Red Scarf Used in Arrest of Kelly Gang, 1880

The Arrest of the Kelly Gang, June 1880. A substantial piece of the red scarf which belonged to Thomas Curnow's sister, Catherine. Curnow, the school teacher at Glenrowan, held a lighted candle behind it to indicate to the driver that he should stop the train carrying the police party as it approached Glenrowan where the Kelly gang had taken over the hotel. The Kellys had pulled up some rails, hoping to derail the train so that they could escape the police who were pursuing them. The piece is approximately 33 x 6 cm and is accompanied by a signed statement (2007) from well-known collector and historian Edgar Penzig, explaining the sale of this artefact from his collection to the present vendor. The Sydney Morning Herald reported as follows on 22 December 1922: 'The funeral took place on Thursday (reports the Melbourne Argus) of Mr. Thomas Curnow, who figured prominently in the closing days of the Kelly gang 42 years ago, when the two Brothers, Ned and Dan Kelly, accompanied by Byrne and Hart, took charge of the hotel at Glenrowan in June, 1880. They sent into a room any persons who were the place in order that news of the raid might not be spread. Mr. Curnow, who was included in the party, heard portion of a conversation between two members of the gang, which indicated that portion of the railway line had been destroyed with the object of disabling a train in which a number of police who were pursuing Ned Kelly and his associates were travelling. Mr. Curnow managed to escape from the room, and made his way towards the spot where the rails had been torn up. Having previously secured possession of a candle, he walked along the line, and saw that a disaster must follow unless he could stop the train, which he could hear approaching. Mr. Curnow lit the candle, which he held behind a red hand kerchief. The signal attracted the attention of the engine driver, who stopped the train. Mr. Curnow told what he knew to the officer in charge of the party of police, and no time was lost in surrounding the Glenrowan Hotel. A desperate fight ensued, and all the members of the gang, with the exception of Ned Kelly, were killed. Mr. Curnow was a school teacher, but retired from the education department some time ago.'