heard the statements concerning the robbery, and endeavoured to obtain
all the information about the outlaws I could possibly gather. The
whole community were perfectly scared at what had taken place, and
rumours were coming in from all quarters concerning persons being seen
answering the descriptions of the outlaws.
When the bushrangers appeared at Euroa they were riding three bay
horses and one grey. Every report that came to hand had to be inquired
into and reported on, otherwise complaints were made that the police
took no notice of information furnished to them. The most absurd
statements were made, too ridiculous to be noticed. For instance, a
squatter sent in word to Benalla that the Kelly gang were shooting
parrots near his garden. The messenger who conveyed the information
was told to go and inform the police as fast as his horse could carry
him. The officer in charge of the district sent the messenger back,
and told him to tell his master that he must be mad to send in such an
absurd message. The officer sent a constable to inquire who the people
were that were shooting birds, and found them to be a survey party.
The squatter was under the impression that no inquiries were made
concerning his report, and afterwards wished to bring a charge against
the officer for not capturing the Kellys when he had sent word to him
where they were to be found, and to this day he believes that if
steps had been taken on that occasion the outlaws would then have been
arrested.
On another occasion a message was wired one Sunday morning to Melbourne
to the late Chief Justice, that the gang had been in Mrs. Rowe's
garden cutting cabbages, near Euroa, and similar reports were daily
being made, all of which had to be inquired into. At the same time
information would be sent in that the Kellys were to be found at the
head of some of the rivers, in a country quite unoccupied, and that
they were living on wild cattle, away from all their friends, some 150
miles from Benalla. From time to time reliable information was obtained
that they were seen in different parts, and the spies and agents
employed were hearing of them.
[Illustration: Aaron Sherritt.]
The first active step I took, after I had been round the district and
had obtained all the information I could, was to go to Beechworth to
meet a well-known friend and bush telegraph of the gang, named Aaron
Sherritt. He was a splendid man, tall, strong, hardy, but a most
outrageous scoundrel. It was well known that he and Joe Byrne and Ned
Kelly had been connected with each other in no end of horse-stealing
cases, and that after the murders he had befriended the gang before
they went to the Murray, as before stated. He had supplied them with
food, and guarded them against surprise. I had never seen Sherritt
until that evening, and somehow or other I made a most wonderful
impression upon him. I had some drink with him, and saw that my
influence over him was very great. After being in his company a couple
of hours, and undertaking to give him the £4000 reward that had been
offered for the apprehension of the outlaws, I got him to promise he
would show me where they were to be found. He told me Joe Byrne and
Dan Kelly had called at his house two days before, and wanted him to
accompany them to New South Wales, where they intended to rob another
bank; but he was not certain which place it would be, he thought they
were going to Goulburn, at least they told him so. He said he declined
going with them, and they pressed him very hard, but he refused; they
told him they wanted him to do the scouting for them. We doubted the
truth of this statement, but at once made inquiries, and found that Joe
Byrne and Dan Kelly had been seen by others going in the direction of
the Murray a couple of days before, and they had called for supplies
at a shanty where Byrne was well known. This information was furnished
to the police on the New South Wales side of the Murray, and they
were told that Goulburn was the probable place they would make for, as
the Kellys had a number of relations there. About a week after this,
news was telegraphed that the outlaws had stuck up the township of
Jerilderie, and robbed the bank, on the 11th February 1879.
Jerilderie is a town about sixty miles from the Murray river on the
New South Wales side of the border. It had a population at that time
of about 300 inhabitants; there were three or four hotels, one bank, a
police station with two mounted constables named Devine and Richards,
and a telegraph station. The police station is situated some little
distance outside the township.
About midnight on Saturday the 9th of February, Ned Kelly, Joe Byrne,
Steve Hart, and Dan Kelly surrounded the police station, which was
all in darkness, the constables having retired to their beds, when
they were awoke by some one calling out--"Constable Devine, there is
a drunken man at Davidson's hotel in the township who has committed
a murder. Get up at once all of you." Constable Richards, who was up
first, came outside, followed immediately afterwards by Devine, both
being undressed and unarmed. Ned Kelly began to tell these men there
was a great row in the township, and after conversing with them for
some time, to make sure there were no other constables inside, he
suddenly presented two revolvers at Devine's head, Joe Byrne doing the
same to Constable Richards. The outlaws immediately procured the keys
of the lock-up, took the two policemen and lodged them in their own
watch-house, and locked the door. Having secured the constables, they
attended to their horses, which had been left outside the station;
they put them in the police stables, fed them well, and left them
secure for the night. Whilst this was going on Ned Kelly went into the
police station, secured all the arms belonging to the police, made the
constable's wife and family go into one room, and placed Steve Hart as
sentry over them, telling them if they gave the slightest alarm, that
the two constables who were in the lock-up would be the first persons
to be shot, and they themselves would also suffer the same death. The
outlaws then made themselves as comfortable as they could, leaving one
of their number on sentry until daylight on Sunday morning.
During all that day Mrs. Devine was allowed to go about the station
as usual, so as not to raise any suspicion that anything unusual was
going on. Ned Kelly ascertained from her, that it was her custom to
clean out the church and prepare the place for service, and Joe Byrne
was sent to this place of worship with Mrs. Devine, whilst she carried
out her usual duties there. This took about half an hour, and they both
returned to the station. No one called at the station during the day;
had they done so, they would have been pounced upon and secured in the
lock-up so as to prevent an alarm being given. The people attended
service as usual, but no one came near the station.
Dan Kelly and Steve Hart had dressed themselves up in the police
uniform, and walked about the station in a most conspicuous manner, and
without attracting any attention. In the afternoon Joe Byrne dressed
himself in police uniform, and with Steve Hart also in that dress, took
Constable Richards out of the lock-up to accompany them round the town,
in order that they might be made aware of the positions of hotels,
bank, &c. They ordered the constable, in case any one came up and spoke
to him, to introduce them as new constables about to be stationed
there. Their walk lasted about an hour, and they again returned to the
police barracks. Nothing of any note took place during the evening and
Sunday night. Monday morning Joe Byrne, in uniform, took two of their
horses to be shod by the police farrier in the township; he waited
until they were shod, and then took them back to the police station.
About eleven o'clock, after locking up the policeman's wife and
children with Constable Devine, they took out Constable Richards. Ned
Kelly and Dan Kelly dressed in uniform, and walked to the township,
followed by Hart and Byrne on horse-back. They first went to the Royal
Hotel, owned by a Mr. Cox, when Constable Richards introduced Ned Kelly
to Mr. Cox as Ned Kelly, who told the landlord he wanted to secure some
rooms in the hotel, and that he also intended robbing the bank, but
he did not want to injure any one. Ned Kelly placed the other three
in certain positions, and gave each of them their instructions. Hart
was placed inside the large dining-room, which was used as a room of
detention, and every person who came near the hotel throughout the day
was placed in this room, and all prisoners captured were taken over and
kept in safety in this apartment. Byrne went to the back part of the
establishment and collected all the servants, and made prisoners of
them.
After this was done, they devoted their attentions to the Bank of
New South Wales, in which there were three officers--Mr. Jarleton,
manager, Mr. Living, accountant, and Mr. Mackin, sub-accountant.
Mr. Living was the only one in the bank. He heard some footsteps
approaching from the back-yard, and turned round thinking it was Mr.
Jarleton, when he saw a man close to him. He immediately asked this
man, who had already levelled his revolver at him, who he was. His
reply was "the Kelly gang," and he at once called on him to "bail up."
This man afterwards turned out to be Joe Byrne. Byrne then ordered
him to deliver up what fire-arms he had. Mackin, who was standing
outside the bank in the street, hearing voices, went inside, and Byrne
immediately ordered him to jump over the counter, at the same time
pointing two revolvers at him; this order he obeyed at once. Byrne then
told the two bank officials they must accompany him to Cox's hotel,
remarking at the same time they had all the police stuck up. The three
then went to the hotel, where they met Ned Kelly, who asked for Mr.
Jarleton, and was told he was in his dressing-room. Ned Kelly and Byrne
went back to the bank, but could not find him. Ned Kelly returned to
Cox's and brought back Mr. Living, telling him he had better find him.
Living found him in his bath, and said, "Mr. Jarleton, we are stuck up,
the Kellys are here, and the police are also stuck up." Byrne then
brought over Dan Kelly, and left him in the bath-room in charge of the
manager. Ned then took charge of Living, led him into the bank, and
asked him what money they had in their keeping. Living replied, "There
is between six and seven hundred pounds." Kelly replied, "You must
have at least £10,000 here." Living then handed him the teller's cash,
amounting to £691.
At this time a Mr. Elliot, the local school-master, entered the bank,
quite unconscious of what was going on within, when Ned Kelly covered
him with two revolvers and ordered him to get over the counter. Mr.
Elliot replied he was unable to get over, but Kelly pretty soon made
him do so. Kelly then tried to put the money into a bag, but it not
being large enough to hold it, he got a bag of his own at the hotel and
put the money in that. Kelly asked Living if they had any more money,
and was told they had not. Kelly then went to the safe and asked what
was in it, and Living said nothing of any value. Kelly insisted upon
it being opened, and Living gave him one of the keys. Byrne wished to
smash the safe, but Ned Kelly brought in the manager, who had been
taken over to the hotel, and compelled him to give up the second key.
The safe was then opened, when the sum of £1450 was taken out and
placed in the bag.
Kelly then took down a large tin box from the shelf; he was told it was
full of documents which were of no use. He replied, "Then I will burn
them;" but Mr. Jarleton begged of him not to do so. Kelly took out one
bundle of papers and put them in his pocket. He then told Mr. Jarleton
he intended burning all the books in the office; however, he left the
documents in the tin box, saying, "I will return directly and examine
them all." They all then went to the hotel. Dan Kelly was in the bar,
and Ned took him and another of the party to the back of the premises,
made a fire, and burned four of the bank-books. I might mention here
that Ned Kelly always posed as a friend of the working-man, and all
they wanted was bank money, and not that of private individuals; and
in all their exploits, if any of the gang had taken a watch, or stolen
anything from a private individual, when complained of Ned had made
them return it to the person from whom it was stolen. In this manner he
was looked upon as a great hero, and gained a number of sympathizers,
so in burning the books of the bank he thought he was protecting the
poor man, as against the bank.
About this time a Mr. Rankin and a Mr. Gill, seeing the bank door
open, went in, and they were immediately followed by Ned Kelly, who
ordered them to "bail up." They at once grasped the situation, Rankin
running into the hotel followed by Kelly, while Gill made off in
another direction. The latter was the local newspaper proprietor, the
former a well-to-do merchant, and a Justice of the Peace. When Kelly
got up to Rankin he asked him why he had run away when he had ordered
him to stand; he caught Rankin very roughly by the collar of his coat,
and ordered him into the passage away from the other prisoners, telling
him to straighten himself up, as he intended to shoot him, and levelled
his revolver at him. Several of the prisoners called out to Ned Kelly
not to fire, and he did not do so. He then called Hart by the name
of "Revenge," and ordered him to shoot the first man who showed any
signs of resistance, then addressing Rankin said, "If you attempt to
move, you will be the first man to be shot." Mr. Rankin was a splendid
able-bodied man, but without fire-arms in his possession he was
powerless, and had to submit to be thus treated. Kelly then went and
directed his attention to Mr. Gill, and in company with Mr. Richards
and Mr. Living went to look for him. The policeman had his revolver
with him, but Kelly had previously drawn the cartridges. They sent
to Gill's house, and saw his wife; Kelly said to her, "Where is your
husband?" She replied, "He has run away." Kelly then said, "I have a
statement here which contains a little part of my life, and I want it
published by Mr. Gill, will you take it?" She declined to do so.
Mr. Living then took the paper from Kelly, promising to have it
published. The bushrangers then turned their attention to the telegraph
office; they removed all the clerks from the office, and took them over
to the hotel and put them amongst the other prisoners. Byrne remained
in the office and overhauled all the messages that had been despatched
that day. Kelly then returned and found Byrne in charge; he had cut all
the wires, and Ned Kelly broke the insulators with his revolver. Ned
Kelly told the telegraph master, Mr. Jefferson, that if he attempted
to mend the wires before next day, or offer any resistance to himself
or companions, he would shoot him; he also told him that he intended
to take him a few miles into the bush when he left, and then liberate
him but this he did not do. Kelly informed the company who were in the
hotel, that he intended sticking up the Urana coach that night, and
he would shoot any one who would warn the driver, but Mr. Jarleton
succeeded in dispatching a messenger to Urana directly the outlaws
left, to warn the banks against surprise. But this was only a ruse on
their part, they never stuck up the coach, nor went near Urana. When
Mr. Jarleton was found in his bath he had just returned from a long
ride of forty miles. He stated, when Living told him they were stuck
up, he thought it was a hoax they were playing on him, but when he saw
Kelly and Byrne with revolvers in each hand, he saw the mistake he had
made. Mr. Jarleton made some inquiries of Hart as to the movements of
the gang, but after answering one or two, he pointed his revolver at
him, and in an angry tone replied, "You had better stop asking such
questions."
Hart and Dan Kelly stood sentry a greater part of the day with a
revolver in each hand, and the former evinced a great desire to shoot
somebody in the room. Throughout the day every one who came near the
hotel for any purpose was captured and detained. Occasionally one of
the gang would take a walk up the street. Ned Kelly went into another
hotel kept by a Mr. McDougall, entered into conversation with several
people there, and said, "Any one can shoot me, but they would have to
abide the consequences, as every inhabitant in the town would be shot."
Hart, who always was a thief and sneak, took a new saddle from a
saddler's shop, and he also relieved several men of their watches,
but when the owners complained to Ned Kelly and Byrne he was ordered
to return them. Ned Kelly and his lieutenant Joe Byrne showed great
judgment in the manner they carried out the whole affair. Ned Kelly
took from McDougall's stable a blood mare, and promised to return it in
three weeks, which of course he never did. He also took a saddle and
bridle and pair of spurs belonging to Mr. Jarleton from the bank, also
a pair of riding-trousers, gold watch and chain. This saddle was put on
the blood mare, and Dan Kelly mounted it and rode away to try it, and
returned shortly afterwards.
About six o'clock in the evening the gang began to make preparations
for a start, but before doing so, Ned Kelly made a speech to those
who had been confined in the hotel, with the evident intention of
exciting pity. He said that on the occasion when Constable Fitzpatrick
was wounded, he was not within 400 miles of his mother's place; he
said he had stolen 400 horses from a squatter's run, named Mr. Whilty,
at various times, and had sold them, but beyond this, up to the time
he shot the police at the Wombat, he had not been guilty of any
other crime. Kelly showed those present his revolvers, and pointed
out one which he said was the property of Constable Lonergan, and
further stated, that the musket with which he shot Lonergan was an
old, worn-out, crooked thing. Kelly then took Constable Richards from
amongst the prisoners and walked to the police station.
At about seven o'clock Byrne mounted his horse and started off alone
in the direction of the Murray river, leading a pack-horse with the
treasure strapped across the saddle. This was one of the policeman's
horses, which they took with them. Shortly afterwards Ned Kelly
mounted, leading another police horse, returned to Cox's hotel, and
told all the prisoners they might go home, and he now released them. He
left Constables Devine and Richards in the lock-up, with orders they
were not to be released for some hours. Dan Kelly and Hart, before they
left, rode up and down the chief street of the town flourishing their
revolvers over their heads, and singing at the top of their voices, and
then started in the same direction as the other bushrangers had done.
They must have all met at some appointed place, for they called at a
station some twenty miles distant from Jerilderie, and threatened to
shoot the owner for something he had done against them.
When Mr. Gill bolted from the bank, he went to the creek close by,
and remained hidden there all day, and until the gang left the town.
Both Kellys left the township wearing the police clothing. With
regard to the documents Ned Kelly left with Mr. Living for Mr. Gill
to publish, it was sent to the Government of Victoria, and I read it.
It was a tissue of lies from beginning to end, a wandering narrative
full of insinuations and complaints against the police, and of the
type familiar to all who have had experience of tales which men of the
criminal stamp are in the habit of telling; it is as impossible to
prevent these men from lying as it is from stealing.
According to Ned Kelly, his criminal career commenced when he
was fourteen years old, and received a sentence of three months'
imprisonment for using a neighbour's horse without his consent, as he
put it. After this, convictions were frequent, and, says Kelly, "The
police became a nuisance to the family." At one period of his life
Kelly described himself as a "wandering gamester." He states in this
document, "When the affray with Fitzpatrick took place, the constable
came to apprehend my innocent brother Dan. My mother asked him if
he had a warrant, he replied he had a telegram. My mother said to
Fitzpatrick, 'If my son Ned was here he would chuck you out of the
house.' Dan looked out of the window and said, 'Here he comes.' The
constable turned suddenly round to look out of the window, when Dan
jumped up and seized the constable, and in the scuffle Fitzpatrick was
shot through his wrist."
I quote this fully because certain newspapers in the colony published
statements to the effect that Fitzpatrick had acted improperly towards
Kate Kelly, and that had caused Dan Kelly to shoot Fitzpatrick, and
that Ned Kelly took up his sister's cause. By this means they obtained
no end of sympathy from the general public, whereas there was not
one word of truth in the accusation. And Ned Kelly, not only in the
statement that he gave to Mr. Living, in which he said this was a pure
invention, but also after his capture, stated distinctly there was not
one word of truth in the accusation made against Fitzpatrick; "for,"
said Ned Kelly, "if there had been, I would not have been a man had
I not shot him on the spot." But from Ned Kelly's own narrative it
is apparent that these charges were pure inventions, made solely for
the purpose of raising sympathy for these murderers. It was admitted
that Fitzpatrick was resisted and assaulted while in the execution of
his duty. An account is given in this statement of Ned Kelly's of
the terrible tragedy at Mansfield, but it is obviously a string of
falsehoods, and it would be quite improper to have it published, but
he admitted that the police were not in any way the aggressors at the
Wombat, but were surprised and shot down in cold blood.
The outlaws, after the Jerilderie bank robbery, evidently returned back
to their mountain retreats in Victoria. No end of Bank of New South
Wales notes were in circulation shortly afterwards, but the numbers of
the stolen notes were not known, beyond the fact, that the head office
at Sydney had sent these identical notes to Jerilderie for circulation,
but no account was kept of the notes that were paid out of the bank.
Hence no prosecution could be instituted, as the bank officials could
not swear the notes found in the possession of the friends of the
outlaws had not been paid over the counter. Notwithstanding that all
the wires of the telegraph lines were cut at Jerilderie, and the
outlaws departed from there at seven o'clock, at nine o'clock that
night I received a wire at Benalla from Jerilderie informing me of all
the facts of the matter. I at once took steps to give instructions to
all crossing-places on the Murray river to keep a sharp look out, and
sent men during the night to every known crossing-place, to endeavour
to effect their capture, but all to no effect. The distance between
Jerilderie and Benalla, where I was stationed, was over 100 miles, and
the first tidings we heard of their return was that Dan Kelly was seen
two or three days after the bank robbery making back to the mountains
in this colony, some fifteen miles from Beechworth.
I have written fully on the subject of this bank robbery, because
the plans were well laid, and everything carried out in such an able
manner. I am indebted to the newspapers of the day for refreshing my
recollection of the facts that took place after the bank robbery, as I
did not like to trust to my memory as to the numerous incidents that
occurred during that exciting time.
The Government of New South Wales, together with the banks of that
colony, offered an additional reward of £1000 for the apprehension
of each of the outlaws, making the sum offered by the two colonies
£8000. Sherritt told me, at my first interview with him, that he was
the principal agent of the outlaws in that part of the district,
and everything that was known about them by their friends would be
communicated to him. Besides which he was at this time engaged to
be married to Joe Byrne's sister, and she lived with her mother at
Woolshed. He also told me that if they did rob a bank, they were sure
to call at Mrs. Byrne's on their way back, and leave her some of the
money. He said, "Now if you want really to take them, I will lay you on
them." I told him I would place myself unreservedly in his hands and
do whatever he suggested, and I arranged to meet him again. When he
left, I told the detective who introduced him to me what he had said.
The detective ridiculed the affair and said, "He is only deceiving you,
sir, please don't trust him; he would not sell his friend Joe Byrne for
all the money in the world." I felt convinced my opinion of the man was
correct, and he meant to work for us honestly. Sherritt said "You have
a most difficult and dangerous job before you, but I will do all I can
to assist you." Sherritt had a most exalted opinion of Ned Kelly, and
said he did not believe there was another man like him in the colony.
He said, "He is about the only man I ever was afraid of in my life, and
I certainly give him best in everything." When I found out that the
information he had given me about the two outlaws having called at his
house was correct, I felt very confident that before long we should
fall across them.