then thought a drop of spirits might steel my nerves should an opportunity to overpower the outlaws arise.
Their vile deed was done, but they seemed in no hurry to leave our town. Kelly saw fit to make a speech to his prisoners, now some 30-odd people, and lectured us about how the police had mistreated him and left him no choice but to murder three of their number. Then he announced we could all leave if we liked.
Still the outlaws seemed in no rush to depart. I caught the eye of the junior clerk and told him to fetch my horse. By this time the crowd was dispersing and Kelly was out in the street talking to Reverend Gribble. Ensuring that no one was watching, I went round the back of the hotel where the clerk was holding my horse.
“I shall ride like the wind,” I told him. “They’ll never catch me.”
Mr John Tarleton, Bank Manager, Jerilderie
Another Robbery
“If I had robbed and plundered ravished and murdered everything I met young and old rich and poor, the public could not do any more than take firearms and Assisting the police as they have done.”
Ned feels the public is against him, Jerilderie Letter
The already saddle-sore bank manager rode another 92 kilometres to Deniliquin to raise the alarm. He didn’t get there until 6 a.m. the following day. Once again the slow communications of the time meant that the Kelly Gang had plenty of time to make their leisurely escape.
The £2000 that they had stolen from the Euroa bank didn’t last long. It was a small fortune in 1878, but Ned had generously shared the money with his family and friends and by February the gang needed more funds.
Confident after the success of the last bank hold- up and the grudging praise it had brought from the press, Ned had a plan for another bank robbery. This one was even more daring than the last.
Counterfeit Troopers
He chose the Bank of New South Wales in the town of Jerilderie. The bank was in the heart of the main street. The gang planned to size up the town on Sunday and rob the bank on Monday. For their headquarters, instead of a remote homestead, Ned chose the police station.
The gang held up the Jerilderie police station in the early hours of Sunday, 9 February 1879. They soon had the town’s two policemen safely locked in their own jail and had made themselves comfortable in Constable Devine’s family quarters.
The gang was so confident of their success that they didn’t even feel they had to hide. Joe and Steve dressed up in spare police uniforms and rode around the town with the other policeman, Constable Richards. Townspeople thought they were new policemen being shown around the town. They didn’t realise that they were members of the feared Kelly Gang who were familiarising themselves with the town so that they could work out the best way to rob the bank.
The following morning Joe and Dan, dressed in police uniform, had time to buy some meat at the butcher’s and have their horses reshod. Then Ned put on a police uniform. He held up the publican in the hotel next door to the bank, telling him he wanted the use of his bar parlour for a few hours. He would hold the prisoners there.
Easy Money
Joe and Ned then held up the bank. The bank manager wasn’t present, but they took the bank clerks to the “prison” in the bar next door. Dan kept guard over them and anyone else who happened to come into the hotel.
When the bank manager returned, he was filling his bath when he found Steve Hart pointing a gun at him and demanding his key to the safe. Ned was again disappointed by the amount of money at the bank—just over £2000.
As an afterthought, Ned sent some of the townspeople to chop down the telegraph poles.
Publicity Campaign
Ned had a new, longer letter which he and Joe had written. Since he had had no luck writing to a politician, and the police had forbidden the press to print his letter, Ned needed a new way of getting his case heard. He wanted his new letter to be printed on handbills
Their vile deed was done, but they seemed in no hurry to leave our town. Kelly saw fit to make a speech to his prisoners, now some 30-odd people, and lectured us about how the police had mistreated him and left him no choice but to murder three of their number. Then he announced we could all leave if we liked.
Still the outlaws seemed in no rush to depart. I caught the eye of the junior clerk and told him to fetch my horse. By this time the crowd was dispersing and Kelly was out in the street talking to Reverend Gribble. Ensuring that no one was watching, I went round the back of the hotel where the clerk was holding my horse.
“I shall ride like the wind,” I told him. “They’ll never catch me.”
Mr John Tarleton, Bank Manager, Jerilderie
Another Robbery
“If I had robbed and plundered ravished and murdered everything I met young and old rich and poor, the public could not do any more than take firearms and Assisting the police as they have done.”
Ned feels the public is against him, Jerilderie Letter
The already saddle-sore bank manager rode another 92 kilometres to Deniliquin to raise the alarm. He didn’t get there until 6 a.m. the following day. Once again the slow communications of the time meant that the Kelly Gang had plenty of time to make their leisurely escape.
The £2000 that they had stolen from the Euroa bank didn’t last long. It was a small fortune in 1878, but Ned had generously shared the money with his family and friends and by February the gang needed more funds.
Confident after the success of the last bank hold- up and the grudging praise it had brought from the press, Ned had a plan for another bank robbery. This one was even more daring than the last.
Counterfeit Troopers
He chose the Bank of New South Wales in the town of Jerilderie. The bank was in the heart of the main street. The gang planned to size up the town on Sunday and rob the bank on Monday. For their headquarters, instead of a remote homestead, Ned chose the police station.
The gang held up the Jerilderie police station in the early hours of Sunday, 9 February 1879. They soon had the town’s two policemen safely locked in their own jail and had made themselves comfortable in Constable Devine’s family quarters.
The gang was so confident of their success that they didn’t even feel they had to hide. Joe and Steve dressed up in spare police uniforms and rode around the town with the other policeman, Constable Richards. Townspeople thought they were new policemen being shown around the town. They didn’t realise that they were members of the feared Kelly Gang who were familiarising themselves with the town so that they could work out the best way to rob the bank.
The following morning Joe and Dan, dressed in police uniform, had time to buy some meat at the butcher’s and have their horses reshod. Then Ned put on a police uniform. He held up the publican in the hotel next door to the bank, telling him he wanted the use of his bar parlour for a few hours. He would hold the prisoners there.
Easy Money
Joe and Ned then held up the bank. The bank manager wasn’t present, but they took the bank clerks to the “prison” in the bar next door. Dan kept guard over them and anyone else who happened to come into the hotel.
When the bank manager returned, he was filling his bath when he found Steve Hart pointing a gun at him and demanding his key to the safe. Ned was again disappointed by the amount of money at the bank—just over £2000.
As an afterthought, Ned sent some of the townspeople to chop down the telegraph poles.
Publicity Campaign
Ned had a new, longer letter which he and Joe had written. Since he had had no luck writing to a politician, and the police had forbidden the press to print his letter, Ned needed a new way of getting his case heard. He wanted his new letter to be printed on handbills
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