Meet the people of the KellyGang story
Arrested as a sympathizer.
Links to the KellyGang below , Early Years., First contact with KellyGang., First run in with the law., Fitzpatrick Incident., Gold Mining., Mansfield 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.,
In 1876 I was working in the sawmill with Ned Kelly. In September of that year with the end of Beechworth branch line, the mills income almost ceased.
I was I suppose one of Ned Kelly's closest friends. We shared some good times
On 2/1/1879 Commissioner Standish ordered the arrest of about 20 sympathizers including me. He took that action under section 5 of the Outlawry Act. Most of the sympathizers were held in Beechworth goal.
I was arrested near Benalla by ... (Argus4/1/79)(Argus6/1/79)(OMA7/1/79)
We were held without ever being given a chance to defend ourselves. We were also remanded in custody for periods of 7 days at a time. Only one of us sympathizers was effectively represented by a lawyer. The magistrates repeated the remands each week for over 3 months before we were finally released See (OMA11/2/1879)
At the start, the arrests 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. Would you help the forces of 'law and order' in our circumstances.
I was eventually released See (Argus26/2/79) (OMA27/2/79)
I married Mary Graham. We had 8 children; Mary b1869, William b1871, James and Sarah b1875, Eliza b1877, Robert b1883, twin daughters died soon after birth
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27-mar-10