Supt. Sadleir Trolls the Telegraph Workers [Sharon Hollingsworth]

The Siege of Glenrowan had been in full swing and Ned Kelly himself was already captured and Joe Byrne was confirmed dead by the time a train arrived that Monday morning, June 28, 1880 around 9 AM carrying police reinforcements from Beechworth. Along for the ride were three civilians - Jack Sherritt (Aaron Sherritt's brother) and two men connected with the post & telegraph office. One of them was Henry Edwin Cheshire, Beechworth's postmaster and the other was William Osborne, telegraph line-repairman.

Cheshire had been the telegraph operator to first relay news on Sunday the 27th to the authorities of Aaron Sherritt's murder which had occurred the previous night.

Prior to the arrival of Cheshire and Osborne news of the siege had to be carried out by train or horseback and then telegraphed from other towns that had telegraph stations, which Glenrowan did not. However, telegraph lines ran right past the railway station and due to the ingenuity and enterprise of Cheshire & Osborne they made real-time on the ground reporting a reality for the gentlemen of the press as well as made communication for the police much easier.

The Railway Station at Glenrowan featuring the telegraph pole William Osborne climbed.  Photographer: J. Bray. First published July 5, 1880. Courtesy of State Library Victoria.

In two separate, but similar, written narratives, Cheshire details his role in the Glenrowan affair.

 The Williamstown Chronicle of July 10, 1880 states -

"Mr. H. E. Cheshire, who for many years was stationed at Williamstown, but is now in-charge of the Beechworth post

and telegraph office writing relative to the recent Kelly tragedy, says: On Sunday when we got word of the gang being at the Woolshed 4 miles from here, and that they had shot Sherritt, the excitement was fearful, of course the wires were kept going as hard as we could lick,  but my operator and I proved ourselves equal to the occasion. On Monday morning when we heard they were all down at Glenrowan, and playing high jinks, I determined to take down a small pocket telegraph instrument, cut the wires there, and put the place in telegraphic communication. We were successful in completing It under showers of bullets from the outlaws who were in Jones' hotel, about 90 yards from where I was, a bullet came very adjacent to me that was all, the excitement was intense, I went down with the police, took a revolver with me in case of coming to close quarters. But Kelly was wounded and captured by the time we got down, and was in the building where I was all day, I had a lot of conversation with him, he is a good looking fellow and very civil to talk to. Kate Kelly and her other two sisters came during the day to nurse Ned. She is a nice looking girl. Byrne was brought in dead during the afternoon and was lying at my feet the rest of the day. Mr. James thanked and complimented me freely on behalf of the Department for the action I had taken."

In a memorandum sent to the Postmaster General dated June 29, 1880 which is part of the Kelly Reward Board papers Cheshire states -

"...Early on Monday morning we got word of the Glenrowan affair, there being no telegraphic communication with that place, and having small pocket instrument here I determined to accompany the police to the scene of trouble. We left here at 7:45 AM taking line repairer Osborne. On arrival we cut Number 3 wire whilst bullets were flying about in all directions and led into a room at the railway station about 90 yards from where the outlaws were under cover at Jones' Hotel, and were immediately in through communication which was constantly availed of by press, public and police, everything worked well but being alone all day I found it somewhat difficult under the disadvantages I had to work the room being constantly besieged by people eager to see the dead body of Byrne which was at my feet and Ned Kelly being wounded in the next room..."

In the Argus of July 30, 1880 there was an article about the monthly meeting of The Victorian Telegraph Electrical Society.

In part it said -

"The hon. secretary of the society then read a communication from Mr. H. E. Cheshire,detailing his adventures at Glenrowan during the fight

with the Kelly gang. Mr. Cheshire volunteered to accompany the police party from Beechworth in search of the gang, and with the assistance of Mr. Osborne, the telegraph line-repairer who climbed the telegraph pole at Glenrowan amidst a storm of bullets succeeded in opening a special office, and communicated direct to Melbourne full particulars of the affair, nearly 100,000 words of press news being telegraphed. Mr.

Cheshire's experience was justly looked on as a remarkable instance of what may happen to a telegraph operator in Victoria."

There was this bit in the Weekly Times of July 10, 1880 -

"In connection with the Kelly tragedy very little mention is made of Mr. Osborne, the line repairer, who pluckily climbed the telegraph pole at Glenrowan, and affixed a wire to the railway line, from whence it was carried into the station-master's room, where a pocket instrument was unflaggingly worked by Mr. H. Cheshire, of Beechworth. Mr. Osborne, during the time he was climbing the pole, became a target for the outlaws' guns; and more credit is due to him in consequence of his being obliged to repeat the same performance some hours after, when the fixings got out of repair."

The only thing I could find that might possibly confirm that second climb is a letter to the editor in the Herald of November 14, 1930 entitled "Memories of the Kelly Gang Capture." It was from Alfred Tymms, who was an 11 year old telegraph messenger (his father was postmaster at Heathcote) at the time of the siege. The news summoning police came through their station. He mentioned Mr. Cheshire -

"Some time after this we had a relieving postmaster, Mr. Harry Cheshire, at Heathcote. He was the man who went with the police train from Beechworth and he showed me all the notes he had how he erected the wires at Glenrowan and the engine fouled them, and he had to erect them again and put on his field telegraph to send the Press messages to Melbourne from the Glenrowan railway station, which had no telegraph installed then."

According to the Victoria Govt Gazette of April 1, 1881, Mr. Cheshire was appointed acting Receiving and Paymaster at Heathcote during the absence of Henry Tymms, so this would seem to verify this account.

All of these letters and articles are full of exciting and fascinating stuff. First, this guy, Cheshire, had a taste for adventure and actually was value added to the situation. According to The Herald newspaper there were 90,000 words telegraphed to Sydney papers alone, while the article above says over 100,000 words sent. Just imagine how many went to the Melbourne papers with the operative word being "over." This guy did all of the telegraphic work himself on a pocket key instrument, not a full size regular one that would have been much easier to use. Pocket keys were generally meant to be used by line repairmen to diagnose trouble on the line. As an aside, the cutting in to a telegraph wire to gain communication was something that was done by Confederates during the American Civil War. What they would do was throw a  wire over the telegraph lines, cut into one, and tap in to the break with a pocket key like Cheshire had. The Rebels with the aid of trained telegraphers who were sympathetic to the Cause would listen in on transmissions and would find out troop movements or would intercept messages and then send on their own bogus ones (causing encryption to eventually come into play) and at times just for the heck of it they would actually heckle the operator who was transmitting at the time. Too bad the Kelly gang did not have a telegraph operator as a sympathiser! All the gang could do all along previous to Glenrowan was chop down the poles (lucky for them they were still wood, later on many would be replaced with iron ones), cut the lines or smash the instruments. According to Supt. Hare in his memoir "Last of the Bushrangers", there were even some occurrences of telegraph service being interrupted during the Kelly hunt at a certain spot every night for a certain amount of time and the authorities surmised that it was due to someone throwing a wire over the line and then grounding it, thus affecting the service between towns. In one particular instance, with Mr. Hare in attendance, a linesman had actually been hoisted up to test the wires to see if if current was being passed through.....by holding the wire between his teeth! Yes, remarkable things really do happen to Victorian telegraph workers.

But back to the siege, I am surprised that members of the public were allowed use of the telegraphic services during that time. I would think that it would be reserved solely for police, government, railway and press use only (hello, Mr. Melvin!).

 Also of interest was where Joe Byrne's body laid at Cheshire's feet while he worked. Cheshire sent out word of the Gang's capture and demise with one of them literally dead at his feet. Quite the image.
Also, odd is the letting in of any Tom, Dick or Harry who wanted to see the body and pester Ned. Amazing, as these days the traps would have a perimeter set up a mile away you would not be able to cross!

Mr. Cheshire's Kelly Reward claim says -

"I have the honor to inform the Board that I voluntarily accompanied the police from Beechworth to Glenrowan on the 29th [note - this should have been 28th] June last and opened up up telegraphic communication there, and myself telegraphed the intelligence for the Government and press throughout the day and shall feel grateful to the Board for any thing they may be pleased to award me for this service..."

He continued on with a brazen request for the Kelly Reward Board itself to recommend that the Postmaster General give him a promotion! 

The cover memo on Mr. Cheshire's Reward Board claim reads -

"This applicant, a telegraph operator voluntarily accompanied the police from Beechworth to Glenrowan on the morning of the 28th June and opened up telegraphic communication and himself telegraphed intelligence to the Govt and the press throughout the day at considerable risk...."

Beneath that there is this-

 "Mr. Hare reports - Mr. Cheshire arrived at Glenrowan after I had left the ground and I can give no information concerning his services."

"Supt. Sadleir reports - Mr. Cheshire as well as all other telegraphic officers in the district showed whenever required very great alacrity and zeal in assisting the police. Mr. Cheshire's attention on the 27th of June 1880 no doubt was the means of placing the police in a position to act earlier by several hours than if they received no information of Sherritt's murder until the evening.

The services rendered subsequently at Glenrowan while adding greatly to the public convenience and also to the convenience of the police did not in any way aid towards the capture of the gang. Mr. Cheshire was in little or no danger while at Glenrowan."

Ok, it sounds like Sadleir is trolling him just a little bit. All of that we were in mortal danger as we set things up and a bullet came that close makes the story sound good, though, when you tell it to others, doesn't it?

If you really want trolling, then wait to see how Sadleir hands William Osborne his rear so to speak.


One letter in Cheshire's Kelly Reward Board file says "I am also informed that his [Cheshire's] line repairer, Osborne, displayed much zeal and energy and rendered valuable help."

As for William Osborne's Kelly Reward Claim, his file did not have his direct claim but there was a letter to the Deputy Postmaster General giving nearly the same spiel Cheshire did in his claim sans the promotion request and asking him to "bring my services rendered on that occasion under the notice of the Kelly Reward Board."

The cover sheet for Osborne's Kelly Reward claim has this summation -

"This applicant, a telegraph line repairer puts forth his claim as having accompanied Mr. Cheshire to Glenrowan on the morning of the 28th of June and assisted in opening up telegraphic communication in Glenrowan."

Beneath that there is this -

"Supt. Hare reports - I know nothing of this applicant, he arrived on the ground after I left."

"Supt. Sadleir reports - His claim as to services were inconsiderable nor could I see that he was in any special danger for the few moments he was connecting the wires. I am under the impression it took some persuasion to get him to do the simple work he had to do."

Wow! Did Sadleir just troll Osborne? Where was all of that energy and zeal? What about all the showers of bullets...bullets flying in all directions...a hail of bullets? If there were showers of bullets I think anyone would need persuading to climb a pole (more than once?) and be a target, yet Sadleir says he could not see that Osborne was in any danger during the operation?

 In Keith McMenomy's Ned Kelly: The Authentic Illustrated Story he says that when the Beechworth contingent arrived "as soon as they found positions they all opened heavy fire at the almost silent building. Then Superintendent Sadleir passed an order to 'fire high' and so spare the innocent people still lying trapped inside. In many cases his order was misinterpreted. Some thought it meant the outlaws were hiding in the rafters and commenced riddling the iron roof; many thought it an order to fire harder. This and the enthusiasm of the Beechworth men started a tremendous burst all round the cordon. One Beechworth constable testified he fired 100 rounds at the hotel within an hour."

So, was this the shower of bullets that Osborne climbed the pole in? Or did he wait for the smoke to literally clear before doing his thing? Like with anything else in the Kelly story, there are always differing views.

At the end of it all, despite everything, both Cheshire and Osborne received 25 pounds each from the Kelly Reward Board. On the list of the 66 successful applicants they got the least amount coming in right under the black trackers, who each were suppose to receive 50 pounds, but that is a whole other kettle of fish for someone else to fry.