The Melbourne Daily Telegraph
1 /07/1880
... part of the KellyGang story
Full text of the article
NED KELLY TRAGEDY
The outlaw, who is confined in the Melbourne Gaol hospital, under a special guard, continues in a convalescent state, and his numberous wounds show satisfactory signs of improvement. He was visited several times yesterday by Dr Shields, the visiting medical officer who pronounced him in a fair way to recovery. His temperature was not so high as on the previous day, and altogether he was much improved. The doctor thought that Mrs Kelly might be permitted some time during the day to see her son and, acting upon this opinion, Mr Castieau allowed the interview to take place at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon by which time Ned Kelly was perfectly calm.
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INTERVIEW BETWEEN NED KELLY AND HIS MOTHER
Dr Shields though the outlaw would be so far improved as to bear an interview with his mother some time during the afternoon, and at 3 o’clock Mr Castieau, the governor the gaol, went to Ned Kelly, and said, :Now, your mother’s coming; keep calm, and be quiet , to which he implied, “Yes, and tell her to be quiet too.” Mrs Kelly was then brought in, but there was not much emotion shown on either side. Some general but important conversation took place, and slight reference was made to the fatal encounter with the police at Glenrowan, during which Ned said, “We never would have been taken if we had not been put away.” Mrs Kelly inquired affectionately after her relatives, particularising some of them, but she having been informed of the fate that befell Dan and his companions, she only expressed deep regret at their death.Ned spoke of his dead comrades as “my brave fellows,” but he was not much moved. In reply to a question from his mother, Ned said. “My grey mare would have carried me away, armour and all, if I had chosen to go and I could have escaped, but I decided to see it out.” Mrs Kelly urged him strongly to attend to the injunctions of the priest, and he promised to do so. After being with the outlaw some twenty minutes. Mr Castieau took Mrs Kelly away, promising that she should see him again. Some suspicions having been entertained in the gaol that Ned might attempted to commit suicide, Mr Castieau taxed the outlaw yesterday with the intention but he strongly repudiated any intention to attempt to do so. Lest he should change his mind however, a constant watch is being kept upon him. The outlaw appears to be resigned to his fate, and pays marked attention the ministrations of the Rev Father Donaghy, who visits him daily.
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A telegraphic communication was received by Captain Standish yesterday afternoon from Benalla stating that it had been reported there that about fifty men were armed at Greta, with the intention of resisting the holding of the inquest, and subsqurently a body of armed police from Benalla and another from Wangaratta, set out to the scene. The telegram said that the greatest excitement prevailed, but later information contradicted the statement regarding the existence of a band of armed sympathisers.
The Melbourne Daily Telegraph continued with its reports of the KellyGang and Glenrowan.
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