Steve Hart

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The Story of the Kelly Gang 1906.jpg

Steve Hart

Steve Hart was a member of the KellyGang.

I died at the siege at Glenrowan; description - (SMH19/12/78)

Links to the KellyGang below , 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 , Funeral, Royal Commission , Family ,

Family

parents Richard and Bridget .brothers and sisters Julia, Richard (b56), Steve (59),Nicholas, Tom, Jane, Esther (Ettie), Hugh, Winifred, Rachel, Agnes, Ellen and Harriet

Links to the KellyGang

Photograph Early years I was born in 1859 in Beechworth. [[[The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (8)|JJK]]) Teenage years We lived on Three Mile Creek between Wangaratta and the Warby Ranges, out the back of the Wangaratta race course on a 230 acre selection near Three Mile Creek. I have been described as a small dark bow-legged boy who was a very good horseman and sometime jockey. One of my best feats was to clear the railway gates in Wangaratta. Others have said that I am slow speaking and that my friend Dan Kelly led me along.

After leaving school early I went to work as a butchers boy in Milawa with Mr Gardiner of Oxley. While I was there I was impressed by the Greta Mob. (FH) (BWC)

I liked to wear strapped moleskins and high healed riding boots with bright silk sash

First run ins with the law In July 1877 my brother Richard and I and a friend John O'Brien from Greta were arrested by Sgt Steele for illegal use and stealing horses. I eventually got 12 months hard labour in Beechworth goal over this.

In June 1878 I was released from goal and I went home for a while. But home was very dull and my new friends offered me much more fun. Later that year I visited Jerilderie to sell some horses.

Gold mining and whiskey near Stringy Bark Creek See the story of Bullock Creek and the [[../../things/K_kellys/K_KellyGang.html|KellyGang]]. Deaths at Stringy Bark Creek in the Wombat Ranges 26/10/1878

The story of this incident is really the story of what happened at Stringy Bark Creek, Escape north On 30/10/1878 Parliament in Melbourne passed the Felons Apprehension Act. That turned us into outlaws. The police now had authority to shoot us on sight. They did not need an act of Parliament to do that.

See text of the warrant they issued (CHC)

We had a terrible time as we tried to cross the River Murray in the rain and avoid the police.

We made our way back to Wangaratta and I led us under the One Mile Bridge and we went into the Warby Ranges. (RC8856)

Eventually we made in and took up life again in the open paddocks near home. While some of our friends came and visited, life was no easy . Ned and Joe Byrne spent most days planning and Dan Kelly and I looked after the horses and our food supplies that were mainly organised by Dan's sister Maggie

Euroa Robbery 10/12/1878 I was first identified as being a member of the KellyGang after the robbery (Argus12/12/78) ( Argus12/12/78)

We at Faithfull's Creek Station on the afternoon of Monday 9/12/78.

On 11/12/78 I went off with Ned and Dan Kelly to do the robbery in Euroa. Ned and I went into the bank while Dan waited outside. I was identified by Fanny Shaw (Mrs Scott's maid) who I knew from my young days home in Wangarattta

I rode a horse while the other two took the carts. It was a real trip. The only downside is that I was identified as a member of the KellyGang for the first time.

see also (SMH12/12/78)

I used to get around in women's clothes; I could go anywhere. (Argus31/12/78) (Argus4/1/79)

My photograph (Argus18/12/78)

We were blamed for every event in the bush. (Argus27/1/79)

Jerilderie Robbery 10/2/1879 About midnight on Saturday the 8th of February, we the KellyGang surrounded the Jerilderie police station, and awoke the police. After we put the the police in their own cells I took the first shift to guard the women and children in the house while we had a good sleep.

On Sunday Dan Kelly and I dressed our selves up in police uniforms and walked about the station in a most conspicuous manner. No one took any notice. In the afternoon Joe Byrne put on a police uniform and came with me and we had a good look around. We took Const Richards with us. Later Ned and Dan got dressed up as police and came for walk around the town while Joe and I rode.

We went to the Royal Hotel where we introduced ourselves to the publican Mr Cox. I was placed inside the dining-room. Every person who came near the hotel was placed in this room I spent most day there looking after the quests for most of the time.

I got into trouble with Ned Kelly because I took a new saddle from a saddler's shop, and I also relieved several men of their watches. Ned Kelly ordered me to them return them. However Ned took took a saddle and bridle and pair of spurs belonging to Mr. Tarleton from the bank, with a pair of riding-trousers, gold watch and chain.

Please see Dan Kelly for the rest of the story of the KellyGang in Jerilderie

Later in 1879 During this time things got hard quickly. Ned Kelly will tell you how we were helped by our families and friends. Joe Byrne spent much of his time thinking about planning the next raid and big event. I have been asked to tell you what we did from day to day.

Some say that we spent our time living in the paddocks waiting to be fed by Maggie Skillion, my family, Mrs Byrne or some of our other friends or running from the police trackers and their spies.

There are reports that we had gone back to the old business of gold mining up in the area near the intersection of the roads linking Beechworth, Chiltern, Kiewa and Yackandandah. We were also reported to have visited people around Chiltern and at various other places

I visited my parents (Argus10/11/79) (Argus17/11/79)

Early in 1880 Death of Aaron Sherritt 26/6/1880 I went to Glenrowan with Ned Kelly and was not present when this happened. Ned Kelly always liked to keep me near him (FH) Glenrowan Siege 28/6/1880 Arrival at Glenrowan

I arrived at Glenrowan on 26/6/1880 with Ned Kelly and we held up the town and collected people in the Glenrowan Inn.

Ned and I visited mr and Mrs McDonnell in bed. My code name was 'Collie' (Herald29/6/1880)

I spent most of my time looking after people at Stanistreet's station master's house (RC10542)

First police arrive at Glenrowan

When the police arrived on the morning of 28/6/1880 I, was with the rest of the KellyGang, were on the verandah to meet them.

I was not well (BWC)

We fired at the bastards who took Ned Kelly. ( RC10368)

After the civilians left the Inn

Dan Kelly and I were the only ones left in the Inn after we let the civilians go at about 10am.

SConst Jonhston believes that he saw one of us at the back door at about 2pm (Argus29/6/1880)(RC7150)

I died at the siege before the Inn was set on fire.

Jones's Inn set fire to

The siege was kept up all the forenoon, and till 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Some say that Dan Kelly and I were dead by this time. The police decided to make sure. They wanted us dead anyway. They set fire to the inn and left us to roast. Just before this my sister Maggie attempted to approach the Inn from the front. She was by then prepared to plead with the authorities for one last time on our behalf. They turned her away.

When the house was seen to be fairly on fire, Father Gibney walked up to the front door and entered the Inn. There he saw the bodies of Dan Kelly and myself lying side by side on our backs. He touched us and found that we were dead. Gibney expressed the opinion, based on their position, that they must have killed one another. Were we killed one another or whether both or one committed suicide, or whether we were mortally wounded by the police? The priest had barely time to feel their bodies before the fire forced him to make a speedy exit from the room.

After the Inn had been burned down, our bodies were removed from the embers. People said that we presented a horrible spectacle, nothing but the trunk and skull being left, and these almost burnt to a cinder. Their armour was found near us. There was nothing left to lead to positive identification. I was a much smaller than Dan Kelly and this difference in size was noticeable in our remains. Constable Dwyer who followed Father Gibney into the hotel, states that he was near enough to the bodies to recognise Dan Kelly. (Argus 29/6/80) See also (DailyTelegraph29/6/1880)(RC12315)

SConst Johnston saw our bodies when he entered the Inn before we were burnt. 'The armour was lying about a foot and a half from each of them. I might explain the room they were in. There was a double bed in it, and as soon as the fire had burnt down the bed so that I could get to see them, I got a pile of brick and timber away from the wall, and got out the bed; then I saw the bodies, and the manner in which they were lying.' ' They appeared to me to have laid down in one another's arms-the left arm of one of them was not so much burnt as the right, that is, it appeared to be underneath the other.' (RC7197) See also (RC7222) (RC7361)

We were lying towards the door and bedstead, across the end of the building-that is where SConst Johnston set fire to the end of the bedstead-across, with the side to the end of the building; and our bodies were lying on the other side of the bed, between that and the door leading out on to the passage. (RC7248) (Argus5/7/80)

Sup Sadlier agreed to hand my body over to my family on the day of the siege and the next day he agreed to allow my family and friends to bury me.(RC2880)

After the Siege John Grant, the Wangaratta undertaker was employed by the friends to provide coffins of a first class description. He arrived with them in a buggy at Glenrowan on the afternoon of the siege. The lid of the one coffin has lettered “Daniel Kelly, died 28 th June 1880 , aged 19 years,” and the other “Stephen died 28 th June 1880 , aged 21.years.” (Argus30/6/80) (OMA1/7/80)

My body was taken back home to Eleven Mile Creek for a family funeral. It was held at Maggie's place. (Herald30/6/80)

The authorities wanted to conduct an inquest into our death. see my brother Richard for details. (MDTel1/7/80)

There has been some people who say that I some how escaped from the flames at Glenrowan. Mrs Kelly put the lie to that. (BWC) (BWC)

Did I turn up in South Africa (Argus19/7/1902) (Argus15/10/1902)

What happened to the Hart family

See my father for the family tree

14-jun-12