Edward Kelly gives statement of his murders of Sargeant Kennedy and others and makes other threats Edward Kelly gives statement of his murders of Sargeant Kennedy and others and makes other threats
Public Record Office Victoria
Public Record Office Victoria (State Archives of Victoria, Australia)
North Melbourne, Australia
Some of the hostages held at Younghusbands station by the Kelly Gang during their robbery of the National Bank in Euroa on 9 December 1878 reported witnessing Joe Byrne, one of the Gangs members, at work on a long letter. The letter seems to have been prompted by the reports of Mr Donald Cameron MLAs criticisms of the progress of the police hunt for the gang in Parliament on 14 November of that year. After the robbery, two copies of the letter were posted, one to Cameron, the other to Superintendent John Sadleir, the man in charge of the police in the north-east district. The note on this copy of the letter indicates that it was believed that at least one of the letters was posted in Glenrowan, a few days after the Euroa robbery. Cameron received his copy three days later on 17 December. Meanwhile, Chief Commissioner Standish had seen Sadleirs copy of the letter and had sent atelegramadvising against releasing it to the press for publishing. Reporters were allowed to read the letter and the papers on 18 December contained more or less full summaries of its content. The copy of the letter reproduced below seems to have been made afterwards from Camerons copy of the letter. Comparison with one of the two letters known to be written byByrnereveals the handwriting is not a close match, so it is not an original. There are two sets of annotations. One, in pencil, on the first page of the letter proper, seems to be an instruction where to file the letter in the 1880 volume of correspondence of the Chief Secretarys Department. The second set of annotations in red ink indicate the etter was registered with this corespondence on 1 November 1884, a considerable time after Kellys death. Why the letter was registered in 1880 rather than in 1878 when the original was written is not clear, but it is obvious that the letter was no routine matter.
- Title: Edward Kelly gives statement of his murders of Sargeant Kennedy and others and makes other threats Edward Kelly gives statement of his murders of Sargeant Kennedy and others and makes other threats
- Creator: Public Record Office Victoria, Public Record Office Victoria
- Provenance: VPRS 4966 UNIT 1 ITEM 3 RECORD 1, VPRS 4966 UNIT 1 ITEM 3 RECORD 1
- Transcript:[T12640 6] witnesses the man who the trooper swore was Skillion can prove Williamsons innocence besides other important evidence which can be brought on the prisoners behalf. The trooper after speaking to this man rode to the house and Dan came out he asked Dan to go to Greta with him. Dan asked him what for and he said he had a warrant for him for stealing Whittys horses. They both went inside Dan was having something to eat the trooper was impatient & Mrs. Kelly asked him what he wanted Dan for and he said he had a warrant for him. Dan said produce your warrant & he said he had none it was only a telegram from Chiltern. Mrs. Kelly said he need not go unless he liked without a warrant. She told the trooper he had no business on her premises without some authority besides his own word. He pulled out his revolver and said he would blow her brains out if she interfered in the arrest Mrs. Kelly said if Ned was here he would ram the revolver down his throat. To frighten the trooper Dan said Ned is coming now, the trooper looked around to see if it was true Dan dropped the knife and fork which showed he had no murderous intention clapped Keenans hug on him took his revolver and threw him and part of the doorHide TranscriptShow Transcript
Additional Items
Get the app
Explore museums and play with Art Transfer, Pocket Galleries, Art Selfie, and more
