The Last of the Bushrangers: An Account of the Capture of the Kelly GangHare, Francis Augustus
History
The Last of the Bushrangers: An Account of the Capture of the Kelly Gang
Hare, Francis Augustus
Brigands and robbers -- Australia; Kelly, Ned, 1855-1880
I consented, and told him the better plan would be for him to take
three of our men to the house from whence these men had come, and put
the four sympathizers in it, and allow no person to leave the place
that night. I and the three other men would watch the pass leading
into the mountains. Mayes, Lawless, Faulkner, and O'Loughlin went off,
leaving three men with me. They proceeded towards the house, which
was the same place where the outlaws had their breakfast after riding
through Wangaratta, shortly after the murders.
As the party approached, all the occupants came to the door, evidently
thinking the four strangers were the Kelly gang, and there appeared to
be great rejoicing over the prospect of their calling there, but as
the party got closer, and were recognized as policemen, they all beat
a retreat into the house. Lawless, who was a small man, not at all
unlike Steve Hart in figure and appearance, saw a person walking in the
garden, and directly he caught sight of him the man appeared to vanish
out of his sight. Lawless followed him, and when he got near, the man
called out, "Is that you, Steve?" Lawless replied, "No." He said, "Then
it must be his brother." Lawless replied, "It is neither." The man then
took a good look at Lawless and said, "I beg your pardon, I thought
you were some one else." Lawless said, "Who did you take me for?" He
replied, "Some one we expected to-night." Lawless at once reported
this conversation to Mayes, who sent him to where they had left me,
and Lawless informed me of all that had passed between him and the
stranger. I at once decided to watch the place with my three men. About
a mile from the house there was a good stable, with abundance of feed
in it, which was evidently left there for the outlaws. Mayes had told
the inmates of the house they were not to come out during the night, as
he and his men intended keeping watch over the place, and they might
be mistaken for some one else, and shot. When I reached the house they
appeared to be very happy inside; they kept dancing half the night, and
I believe this was a sign for the outlaws, if they were about, to keep
away.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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