THE
EXCITEMENT AT GRETA AND WAKE ON THE REMAINS.
The
following despatch of The Argus
reporter dated Benalla, June 30:-There was a prospect this morning of some
difficulty arising in connexion (sic) with the magisterial inquiries proposed to be
held on the charred remains of Dan Kelly and Hart. The remains were handed over
to the friends on the Monday night, and were taken on Monday night to Mrs.
Skillian's but at Seven-Mile Creek. The authorities subsequently thought that,
after all, it might be better to go through the usual formalities, and
communicated with the magistrates of Wangaratta on the subject. The magistrates
there, however, replied that they could not get a trap to take them to Greta,
and altogether seemed disinclined to undertake the duty. No one could have gone
to the Seven-Mile Creek without a strong body of police, and even then the visit
would not have been unattended with danger. Indeed, one of the Kelly
sympathisers told the police that the remains would be interred at a certain
hour on Wednesday whether inquiries were held or not, and reports came from
Greta that all the Kelly sympathisers there had made themselves intoxicated at
the wake, and were bouncing about armed, and threatening to attack the police. These
reports were to some extent corroborated by the well known fact that when the
friends of the gang left Glenrowan they took a large quantity of spirits with
them. Superintendent Sadleir, however, suggested that a magistrate should come
down as far as Glenrowan, and after taking what evidence was obtainable there,
give an order for interment. Senior-Constable Kelly, with four troopers,
accordingly proceeded to Glenrowan by the forenoon train, and two or three
policemen were directed to come down from Wangaratta. Their orders were to
accompany the magistrate to Mrs. Skillian's hut if it was necessary to go there,
and if that had really had to be done a disturbance, and probably more bloodshed
would have been the result. At the last moment, however, it was decided that as
the game was not worth the candle, a magistrate’s order for interment would
suffice, and the police were therefore recalled. It is stated that Dick Hart
openly dared the police at McDonnell’s Hotel, Glenrowan, to interfere in any
way with the funerals of Dan Kelly and Steve Hart. The words attributed to him
are, “If you want the bodies back, you will have to fight for them.” From
the statements of two men who came into Benalla from Greta today, it appears
that on the arrival of the bodies there was great excitement in the district.
The remains were laid on a table in Mrs. Skillian’s hut, which was soon
crowded. So great was the crush that Mrs. Skillian lost her temper, and
A later despatch, dated Benalla, Friday, July 2,
states:-A number of the persons who were made prisoners by the Kelly gang at
Glenrowan seem to doubt the statement that Ned Kelly shot the line-repairer Cherry. Most of the prisoners
were, however, in the back rooms at the time, whilst others were too excited to
note every incident. The police, moreover, are fully convinced of the truth of
the statement, and furnished me with the names of the prisoners who they say
made the disclosure, on condition that they should not be published at present.
These state that Cherry was not accidentally killed, but was deliberately shot
by Ned Kelly at the beginning of the fray, because he refused to hold back a
window curtain in the hotel while Kelly fired at the police. Ned Kelly stated
that it was the intention of the gang, after destroying the black trackers and
the police, to proceed to Benalla, and blow up the police camp and a bank. This
was put down at first as mere " blow," but a discovery has been made
which shows that the outlaws were in real earnest. During Thursday, Mr.
Stanistreet, the stationmaster at Glenrowan, found an oilcan containing 45lb. of
blasting powder,