Meet the people of the KellyGang story
A member of the Kelly family and the Greta Mob, arrested as a sympathizer
Links to the KellyGang below , Early Years., Teenage years., First run in with the law., Fitzpatrick Incident., Gold Mining., Stringybark Creek Murders., Escape North., Euroa Robbery., Mass arrest of sympathizers., Jerilderie Robbery., Later in 1879., Early in 1880., Death of Aaron Sherritt., Glenrowan Siege , Ned Kelly's Trial., Royal Commission., Family.,
Did I kill a horse at O'Brien's at Greta in Dec 1872 (Ensign17/1/1873)
In about 1877 people started to see my brother Tom riding around the country with Ned Kelly and his mates and some started to call us the Greta Mob. Some even said that we went on trips around the country with Ned Kelly when he went off pinching mobs of horses and cattle. Well we may have helped our cousins and had a bit of fun.
In September 1877 my brother Tom and I and Dan Kelly got into trouble in Winton after a prank. We hid on the Kelly property for a few weeks. Eventually we gave ourselves up and were charged with wilfully damaging the property of David Goodman, a hawker who owned a shop in Winton. Const Fitzpatrick said that we gave ourselves up to him. (RC12871)
On 19 October 1877 at our trial we each received 3 months in Beechworth Gaol and ordered to pay 2 pounds 10 shillings in damages. Tom was also sentenced to another 3 months for assaulting Mrs Goodman.
The incident started with Dan Kelly delivering some meat to Mrs Goodman and picking up some groceries.. We arrived after closing time and the Goodmans would not open up. They were being silly so we encouraged them to open up. There was a bit of a disagreement, but I must say that while Mr Goodman was the main witness against us, he later was sentenced to 4 months for his evidence.(RCApp10)
I was mentioned by the KellyGang in the Cameron letter. They said that Const Strahan was up on the River Murray getting evidence against Dan Kelly my brother Tom and me when Const Fitzpatrick came to the Kelly home to arrest Dan.
Three weeks after the Fitzpatrick incident I was arrested on the same warrant Fitzparick had used to try and arrest Dan Kelly. They had nothing on me and I got off. The Royal Commission said about this incident:
"a warrant had been issued at Chiltern against Dan Kelly and Jack Lloyd, on a charge of suspected cattle stealing. Sergeant Lynch, at Chiltern, considered that the men alleged to have been seen driving certain horses through the township answered the description of those men, and warrants for their arrest were issued accordingly." (RC2ndreport III)(See also RC12812 RC8815 (BWC))
On 2/1/1879 Commissioner Standish ordered the arrest of about 20 sympathizers including me. He took that action under the Felons Apprehension Act. Most of us sympathizers were held in Beechworth goal.
I was arrested near Mansfield by ... (Argus6/1/79)(OMA7/1/79)
We were held without ever being given a chance to defend them selves. We were also remanded in custody for periods of 7 days. Only one of us was effectively represented by a lawyer. The magistrates repeated the remands each week for over 3 months before the sympathizers were finally released See (OMA11/2/1879)(OMA13/3/79)
At the start, the arrests the police had public support in Melbourne but that turned into general contempt for the police. The mass arrests resulted in fewer people being prepared to assist the police or to supply information about the KellyGang
I (sometimes called fat Jack) and Tom Lloyd were drinking in Mrs O'Brien’s hotel, Greta soon after I was relesed from Gaol.
We had a play fight with Tom and fell, hit my head and died. (Argus30/4/79)
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30-nov-11