CHAP 16

THE BRIARS & THORNS by Joseph Ashmead. 1922 CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIXTEEN

(note: any errors in the text are deliberate and left as they were found)

THE BREAKING UP OF THE GANG.

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Something had been said about Glenrowan in the early part of my story,
but that was in the sixties. It is now 1880. Years have passed. They have brought
changes. The wagoners no longer whip and slash and swear to get their heavy
wagons through the crab-holes. The crack of the mailcoachman's whip is forgotten.
All these things are out of date and have been replaced by a railway. Many new
settlers have come to the district, prosperous homes have sprung up in Glenrowan,
Taminick and North Winton, and even the dreaded crab-holes have been divided
up into farms, William Liddle and many others have passed away. The hotel and s
tore are still standing but have long since been closed and used as private houses.
There is a state school on the other side of the Sydney road. This place
was not suitable for a railway station. It has been built It has been built about a
mile nearer Wangaratta. A small township has grown around it. There are two
hotels, a store and a few private houses. On the north side, the hotel is kept by
Mrs. Jones, and south of the line the hotel was kept by Paddy McDonnel. (sic)
The railway station was a fairly large one. A large quantity of wheat, oats and
other farm produce is delivered there. The post office was at the railway station.

Now let us look at it in 1922. It is still small, there is only one hotel. It is a large
one and is well conducted. After the Kelly capture a licencee could never be got
for Mrs. Jones house. It has been rebuilt twice and is now used as a wine shop.
There are two stores a bakers and a butcher's shop. A blacksmith's shop and a
post office.

There is a shire stone-crushing plant that gives employment to a number of
men and for that reason thereare more houses. There is also a wood mill. The
school was removed into the township over thirty year ago. The old store was
pulled down, and the bricks used to build a police station. Near the railway station
there are three churches, Church of England, Roman Catholic, and Methodist.
With all this evidence of mans repentance, it can be said it has changed for the
better. The old people are gone and there are only a few alive who took part in the

P24.

Kelly capture. At that time people were talking about the dreadful murder, and
arrangements were being made to despatch a special train load of police to
Wangaratta, Ned Kelly was in Glenrowan working out his plans to entrap them.
They made their headquarters at Jones' hotel. It was an easy matter to round up
the few people who lived in the town-ship. Having done this they told the station-
master he would have to go with them and make a breach in the line. He said he
knew nothing about that kind of work and would be quite unable to do it. Then they
called upon the line repairers. One stayed on ground and the others forced the men
to go, at the point of the revolver, get the tools out of the shed, put them on a trolley
and take them to a place about a quarter of a mile from the station. Here they stood
over them and made them take up two lengths of rails. The place was well chosen for
the villainous purpose. There was a curve in the line, a culvert, and a deep ravine into
which the train would have fallen. The police took the precaution to run a pilot engine
in front of the train, but even this would not have saved them. The curve was so sharp
that they would not have seen the pilot go over. The gang were going to be there and
shoot at who were not killed in the wrecked train. If their plans had carried it would
have been carried it would have been a most dreadful outrage in the history of crime.
Their work done, and the trap set, they returned to the hotel to sleep in turns while
one watched the prisoners who could get no rest being all packed in one room.
Sunday morning was spent in rounding up more prisoners.

At the time of the Kelly scare, there was a policeman
Stationed at Glenrowan, but he lived in the old store. They were there
And took him by purprise, handcuffed him and sent him off to the hotel.
His wife was sick in bed with a baby a few days old. Ned Kelly said it would
not be safe to remove her. He turned back the wraps and looking at the child
said "you are a fine little chap I might be worth a thousand pounds to you
some day" then he went to the school and told the teacher to put his horse
in the buggy and take his wife anf child to the hotel.
Mr.Curnow was a cripple, he had a short leg. He could walk but was very
lame, but he was a man of quick thought and great courage, and when he
found how things were, he determined if possible to get the gang to believe
he was with them, which he succeeded in doing. The afternoon and evening
were spent in dancing to the music of the accordion.
Curnow talked a lot with Ned Kelly, arguing with him over his plans, and
flattering him and encouraging him to drink freely and so far gained his
point, that Kelly told him to go home, but said "mind you don't dream too
loud. As sure as you do you will be a dead man." When Curnow reached home he
took the horse out of the buggy and put the saddle and bridle on it. His
wife said "what are you going to do?" "Ride to Benalla" he answered. "If I
don't go hundreds of lives will be lost. My duty is plain, and I must do
it." At that moment she heard a train in the far distance. There was not a
moment to lose. He ran into the

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house and got a piece of candle and a piece of red cloth, and rushed to the
railway line a distance of about one hundred and fifty yards and reached
there just in time to light his candle and stop the pilot engine. The train
drew up and he told them that the line was torn up on the other side of the
station and the Kelly Gang were in Jones' hotel. After giving this
information he refused to board the train, pre-ferring to go back and defend
his wife and child, and if needs be die for them. They gave him a revolver
and he went back. If he had not stopped the train it would have meant death
to all on board. Curnow performed a deed for Australia and for humanity that
few have ever equalled. Mr.Curnow afterwards said that when he was on his
way he thought his last moments had come. He heard something coming to meet
him. It must have been one of the gang he thought, but it was a goat, and he
was so panic-stricken that he nearly shot the poor beast. Up at the hotel
they heard the train coming and the faces of the imprisoned people were
transfixed with horror as they thought of the crash that was to come in a
few minutes; of the orgie of blood, but the train stopped. Ned Kelly sprang
up with a curse upon his lips. "We have been betrayed. It is Curnow or Mrs.
Bracken. I will go and shoot the lot, but he did not have time. The train
was coming full steam ahead and stopped at the station. The gang knew that
the cat was out of the bag but they would put up a fight. The brakes had not
stopped grinding when twenty five shots were fired from the hotel verandah.
Most of them hit the train, but beyond breaking a few windows, no damage was
done. Then began a battle that lasted all night. The tactics adopted by the
police are a black spot on the history of Australia. There was a washed out
drain between the hotel and the station. In this station a number of police
took shelter. They had been ordered to keep up a constant fire on the hotel.
There were forty innocent people imprisoned consisting of men women and
children. Their position was desperate. They were all lying flat on the
floor, some with people lying across their legs, others with someone in
their arms. The outlaws were standing up trying to shoot the police from
their windows but they had their armour on. Time after time they begged them
to let them go out but the answer they got was "you are safer here. Stay
with us". Joe Byrne was standing in the bar drinking a glass of brandy and
as he put it to his lips he said, "Here's to many happy years in the bush".
He fell dead with a bullet it the groin. About his time M. Stanstreet crept
out. Ascore of rifle were levelled at him, but he threw up his hands,
calling out "Stationmaster". About this time two troopens got out of the
building and they informed the police officers that ther were still thirty
eight civilians in the hotel; still firing went on until the walls were like
a sieve. At last Dan Kelly said "you can go if you like.

They made a rush but were met with a
hot rifle fire. Mrs Reardon was carrying a baby. A bullet passed through its
hood, but never hurt the child. John Jones a young lad, the son of the
land-lady was shot and died the next day. His sister was wounded and died
three months after. Michael Reardon was shot in the chest, and is still
carrying the bullet within an inch of heart. The Government have been pating
him a pound a week for forty two years - - a sum of two thousand one hundred
and eighty four pounds. I knew an Irishman named Martin Cherry - a line
repairer on the railway line. He was an Irishman of the good old school. A
merry old soul. His Irish wit and humor made him good company and he was
always welcomed where - ever he went. Soemone told him the Kellys were at
Jone's hotel. He said

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"I don't believe it. I will go and see." He went but it cost him his life.