Читать книгу The Kelly Gang - George Wilson Hall - Страница 9

“They fell on; I made good my place; at length they came to the broomstaff with me. I defied them still; when suddenly a file of boys came behind them, loose shot, delivered such a shower of pebbles, that I was fain to draw mine honour in and let them win the work”.

– King Henry VIII

On the 15th of April, 1878, Constable Fitzpatrick, who was stationed at Benalla, proceeded, according to his own account, to Greta, for the purpose of arresting Daniel Kelly for horse-stealing, on a warrant, which he confessed he had not with him, and had never seen, but the existence of which he took for granted from a notice in the Police Gazette. Whether he took this course by command of his superiors, or on his own responsibility, does not, we believe, appear.

On reaching the abode of the Kellys he made a prisoner of Dan, but, with ill-judged leniency, permitted him to partake of some supper as a preliminary to his journey to Benalla.

During the domiciliary visit, William Williamson and William Skillion being present, a row ensued, in the course of which the constable was knocked down by Mrs. Kelly with a shovel, and shot in the wrist by Edward while on the ground and in the hands of all the others. A consultation was held among the party as to how to dispose of their prisoner, and murder was freely discussed; but in the end mercy prevailed, and after forcing Fitzpatrick to extract the bullet from his wrist with a pocket knife, and making him promise solemnly not to divulge what had occurred, they allowed him to depart.

After riding some distance, he heard two men galloping after him helter-skelter, which he interpreted to mean a change of views on the part of some of his late assailants, and an intention to secure his silence by death. Being well mounted he succeeded in escaping, under cover of the darkness, and having arrived in safety at head-quarters, and not considering himself bound by the promise he had made to save his life, at once reported the particulars of the event.

Upon an information to that effect, Mrs. Kelly, W. Williamson and W. Skillion were subsequently arrested, but Dan made good his escape, after promising his mother that he would never suffer himself to be taken alive; and was soon after joined by his brother Edward.

Mrs. Kelly, W. Williamson, and Skillion were committed for trial to Beechworth, where they were convicted of a murderous assault on the police, and were sentenced by Sir Redmond Barry to imprisonment for terms of three, six and six years respectively, on the evidence of Constable Fitzpatrick. Furthermore, a reward of £100 was offered for the apprehension of Ned Kelly, to whom it was intimated that had he stood beside his mother in the dock, he would have received a sentence of 21 years, an item of news that certainly did not tend to increase the probability of his openly visiting the busy haunts of men.