The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (2)

full text

CHAPTER 1

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The members of the police force originated from similar stock, and, as upholders of the law, their display of authority in the circumstances was sometimes a very regrettable one. They were regarded as tyrants and oppressors, and their often rough and ready methods did not tend to dispel the distrust of those whom they were destined to protect. This lack of harmony undoubtedly favoured the Kellys and their followers when driven to resistance in their later career. The Kellys had a multitude of friends, who, if they did not actually aid them, did much to hamper those who were charged with their apprehension.

JOHN (RED) KELLY

John (Red) Kelly, the father of Ned and Dan. was born in County Tipperary, Ireland. He was a fearless young man of some education and outstanding ability.

He was the type of young Irish patriot who was prepared to make even the supreme sacrifice for hit country's freedom. He was a man whom the landlords and their henchmen regarded as a menace to the continuation of the injustices so maliciously inflicted on the people of Ireland .

Like the other patriots, he was charged with an agrarian offence (but not assault or murder as falsely stated by the Royal Commission after Ned Kelly's execution). With jury packing reduced to a fine art, the ruling class in Tipperary had no difficulty in securing his conviction, and transportation to Van Dieman's Land. Among the Irish leaders who were treated in a similar fashion were:- John Mitchell, Smith-O'Brien, Maher, O'Doberty, and very many others.

After serving his sentence in Van Dieman's Land, John Kelly came to Melbourne , where he worked for some time as a bush carpenter. The gold fever attracted him to the diggings, where his labours were crowned with success. Returning from the diggings, he bought a farm at Beveridge and settled down to farm life. He married Ellen, third daughter of James Quinn. a neighbouring farmer.

Irish patriotism was such an unforgiveable crime in the eyes of British Government officials in the Colony of Victoria, that even the serving of a savage sentence would not wipe out the campaign of anti-Irish hatred so well organised in the Colonies.

John Kelly was continually hounded by the police, who, without the authority of a search warrant, frequently searched his home without success. The heads of the Police Department were very disappointed. The search continued until, at last, they found a cask with meat in it. John Kelly was arrested and charged with having meat in his possession for which the police said he had not given them a satisfactory account. The long distance from a butcher shop made it necessary to buy meat that would last for some weeks; hence the use of the cask. It is evident that the Bench at Kilmore regarded the charge against John Kelly as a "trumped up affair"; he was sentenced to only six months. Now, if John Kelly had been charged with cattle stealing as frequently stated by the enemies of Honor, Truth and Justice, he would have received a sentence of, at least, five years.

Although the sentence was for only six months, it proved to be a Death Sentence. Such was the treatment to which John Kelly was subjected in Kilmore Jail that, notwithstanding his good health and perfect physique when sentenced, he died shortly after his release. Broken in health, he now sold his farm to conduct a hotel at Avenel. Shortly after his arrival at Avenel, John Kelly died.

MRS KELLY

Shortly after her husband's death, Mrs Kelly, with her eight orphans, left Avenel for Greta, where her brothers had already taken up land. Here on the Eleven-Mile Creek, five miles from Glenrowan, and eleven miles from Benalla, the Kelly family contrived to make a living, some by working for wages. and the others by improving their selection. It was apparently an, uphill struggle and their difficulties were considerably increased by the unwarranted attentions of the police in their determination to carry out the instructions of the Assistant Chief Commissioner of Police, Superintendent C H Nicolson, to "root the Kellys out of the district." At the time these instructions were given. There were no charges impending against any member of the Kelly family. It is very evident, therefore, that the police, metaphorically speaking, intended to use LOADED DICE to rob the Kelly family of their FREEDOM. It is only natural, therefore, that the Kellys developed a strong resentment to the attitude of the local police, and an equally strong dislike for the Police Force. Notwithstanding this systematic persecution the police failed to justly convict Ned and Dan Kelly of a felony.

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This document gives you the text of this book about the KellyGang. The text has been retyped from a copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. We also apologise for any typographical errors. JJ Kenneally was one of the first authors to tell this story from the KellyGang's point of view