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
Great praise is due to Guard Dowsett for the plucky manner in which he
assisted the police. He was armed with a revolver, and got very close
to the outlaw. At the railway station Kelly appeared to be very weak
from the loss of blood, and some brandy was given him. He was examined
in the guard's van by Dr. Nicholson and Dr. Hutchinson, who found that
he was suffering from two bullet wounds in the left arm, a bullet in
the right foot near the right toe, and two wounds in the right leg,
those inflicted by Sergeant Steele.
The outlaw was quite composed, and in answer to inquiries he made
the following statement:--"What I intended to do, and in fact was
just about doing, was to go down with some of my mates and meet the
special train and rake it with shot. The train, however, came before I
expected, and I had to return to the hotel. I thought the train would
go on, and on that account I had the rails pulled up, so that these
---- black trackers might be settled. It does not much matter what
brought me to Glenrowan. I do not know, or I do not say. It does not
seem much, any way. If I liked, I could have got away last night. I got
into the bush with my grey mare, and laid there all night. I had a good
chance, but I wanted to see the thing end.
"When the police fired the first round I got wounded in the foot. It
was the left one. Shortly afterwards I was shot through the left arm.
It was in the front of the house where I received these injuries. I
don't care what people say about Sergeant Kennedy's death. I have made
my statement as to it, and if they don't believe me I can't help it.
At all events, I am satisfied Scanlan was not shot kneeling. That is
not true. He never got off his horse. At the commencement of the affair
this morning I fired three or four shots from the front of Jones's
Hotel, but I do not know who I was firing at. I only fired when I saw
flashes. I then cleared for the bush, but remained there near the hotel
all night. Two constables passed close by me talking, and I could have
shot them before I had time to shout, if I liked. I could have shot
several constables at one time. I was a good distance away, but I came
back again. I have got a charge of duck-shot in my leg. Why don't the
police use bullets instead of duck-shot?
"One of the policemen that was firing at me was a splendid shot. I
don't know his name. Perhaps I would have done better if I had cleared
away on my grey mare. [He never had a chance.] It was just like blows
from a man's fist receiving the bullets on my armour. I wanted to fire
into the carriages, only the police started on us too quickly. I knew
the police would come, and I expected them."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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