Spies

Home grown GLENROWAN Spy!

During the hunt for the Kelly Gang the police made use of and paid considerable
funds to a group of spies. These spies had alias's that were closely guarded lest
they be killed by the gang or Kelly sympathisers.

Even members of the 'family' were on the payroll and a couple of Ned's uncles on
the Lloyd side had no trouble in turning informer for the right fee. (A Lloyd took the
reward for showing where Harry Power was sleeping)

The most famous of all the spies was Aaron Sherritt, he would lose his life for his
efforts as a spy.

The police did not fully utilise their team of spies and no better is this illustrated
than in the case of The Diseased Stock Agent. (DSA) DSA was a schoolteacher
named Kennedy who knew intimate details of the gang's activities. He informed
the police that the gang had fashioned home made armour and this information
was dismissed out of hand. He was accurate in his comments and had the police
acted history may have been very different indeed.

As mentioned the spies had alias's, some examples follow:

Actual Name Agent Name

Quin                                         Foote
Miller                                        Farmer
Rowland                                  Hill

From Senior Constable James Mansfield.

Ainge                                       Carrington
Ely                                            Fly
Quin                                         Foote

From Sgt Steele Wangaratta

Ainge                                       Carrington
Ely                                            Fly
Quin                                         Foote
Cherry                                     Sherington
Ferguson                                Finlay
Hives                                       Hudson
Kennedy                                  Denny (DSA)
Kirwan                                     Renwick
West                                        Watts

Source: Victorian Archives.

Among other 'spies' were men who either offered their services
or information which might lead to the gang's arrest.

William (Bricky) Williamson, wrote to the police from prison (he was
in prison for the Fitzpatrick affair) He offered information on the where-
abouts of the gang. He hoped for a reduction in his sentence.

Another man wrote offering assistance from inside prison, his name
was McKay and wrote from Pentridge 30 November 1878.

George Rick, offered to help. He knew Ned as a boy and was a
great horseman who had seen bullets in the war and dealt with
Blacks in Queensland. Sale 27 Apr 1880

John Cooper, was the inventor of the 'Rounderlift' and an ex- journalist.
He had a brilliant idea to catch the gang. The plan was as follows:

Coopers new plans for capturing Bushrangers.

Obtain a dozen Cuban bloodhounds; accustomed to tracking feet.

Keep the dogs in separate places so that all could not be poisoned at
once.

All points of a triangle, (sides four miles or less each) enclosing the suspected
locality place tents (or huts) two men, two dogs to each tent.

Men and dogs from each tent to meet twice a day.

The above would render it impossible for persons to pass to or from
the interior without detection.

When desirable such persons could be tracked and followed to hiding places.

John Cooper, Collingwood PO.

It is interesting to think that many years earlier such was the setup at Tasmania's
Eaglehawk Neck to keep prisoners from escaping Port Arthur.

Alex Dick, Glenrowan.

Obviously not everyone in 'Kelly country' was on Ned's side.

Alex wrote a letter stating that he knew that *Harry Hemple was suspected
of making the stuff. (armour)

Hart's sister came here yesterday on horseback just before the one o'clock
train passed for Melbourne. She did not go onto the platform. She told me
that she was going up to Jones's House to see if she could find any of the
bones of the burnt bodies.

She left with the mail boy (young Delaney) and went off towards Greta.

I was told this morning that Kate Kelly was here last night and is to be here
again tonight over at McDonalds Hotel, so I will be there with others, and
see the movement.

Young Tom Hart informed me that the police of Wangaratta are following
his brother Dick about every place that he goes. I often see him about
Wangaratta.

*Hemple I believe is an ancestor to the Hemple who runs the animated
theatre in Glenrowan.