Police Description of Edward "Ned" Kelly

"5'10" tall, weight 11st 4lbs, medium build, sallow complexion, dark brown hair, hazel eyes, scar on top of head, two scars on crown, scar on front of head. Eyebrows meeting, two natural marks between shoulder blades. Two freckles lower left arm, scar on ball of left thumb, scar on back of right hand and three scars on left thumb."

Introduction

Ned Kelly was a famous iconic Australian Bushranger in the 1870s. He grew notorious over the years for his defiance of the law. In this website we will look at his childhood, what made him notorious, the crimes he commited and his capture, trial and execution.

Childhood

Edward "Ned" Kelly was born into an Irish family on the June 1854/1855 (his exact birth date is not known) in Beveridge, Victoria just north of Melbourne. He was baptised by an Augustinian priest and had obtained some basic schooling. Ned had once risked his life to save another boy from drowning which he was given a green sash as a reward from the boys family, he had later worn this sah under his armour during his last stand. When he grew up his family was poor and was constantly suspected for cattle or horse stealing, though never convicted. Red Kelly (father) was arrested when he killed and skinned a calf, which belonged to his neighbour. He was given the option of a twenty-five pound fine or a sentence of six months with hard labour. Without the money to pay the fine Red served his sentence in Kilmore gaol with the sentence having a fatal effect on his health. This incident had made a strong impression on Ned.

Rise to Notoriety

In 1869 a young Ned Kelly was arrested for assaulting a Chinese pig farmer named Ah Fook. Ah Fook claimed that Ned had robbed him. From then on Ned Kelly was regarded by police as a "juvenile bushranger". The next year, Ned was arrested again ad accused of being an accoplice of bushranger Harry Power. No evidence was ever produced in court and he was released after a month. Historians have debated over this episodeL some see it as evidence of police harassment; and others say that Ned's relatives intimidated the witnesses. In October 1870, Ned was arrested again for assaulting a hawker named Jeremiah McCormack. He was sentenced to three months hard labour. After his release Ned returned home. There he met a man named Isaiah "Wild" Wright who had arrived in the are on a chestnut mare. Wright lent Ned the mare to ride to town. Little did he know that the mare actually belonged to the Mansfield postmaster and that Wright had stolen it. While riding through Greta, Ned was approached by a police constable who, identified the horse as stolen. When he attempted to arrest him, Ned fought back and it quickly turned into a fight. Ned had humiliated him by overpowering the constable and riding him like a horse. Shortly after Ned was arrested he was stuck many times by the constable. The now 16 year old Ned Kelly was sentenced to three years imprisonment. Shortly after Red Kelly's (father of Ned Kelly) death, Ned's mother had married a Californian man named George King. He, Ned and Dan (Ned's brother) became involved in a cattle rustling operation.

The Fitzpatrick Incident

Constable Alexander Fitzpatrick visited the Kelly home in April 1878. He was supposed to be there to arrest Dan Kelly for cattle rustling, but it turns out his real motives were to hit on Kate Kelly. After an incident where he assaulted her Ellen Kelly (mother) hit his wrist with shovel and injured him. Fitzpatrick swore an attempted murder charge against all of them and most were brought to court, with the exception of Ned and Dan Kelly.

Crimes

Dan and Ned Kelly doubted that they could convince the police of their story so they went into hiding, eventually joining up with friends Joe Byrne and Steve Hart. On the 25th of October 1878, Sergeant Kennedy and Constables McIntyre, Lonigan, and Scanlon set off to search for the Kelly Gang. They believe they were in Wombat Ranges north of Mansfield, Victoria. The Mansfield team of police set up camp near two shepherd huts at Strigybark Creek. Upon arrival the team split up into two groups: Kenny and Scanlon went to swearch for the Kelly Gang, while the others, Lonigan and McIntyre remained to guard the camp. Lonigan and McIntyre started firing at parrots, not nowing that the Kelly camp was just a mile away. The Kelly Gang started searching around after hearing the gunshots. The eventually found a police, camped at Stringybark Creek. Ned and Dan Kelly decided to overpower the two officers, then wait to ambush the other two. Ned and Dan made there way over to the police camp and shouted out for the constables to surrender. McIntyre threw his arms up while Lonigan drew his revolver and was shot dead by Ned. When the 2 other officers arrived Constable McIntyre called on them to surrender. Scanlon drew his pistol and was shot dead by Ned as well. Kennedy ran and shot at Ned and Dan seeking for cover behind a tree. In an exchange of gunfire Kennedy was soon hit with a fatal shot. Constable McIntyre however escaped in the confusion uninjured.

After the killings at Stringybark, the Kelly Gang proceeded to carry out two major robberies, at Euroa, Victoria nad Jerilderie, New South Wales.

Euroa - On the 10th of December 1878, the Kelly Gang raided the National Bank at Euroa. The had taken several hostages, obtained all the money and asked the hostages to escort them to Faithful Creek where they were locked up. The gang had shown an exhibition of horsemanship which entertained and suprised the hostages.

Jerilderie - On the Saturday, 8th of February 1879, the Kelly Gang broke into the local police station and too hostage police offivers Richards and Devine. The outlaws the changed into police uniform and mixed with the locals. On Monday the gang rounded up various people and forced them into the back parlour of the Royal Mail Hotel. While Dan and Steve kept the hostages busy Ned and Joe proceeded to rob the local bank. Ned also burned all the townspeople's mortgage deeds in the bank.

Last Stand

On the 27th of June 1880, The Kelly Gang took over the Glenrowan Inn to distupt and derail a special train from Benalla to Beechworth carrying a police detachment. This police detachment was supposed to take up the pursuit of the Kelly Gang. They had predicted this shortly after killing Aaron Sherritt, Joe Byrne's former friend and police informant. It was just after midnight when Ned Kelly and Steve Hart arrived at Glenrowan to carry out there prepared plan, which was to derail the train and take the survivors as prisoners and use them as pawns to secure the release of Mrs Kelly and their friends how were previously captured and interrogated. They first bailed up Mr. Adolphus Piazzi, a railway contractor and his eomplyees. Ned instructed Piazzi to take up the railway tracks but the contractor informed him that they did not know how to do it. Soon they all went over to the stationmaster's house and picked up the stationmaster called Mr. Stanistreet. Altogether they were taken to the railway station to collect two platelayers named Sullivan and Reardon who knew who to lift the railway line. Two lengths of railway line were successfully removed. The next day Ned and Joe rode down to the railway gates and rounded up everyone who came along. In the end they had a total of 62 prisoners. Among the prisoners was Thomas Curnow, a school teacher, who had been taken hostage with is family. Late that night Ned let a handful of prisoners that he trusted to go home. Curnow pleaded Ned to let him free and eventually was let go. Curnow immediately made plans to warn authorities. By chance when he was having supper late one night that he heard the train coming. Curnow immediately grabbed a candle and red scarf to go stop the train. After warning them that the Kelly Gang had removed the railway tracks up ahead he ran back home. The police had decided to push on to the station. Meanwhile back at the Glenrowan Inn, the Kelly Gang had padded up with home-made armour. The police, informed of the presence of the Kelly Gang at the Inn, made their way down towards the hotel. They saw a figure standing ten yards to the left of the building and shouted out: "I would like a word with you". Ned Kelly replied: "I gave nothing to say to you", and then raised his gun and open fired. The other gang members quickly joined in on the verandah and the police returned fire. Ned was eventually shot in the legs by a shotgun and brought down.