DESTRUCTION OF THE KELLY GANG.
Another cold blooded murder.
ALL doubts as to the presence of the Kelly gang in the colony - a fact which has
been to some extent a matter of dispute - were set at rest on June 27 by the
intelligence that they had reappeared at Beechworth, and had added yet another
murder to the crimes already resting upon their heads. Since the gang so
successfully plundered the bank at Jerilderie, and escaped across country, no
trustworthy information as to their whereabouts has been obtained. At various
intervals it has been intimated that they were in the country, but the
information as to their being in a particular locality at any set time was
always many days late, and generally even then of an uncertain character. The
particulars to hand with regard to the last outrage perpetrated by the gang are
simply these:- On Saturday evening the band of outlaws called at the hut of a
man named Aaron Sherritt, having with them a German, whom they compelled to call
on Sherritt to come out. The latter, recognising the voice, complied with the
request, and on his coming out of the door he was instantly shot dead by Joe
Byrne, who put one bullet through his head and another through his body. In the
hut were a party of police, but they did not fire a shot at the bushrangers, and
acted entirely on the defence. The reason given for this inactivity is that the
night was dark, while there was a bright
fire burning in the hut, so that, while the bushrangers were out of sight, the
police would have been instantly seen and shot It they had appeared at the door
or window. The Kellys fired a volley through the house, and also attempted to
burn it down. The gang remained outside the hut until half-past 6 o'clock the
next morning, when, it is presumed, they rode away. The object for taking
Sherritt’s life in clearly shown. It appears that at one time Sherritt was a
friend of the Kellys, but was most intimate with Joe Byrne. He had been several
times in gaol, and on one occasion was convicted with Byrne of stealing a
quantity of meat. His father, John Sherritt, an ex-policeman, is a selector, now
an elderly man, and resident at Sebastopol, which in about eight miles from
Beechworth. The deceased man had a selection of 107 acres about a mile from his
father's place, and it is noteworthy that he was assisted in fencing it in by
Joe Byrne and Ned Kelly. He was about 24 Years of age, of robust health, and was
noted as a runner and jumper. His holding was on the Woolshed Creek in the
county of Burgoyne, and about two months ago he sold it to Mr. Crawford, of the
Eastern Arcade, who in also a large coach proprietor, and has property to a
considerable extent in the district. After selling the land he built a hut at
Sebastopol, about two miles away, and it is there that he was shot. A few months
ago he was married to Miss Burke, the daughter of a well-known farmer at the
Woolshed. Prior to the Kelly outbreak, as already stated, he was on very
friendly terms with the members of the gang and their companions ; but recently
it appears that he placed himself in communication with the police, and for some
months has been employed by them. The information he afforded as to the
movements of the outlaws proved highly valuable, and it is stated on good
authority that not Only did the gang ascertain who was keeping the Police posted
up, but that they also caused it to be made known in Beechworth some weeks ago
that they intended to take his life. The house occupied by Joseph Byrne's
mother, there is every reason to believe, was recently visited by the gang, and
the information that the deceased was watching the place in supposed to have
been communicated to the murderers ; in fact, it in stated that the reason that
Sherritt went to the house in which he met his death was that he might be the
better able to watch Byrne's place.
As soon as the information of the outrage wan
received by the Police authorities efforts were immediately made to pursue the
murderers. Parties of Police were at once sent out from the various country
depots, and by special train on Sunday night black trackers and a further contingent
of police were despatched from Melbourne.
Next FIGHT