Jerilderie at KellyGang

Saturday 8 February 1879
Towards sundown on Saturday 8/2/1879 the KellyGang arrived at the Woolshed Inn (Sometimes called Davidson's Woolpack Inn) to while away the hours before moving to the police station in Jerilderie. The inn was located on Cape Road, 3 Km east of Jerilderie off the Oaklands Road. See also (JJK)

About midnight on Saturday 8/2/1879 the KellyGang arrived at the police station. The policemen were asleep. They were awaken by a man calling out; 'Constable Devine, there is a drunken man at Davidson's hotel in the township who has committed a murder. Get up at once all of you.' (CHC)

Const Richard's, got up first and he was soon followed outside by Const Devine. Both men were undressed and not prepared to meet the KellyGang. Ned Kelly told the police about a row in the town of Jerilderie. After he had established that all the police were outside he brought out a revolver and threatened Const Devine. Joe Byrne threatened Const Richards. The KellyGang then got the keys to the lock up and locked the two policeman in the watch house and then took their horses and put them in the police stables and gave them a good feed. After this the KellyGang went inside and escorted the policemen's wives and children into a room and appointed Steve Hart to guard them. They were threatened with the policemen's lives if they were to escape.

Sunday 9 February 1879
On Sunday morning the KellyGang allowed Mrs Devine to move around the police station to create an atmosphere of normality. She cleaned out the Court House for Church and set it up for the service under the watchful eye of Joe Byrne. The Court House is still standing and is used as the town library. Dan Kelly and Steve Hart dressed themselves up as policemen and had a good look around the town.

The local rector was Rev John Brown Gribble. He lived at Park Residence on the bank of the Billabong Creek. See (Argus13/2/79)
Originally it was the home of William Virgoe, a squatter.
Rev Gribble was successful in pleading with Ned Kelly for the return of the horse belonging to the daughter of the proprietor of the Travellers Rest Hotel, Thomas McDougall, and for the return of his own watch taken from him by Steve Hart. (JJK)

Later in the day Joe Byrne and Steve Hart, dressed as police took Const Richards for a walk around the town. During this time the members of the KellyGang checked out the position of the bank and the other main buildings in the town.

Monday 10 February 1879
On Monday the 10th Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly took one of their horses into town to be shod by the local police farrier, Andrew Nixon. Samuel Rea's blacksmith shop is stll standing

At about 11am the KellyGang locked the police ladies and children in the watchouse with Const Devine. Ned Kelly and Dan Kelly, dressed as police, then walked into town with Const Richards. Steve Hart and Joe Byrne followed on horse back. When they arrived at the Royal Mail Hotel. Ned Kelly told the publican Mr Charlie Cox who he was and that the KellyGang had come to rob the bank and that they wanted some rooms. Steve Hart was given the job of looking after the dining room which was used to hold anyone who came along. Joe Byrne watched the back of the pub and rounded up the hotel staff.

Mr Mahood, the saddler, had a saddle stolen by Steve Hart.

The KellyGang then went off to the Bank of New South Wales branch and met Mr Living. The Bank manager Mr Tarleton was having a bath at the time. Please see Mr Living to hear what happened at the bank.

The KellyGang might have taken some papers from Mrs Maslam.(Argus3/7/1880)

After the KellyGang had finished with the bank they went off to catch up with Mr Gill the editor of the local paper in an attempt to get what has become known as the Jerilderie letter published.

They then turned their attention on Mr Jefferson and the telegraph station and tore down part of the telegraph line.
Ned Kelly then went next door and ordered Bootmaker John Roe to fetch his axe from the wood heap and start cutting down the telegraph poles.

The telegraph people in Deniliquin worked out that the KellyGang had stuck up Jerilderie and cut the lines. Hear Mr Peter A. Dunne's story. (BWC)

Mr Roe, publican Martin Murphy, Thomas Brown and Charlie Naw (Jn) were ordered by Ned Kelly to cut down telegraph poles. They were sent to James Denny Rankin's store, get a new axe from the store manager Albert Brasch.
Ned Kelly and Joe Byrne then escorted Mr Jefferson and young Rankin across to the Royal Mail Hotel, and from there to the police barracks and they were locked up with SConst Devine and Const Richards.

The KellyGang said their final farewells at the Travellers Rest Hotel and left town saying that they were going to hold up the Urana coach.
See also (FH)

News of the attack reached Deniliquin about 8.15pm and six mounted troopers were despatched about midnight to Tocumwal, with a view of intercepting the KellyGang crossing the Murray. (BWC)

Wild Wright was arrested (Argus4/7/79)

The Royal Commission reported on this event in the following terms:
"The daring with which this outrage was committed, and the impunity with which the gang were allowed to swoop down upon a township, to bail up the police, to rob one of the banks, and return to their haunts in Victoria, marked this episode as one of the most extraordinary in the whole career of the outlaws. " (RC2ndreportX)

Michael Curtin was out of town and missed the KellyGang. (BWC)

Jerlderie, the town

location

Beginings

Importance of Jerlderie

What was Jerilderie like in the late 1870s

Facilities in Jerilderie in the late 1870s

Links to the KellyGang

What happened at Jerilderie after the time of the Kelly Gang

Members of the Jerilderie community

What is happening at Jerilderie today - a part of the Kelly Country and Ned Kelly's story