Meet the people of the KellyGang story
Arrested as a sympathizer. Joe's mother was related to Ned Kelly's father Red Kelly
Links to the KellyGang., Early Years., Teenage years., 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.,
On this morning Ned Kelly came by my farm at Lake Rowan and he sold me a horse. Later I spent some time with William Skillion. Later in the day we went and saw Frank Harty at Winton. After that we went to Skillion's place and heard about the incident with Fitzpatrick at Mrs Kelly's place. Things were over before we arrived and we did not see Fitzpatrick.
I was called by the defence team at Mrs Kelly's trial in Beechworth in October 1878. I told the court that Skillion had been with me for most of the day. The prosecution twisted my evidence. All they wanted to talk about was the fact that Mrs Kelly was my aunt and that I had bought a horse from Ned Kelly that very morning (JJK)
The KellyGang dropped in to see me while they were in the Wombat Ranges in about 7/11/1878.
After coming across the ranges on 8/11 Const Johnson saw the stockyard and found that horses had been there recently. He noticed that some of the horses shod and some unshod. The police then followed the KellyGang for about 20 miles. The boys got away safely. (RC12361)
On 2/1/1879 Commissioner Standish ordered the arrest of about 20 sympathizers including myself. He took that action under the Felons Apprehension Act, the outlawry Act. Most of the sympathizers were held in Beechworth gaol.
I was arrested near at Lake Rowan by ... At first the police arrested my brother Jack by mistake. (Argus6/1/79) (OMA7/1/79)
We were held without ever being given a chance to defend them selves. We were remanded in custody for periods of 7 days. Only one of the sympathizers was effectively represented by a lawyer. The magistrates repeated the remands each week for over 3 months before the sympathizers were finally released See (OMA11/2/79) (OMA18/2/79)
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
There was a petition for my release (OMA24/1/1879)
I broke my leg in gaol. They eventually released me. (Argus26/2/79) (OMA27/2/1879) (JJK)
It is likely that I arrived at the siege of Glenrowan with Ned Kelly on the evening of Saturday 26/6/1880 with my brother Jack.
What happened to Ned Kelly's sash (JJK)
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5-may-10