The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (5)

full text

CHAPTER 1

continued

A young man named Wild Wright had been working in the Mansfield district, and decided on a visit to his relatives at Greta. He considered the distance too far to walk, and he had no other means of transport. He, however, preferred to ride, and without asking permission, took the mare belonging to the local schoolmaster. On arrival at Greta he turned the animal into a paddock pending his return journey. His holiday over, he discovered that the horse had got out of the paddock and wandered away. Wright now enlisted the help of Ned Kelly in the search. Ned believed the mare belonged to Wright. In the meantime the schoolmaster had reported the disappearance to the police, and a description of the animal had already been published in the "Police Gazette." It was unfortunate for Ned that he had succeeded in the search, for, when leading the horse back through Greta, to return it to Wright, whom he believed to be the rightful owner, he was intercepted by the local constable in front of the police station. Constable Hall, who was in charge of Greta, was struck by the resemblance the mare Ned was leading bore to the one reported as having been stolen from the schoolmaster near Mansfield.

Without inquiring how or why Ned Kelly became inpossession of the stolen horse, Constable Hall attempted to be somewhat diplomatic, and invited Ned to come into the police station to sign a paper in reference to Ned Kelly's recent discharge from the Beechworth gaol. Ned replied: "I have done my time, and I will sign nothing."

The constable thereupon attempted to drag Ned Kelly from his horse, apparently for Ned's refusal to sign the fictitious paper. Ned jumped off his horse on the off-side. He was promptly seized by the burly constable and thrown to the ground. Ned fought like a wild cat. As the constable was holding this sixteen years old lad down, the latter thrust his long spurs with considerable force into the policeman's buttocks. Hall, answering promptly to the spurs, made a flying leap forward, covering several yards.

Ned Kelly, regaining his feet, made a run for his horse. There were 14 brickmakers working close by, and some of them were attracted to the scene. One of the brickmakers seized the sixteen years old lad by the legs and brought him down. The policeman was so angered by the injury inflicted on his dignity by Ned Kelly's spurs that he threw himself on the prostrate lad and savagely belaboured him on the head with his revolver. Ned was badly cut about the head and bled freely. He carried the scars to the end of his life. So freely did Ned bleed that his clothes were thoroughly saturated with blood, and when dried, his clothes were stiff enough to stand up.

He presented a dreadful sight when brought before the Wangaratta Court next day, and the spectators commented severely on the brutality of the police when arresting a mere boy.

Wild Wright was also arrested and charged with "horse stealing"; Ned Kelly was charged with "receiving," knowing the horse to have been stolen. They were tried and convicted. No one can beat Loaded Dice, particularly when used departmentally.

Ned Kelly was sentenced to three years for "receiving” under the above circumstances.

Wild Wright was sentenced to 18 months for deliberately stealing the horse. The Loaded Dice was not used against him.

It is alleged that one James Murdoch, who was afterwards hanged for murder at Wagga Wagga, N.S.W., received £20 from Hall to give evidence against Ned Kelly.

The police always admitted that Ned Kelly was no fool. Therefore, he would not lead Wright's mare in front of the Police Station if lie'knew she had been stolen. This second most outrageous miscarriage of justice created intense anger in the Greta district, and developed, in those who knew the facts, supreme contempt for the police, who described the settlers of Greta as a lawless people.

Ale attitude of the police and the judiciary as stated above destroyed the last ray of hope which the Kellys, their relatives, friends and sympathisers may have had of obtaining a fair deal from the police and the judiciary while the Dice were still loaded and on active service against them.

Ned Kelly was discharged from goal in 1874 after serving his second sentence, the result of fiendish persecution by the police. Constable Thomas Kirkham, who in after years was one of his pursuers, stated that Ned Kelly was a fine manly man, and possessed a high moral character; that his conduct in gaol was exemplary in every way.

Notwithstanding the pressing anxiety of the police to bring the Kellys up on any charge, no matter how paltry, it was not until 1877 that Ned Kelly experienced further police hostility.

During a visit to Benalla in that year, he was arrested on charges of being drunk and with having ridden his horse across a footpath. He asserted that on this occasion his liquor had been drugged, and vehemently protested against being charged with drunkenness. When he was being brought next morning from the lockup to the Court House, he escaped from the constable in charge, of him, and took refuge in the shop of King the bootmaker. He was pursued by the Sergeant and three constables, who with the assistance of the boot maker, tried to handcuff him. A fierce fight ensued, the odds being five to one - four policemen and the bootmaker against Ned Kelly. In the fight Ned Kelly's trousers were literally torn off him. Constable Lonigan, taking advantage of the torn garment, seized him by the privates and inflicted terrible torture on his victim.

See previous page / next page

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