The Argus
24/11/1905
... part of the KellyGang story
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THE KELLY GANG
A SALVATIONIST's REMINISCENCES
To The Editor of the Argus
Sir, Kindly allow me space for the purpose of contradicting paragraphs which appeared in "The Argus" of Monday last, in which a man purporting to be a brother of William Skillon makes certain statements which are to put it mildly, erroneous in the extreme. He says that in his capacity as "bush telegraph" for the Kelly gang he assumed various disguises, even wearing Kate Kelly's clothes. Further, the paragraph says, Skillion talks freely of his escapades and shows an old bullet wound (or probably the mark left by a body) in the fleshy part of his leg. He avers that from the proceeds of the Euroa robberies he received £3000. Now, to prove how much reliance may be placed on the veracity of his statements, let me say that the total proceeds of the Euroa district robberies amounted to only £2,000 - just £1,000 less than Skillion claims to have received as his share. This £3,000 he spent, he says, in travelling through America and Great Britain with Kate Kelly and "Kelly" Byrne.
Kate Kelly never travelled further than through New South Wales and Victoria , but of "Kate" Byrne I know nothing. Byrne’s sister's name was Mary, so that Skillion, as he calls himself, is not veracious even in names, much less in dates and other particulars. Your correspondent says Skillion talks freely of his escapades with the gang, but cannot be prevailed upon to disclose the name of the person who made Ned Kelly's armour. For his reticence on this subject I can easily account by saying that Skillion doesn't know himself. I do know, but I do not think there are three other men alive today who possess the same knowledge.
Of late I, as well as the other remaining member of the Kelly family, have from time to time been essayed by statements ?ing from the lips of notoriety seekers of the Lithgow Skillion calibre-people who desire to become notorious, but are not endowed with a sufficient amount of courage to enable them to risk either liberty or life in so doing. Kate Kelly (who, I may say, married Mr Foster) died some seven or eight years ago at Forbes , New South Wales , leaving three children, who are at present in Greta under the care of my mother. William Skillion, an old associate of my two brothers, resides in the same town but I am not aware that any James Skillion ever played any important part in connection with the gang of which I write. In fact I am perfectly satisfied in my own mind that this claimant to notoriety never ever saw my brothers, - Yours &c.,
Nov 23
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