Ned Kelly, a True Story 0194233073, 9780194233071

When he was a boy, he was poor and hungry. When he was a young man, he was still poor and hungry. He learnt how to steal

1,201 194 6MB

English Pages 56 Year 2005

Report DMCA / Copyright

DOWNLOAD FILE

Polecaj historie

Ned Kelly, a True Story
 0194233073, 9780194233071

Citation preview

OXFORD BOOKWORMS

LIBRAi

I

* CHRISTINE

L

I

N D

P

^i^^i^i^^^t

LIT-GEN LINDOP C

Washington Village

Boston Public Library Boston, MA 02116

Ni*"

NED KELLY A True Story Australia in the 1870s

was

a

new country

They came from England and begin a

new life. Some families had good

and got

was

a

like the

and

a hard

life

makes hard young men -

in

Some

them were not very

interested in justice.

just

fights

with the Kelly boys - and not

the

way

men

those early years in Australia were hard

of

They

is

wanted

to

win the

fight.

There were a

much

lot

young men outside the law.

to drive wild

Kelly stole horses,

like

policemen. They put his mother, Ellen Kelly,

was often

in trouble,

policeman, they said.

that happens?

back

.

.

.

and did not

Ned tried to But it was not true. What can

prison for three years. Ellen and

do when

of

That

justice.

Ned

fights

It

wild Kelly boys.

Policemen too.

life,

to

land for farming

But others were poor, and stayed poor.

rich.

hard

for Europeans.

and Scotland

Ireland

He becomes

kill

a

in

a

man

an outlaw - and

OXFORD BOOKWORMS LIBRARY True Stories

Ned

Kelly

A True Stage

1

Story

(400 headwords)

Series Editor: Jennifer Bassett

Activities

Founder Editor: Tricia Hedge Editors: Jennifer Bassett and Christine Lindop

• \

CHRISTINE LINDOP

Ned

Kelly

A True Story

OXFORD UNIVERSITY

PRESS

OXTORD UNIVERSITY PRESS Great Clarendon Street, Oxford 0x2 6dp

Oxford University Press It

is

a

department of the University of Oxford.

furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship,

and education by publishing worldwide Oxford

in

New York

Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto

With

offices in

Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam

oxford and oxford English are registered trade marks of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain o^her countries

© The moral

Oxford University Press 2005 rights of the author have

been asserted

Database right Oxford University Press (maker)

2468

10

97531

No unauthorized photocopying No

All rights reserved.

part of this publication

may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,

without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate

reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the ELT Rights Department,

Oxford University

Press, at the address

above

You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer

Any websites

referred to in this publication are in the public

domain and

their addresses are provided by Oxford University Press for information only.

Oxford University Press disclaims any responsibility ISBN-13: 978 19 423307 isbn-io: 0194233073

for the

content

1

Printed in Spain by Unigraf S.L.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Original illustrations by

pp

2, 5, 9, 13, 18,

The publishers would to

like to

David Eaton

23, 33, 35, 39, 50

thank the following for their kind permission

reproduce photographs and other copyright material:

Australian Manuscripts Collection, State Library of Victoria p 26; Noel O'Shea p 32; State of Victoria. Private Collection pp 1, 20, 28 (Joe Byrne, Steve Hart), 30;

©

Reproduced with the permission of the Keeper of Public Records, Public Record Office Victoria, Australia/PROV, VPRS8369/P1, Unit 1, Photograph of Edward Kelly p 6; La Trobe Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria pp 28 (Dan Kelly, Steve Hart), 30, 37, 40, 42; Victoria Police Historical Unit Melbourne Australia pp 11, 16, 28 (Ned Kelly); Westpac Historical Services p 24.

We would

like to give special

thanks to Matt Shore and Ian Jones

for their great help in supplying pictures

CONTENTS STORY INTRODUCTION It is

the year 1880

..

.

i

1

1

Ned's young days

2

The

Gang

8

3

Three dead men

15

4

Two visits to the

5

Alive or dead at

6

Ned's

Kelly

last

bank

Glenrowan

days

3

21

29 38

GLOSSARY

43

activities: Before Reading

45

activities: While Reading

46

activities: After Reading

49

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND THE STORY

53

ABOUT BOOKWORMS

54

IT IS THE YEAR 1880. In

the prison

Australia, a

in

Melbourne,

young man has

visitors - his mother, a

brother, and two sisters.

Nobody There

is

is

saying very much.

only one word to say,

and the word

is

'Goodbye'.

Because the young man

is

Ned Kelly, the most famous outlaw

in all

Australia.

And

tomorrow morning the prison officers are going to

put a

rope around his neck and

hang him

until

he

is

dead.

hU This

Ned Kelly

in prison, the

before be died

day

is

Ned

Kelly's story

NORTH Jerilderie

EAST

Ned's young days

JULY, 1865. The story begins

of Melbourne. Ned Kelly Ellen Kelly.

Ned is

lives

Avenel, a small town north

here with his parents,John and

ten years old, the oldest boy of the seven

He has two

Kelly children.

in

brothers, Jim and Dan, and four

sisters - Anne, Maggie, Kate, and Grace.

XXX 'Where's your father, boy?' Ellen Kelly called out to her son

one evening.

Ned

'Is

he on the road?

Can you

see him?'

Kelly looked out of the door. 'No, Ma,' he said.

'I

can't see him.'

Ned's father came home 'Ellen,'

a

it

it

trees

on the

in quietly.

need your help. There's

I

hill.

We must cut

it

up and

home.'

'Oh, John, did

and he came

he said, 'come with me.

dead cow by the

bring

late,

is it

one of our cows?'

his wife asked.

'How

die?'

'It's

one of Morgan's cows, and

we must

killed

it,'

John

be quick, before he comes looking for

'Oh, you

was

said. 'So

it.'

fool!' said Ellen.

In the children's this. It

I

bed

in the

next room,

a small house, with only

could hear everything.

Ned was

Ned

listened to

two rooms, and you

pleased about the dead

Ned Kelly: A True Story

cow. They didn't often have meat to

eat,

and the children

were always hungry. But dead cows bring trouble. Three days a policeman at the door. 'John Kelly,

you

cow, and I'm taking you to prison

.'

That was the end of school

man

of the family now.

worked on

was not easy

life

in

Many

Morgan's

killed

.

Ned

Kelly.

He was

the

helped his mother, and he

The farm was not very

Ellen

Quinn were from

Ireland.

Melbourne, and then came north, to

a farm.

was

big,

and

They

first

for the Kellys.

John Kelly and

met

He

the Kellys' farm.

for

.

later there

find land for

other Irish people did the same thing.

Everybody wanted land, but some people had land than other people.

It

was

a hard, wild

life.

a lot

more

There was

a lot of drinking, a lot of fighting, a lot of stealing - horses,

cows, dead or alive

John Kelly was

good

for him,

A year and

.

.

in prison for six

a half later he

Ellen thought about

her

life

she

months. Prison was not

and when he came out, he began

'What are we going

all

.

was

to it.

to drink.

was dead. do now, Ma?' Ned asked.

She was a

a fighter.

tall,

strong

woman, and

She had twelve children

in the

end and was ninety-three years old when she died.

'We must leave here,' east,

and

live

near

my

she said.

family.'

XXX

'We must go

to the north-

Ned's young days

The

Kellys'

Greta.

new house was

at Eleven

They had some animals and

Ned worked hard

to get

money

a small garden,

trees.

was a bard, wild

and

He could do and cows, cut down

for the family.

farming work, take care of horses

It

Mile Creek, near

life

Ned Kelly: A True

Story

But trouble was never

^A

^tk

A

far

W^^lL

away. The police did not

like the

wild Kelly hoys, or

when

their friends. In 1870,

Ned was

fifteen,

very hard in a police put six

he hit a

fight,

him

man

and the

in prison for

months.

The next year something worse happened. Ned was the

town of Greta on

horse

brown

when Policeman

came up Ned Kelly,

a

Hall

to him.

'Ned Kelly, you get down

15 years old

and come with me. You that horse

and I'm taking you to

was five

stole

prison.'

'That's not true,' said Ned, and then there fight.

in

was

a terrible

Policeman Hall had a gun and Ned did not, but Ned

the better fighter. In the end Hall called for help and

men came

to help him.

Next day they took Ned down went

to

Wangaratta and he

in front of the judge.

'It's

not

Wright,'

my

Ned

horse,

it

belongs to a

told the judge. 'Wright

house, and his horse ran away.

him one of my

horses.

And

man

was

He needed

he said to me,

at

Wild

called

my

mother's

a horse so

I

"When you

gave find

Ned's young days

the

brown

horse,

found the horse,

'Ned Kelly belongs to a

I

you keep her

for me."

And

so

when

I

kept her.'

stole that horse!'

Policeman Hall

said.

'It

man in Mansfield, and someone stole it on the

6th of March.' 'Well,'

Ned

said,

29th of March.

'I

was

How can

I

in

Beechworth prison up

when I'm in prison? — horse I didn't know it was

steal a

And Wright told me it was

his

to the

horse

a stolen horse.'

But

it is

a crime to

have a stolen horse. Wild Wright, of

course, stole the horse, and he went to prison for eighteen

months. But they put Ned Kelly

When

in prison for three years.

he came back to Eleven Mile Creek in 1874, things

were very

different.

The Kelly Gang

MAY,

1874. Ned's sister Annie is dead; his brotherJim is

in

prison (five years for stealing cows), and his brother Dan

is

often

in

trouble too. There are

husband, and a

new faces at home

- a

new

new baby, for Ned's mother.

XXX 'Ned?

Ned,

Is

that you?

now

Oh, Ned!' Ellen Kelly ran

nineteen years old,

from prison. He put

his

tall

to the door.

and strong, was home

arm round

his

mother.

'Hello, Ma,' he said.

'Oh, Ned, 'I

it's

good

to see you,' said Ellen.

heard about Jim,'

Ned

said.

'And

little

'Poor, poor Annie,' said his mother. 'She

she had the baby, and

And poor Jim

got

we couldn't do

hear you've got a

baby

in his

'He's a

was so

ill

after

anything to help her.

five years!'

'Yes, that's hard,' said I

Annie.'

Ned. 'And what about you,

new husband.' He looked

Ma?

at the sleeping

mother's arms.

good man, Ned.

Little Ellen here

-

she's his

daughter.'

Ned touched 'I'm

happy

the baby's

for

little

hand.

you, Ma. And I'm happy

XXX S

to be back.'

The Kelly Gang

Ned soon found work. He moved from farm to farm, cutting down trees and helping with the horses and cows. He often came home to see his mother, and he and George King, Ellen's new husband, were soon friends. George was from California, and was only

Ned soon found work,

five

years older than Ned.

cutting

down

trees.

Ned Kelly: A True

On

one

police. 'I

visit

'Why do

home, Ned talked they give

me

to

all this

George about the

trouble?' he said.

don't know,' said George. 'They just don't like you.'

'It's

true,'

Ned

said.

'When somebody

horse, the police always

Then

And It

Story

they go to

my

come

to

me

loses a

cow

or a

with their questions.

mother's house and ask her questions.

they always go. late at night,

when

you're

all in

bed.

me,' said George.

'Why

not?

isn't right.'

'Well,

come and work with

You're good with horses, and

J

don't have any trouble with

the police.'

'What work are you planning 'Sell

horses

-

to do?' said

Ned.

lots of them.'

'And where are you going to

get all these horses from,

George?' asked Ned.

George smiled. And Ned laughed.

XXX It

was

exciting work.

'We

stole

280 horses,' Ned said

later.

'Then we took them across the Murray River and sold

them

in

The

New

South Wales for a

police got angrier

and

lot

of money.'

angrier.

They couldn't stop

Ned

Kelly or George

new policeman came

to Benalla. Alex

the stealing, and they couldn't catch

King with the stolen horses. In

August 1877

a

Fitzpatrick liked horses, girls, and drink, and for

weeks he and Ned were

friends.

10

Ned's

sister

some

Kate was a

The Kelly Gang

Policeman Alex Fitzpatrick,

in

1877

beautiful girl with long black hair. She liked Fitzpatrick too, at

first.

But soon there were angry words between him and

Ned, and then

a fight.

A

policeman could not be a friend

of the Kellys for long.

11

'

Ned Kelly: A True Story

April 1878 came.

The police had

questions about stolen

horses for Dan, and for Ned's best friend, Joe Byrne. So Fitzpatrick rode out to the Kellys' house, to find Dan.

Perhaps he wanted to see Kate too - but did Kate want to see

On his way there he stopped and had two or three When he arrived at the house, he felt very strong

him?

drinks.

and brave. 'Dan

coming with me

Kelly, you're

to the police station,'

he said. 'I'm having

my

Dan. 'You can

dinner,' said

Fitzpatrick sat at the table, waiting for

were on Kate

all

beautiful body.

the time

The

Then Kate walked

Dan, but

- on her long black

room

small

felt

wait.' his eyes

hair,

on her

very hot.

past the table, very near him, and he

put his arm around her. 'You're a beautiful

Kate,' he said. 'Let's

girl,



'Take your hands off me!' said Kate. Suddenly

He

Ned was

at the door,

fired at Fitzpatrick

and

'Get out!' said Ned. 'Get

hit

with a gun

him

in his

hand.

in the wrist.

away from my

sister!'

Fitzpatrick ran out of the house and rode through the

night back to Benalla.

The next morning there were They found

Ellen at

ten policemen at the door.

home, but not Ned or Dan.

'Ellen Kelly,' they said.

'You and your sons

Policeman Fitzpatrick.' 12

tried to kill

The Kelly Gang

'Nobody want baby

to

tried to kill Fitzpatrick!' said Ellen.

'You

make trouble for me and my family.' She had

in her

a

just

new

arms, her third child by George King. But

George did not

live

with Ellen now.

'Mrs Kelly, where are your sons?' said a policeman. Ellen looked into the policeman's eyes.

she said. 'You

want them, you go and

don't know,'

find them.'

Get outV said Ned. 'Get away from

13

'I

my sister!'

Ned Kelly: A True

When Ned and Dan they rode

away

left their

into the

Story

mother's house that night,

Wombat Hills. At Bullock

They

miles from anywhere, they built a small hut. wild,

and looked

Creek, lived

for gold in the river.

Joe Byrne, Ned's good friend, went with them, because he needed to hide from the police too.

And

in

June, three

months

friend,

came out of

later,

Steve Hart, another

prison. He, too, got

on

his horse

good

and rode

to Bullock Creek.

So there were four of them.

Then,

October, Ellen's brother came to find them,

in

with some terrible news.

'Your mother's going to prison, Ned. For three years. Because she and you and judge said. careful,

And

Dan

tried to kill Fitzpatrick, the

the police are looking for

boys - stay

you and Dan. Be

in the hills!'

For a second Ned's eyes were red

like fire.

He spoke

slowly and coldly.

'They can look,' he here.'

He looked

said, 'but they can't catch

at his brother

Dan and

Steve. 'These policemen, these judges

dogs!

They put my mother

Nothing! From

men - and

And

now

in prison,

his friends

me

out

Joe and

- they're worse than and what did she do?

on, we're the Kelly gang. We're free

we're staying that way. Are you with me, boys?'

that

was

the beginning of the Kelly Gang.

14

3

Three dead men

OCTOBER,

1878. Four policemen ride north from the town

of Mansfield. Kennedy, Mclntyre, Lonigan, and Scan/on are on their way to Stringybark Creek plan to camp therefor a

\veek,

in

the

Wombat Hills. They

look for the Kelly

bring them back to Mansfield, dead or

Gang

-

and

alive.

XXX Very early one morning Ned and Dan Joe and Steve waited

'Walk

left

Bullock Creek.

at the hut.

quietly, Dan,' said

Ned, 'and

tracks near here yesterday, and

I

listen.

I

saw

horses'

think the police are after

us.'

The

police

camp

Creek was only two

at Stringybark

kilometres away, and the brothers soon found

it.

They hid

behind the trees and watched. They saw the four policemen, and their guns - two big heavy guns and four smaller guns. Later, back at Bullock Creek, Joe

the

to

and Steve

listened to

news about the guns.

'We've only got two guns.

What can we

'They want to

Dan. 'They're going to shoot

kill. Isn't

kill us,'

said

do?' said Joe.

that right, Ned?'

'Yes, that's right,' said

Ned. 15

'So,

we can

stay here

and

Ned Kelly: A True

Story

Policeman Thomas Mclntyre

wait for them — or

guns and horses. It

we can go down What do you say?'

there and take their

was an easy answer. The Kelly Gang got ready,

Bullock Creek, and went quietly through the

left

trees.

When they arrived at the police camp, only Lonigan and Mclntyre were

there.

Lonigan

sat

on

a tree, reading a

newspaper, and Mclntyre watched the camp

from behind a 'Put your

tree,

hands

Ned

fire.

Then,

Kelly called out.

up!'

Mclntyre had no gun, so he

sat

16

still

and put

his

hands up,

Three dead men

but Lonigan ran.

Then he got down behind

took out

and put

his gun,

He was

a fool.

A

his

bullet

a fallen tree,

head up.

from Ned's gun

hit

him

in the

head, and he died at once.

Ned want

'We don't

ran to Mclntyre. 'Don't move!' he said.

to kill you,

we

just

want

the guns

and

horses.'

But before the gang could find the guns and leave, they heard a noise

in the trees.

'Ned!' called Steve. 'The other

two policemen

are

coming

back!' 'Sit

see

on

this tree,'

your friends,

Ned

call

'And when you

said to Mclntyre.

out to them. Say, "Don't shoot - put

your guns on the ground."

We don't want to kill them, or

you.'

Seconds

later,

Kennedy and Scanlon rode

Mclntyre stood up and your hands up -

'Oh

yes?' said

said, 'Get off

into the

camp.

your horses and put

there are

men with guns

Kennedy.

He laughed at Mclntyre. 'What

here.'

men? What guns?' At once the Kelly Gang came out of the called, 'Put

your hands

hit

jumped

Scanlon, and he off his horse

Kennedy ran back

and Ned

up!'

Everything happened very quickly.

gun

trees

and

fell

from

fired at

A bullet from Ned's his horse.

Dan. Dan

fired

Kennedy back, and

into the trees.

Mclntyre could not shoot because he did not have 17

his

Ned Kelly: A True

The gunfight

Story

at Stringybark

18

Creek

Three dead men

gun with him. But there

He jumped on

horse.

in front of

him was Kennedy's

and rode into the

it

trees.

He went quietly through the trees, but suddenly he saw Ned in front of him. The two men fired — and Kennedy fell down. Soon he was Kennedy

to

tried

away

get

too.

dead.

'He was a brave man, but 'I

didn't

want

to

do

it. I

it

didn't

was him or me,' want

to kill

The gang put coats over the three dead horses, guns

kill us,

boys,' said

What could we do? Now

coming

The

any of them.'

bodies, took the

and food, and rode away.

'They came to them.

Ned.

said

Ned, 'but we

killed

we must go - and we're not

back.'

Kelly

Gang rode away

to the north.

XXX The next

day, tired and dirty, Mclntyre arrived back in

Mansfield. Soon every north-east

town and

village

and farm

in the

knew about the killing of the three policemen

at

Stringybark Creek.

'The Kelly Gang are

killers,' said

the police. 'These

men

now outlaws, and we must catch them, dead or alive. When you see them, tell us. We are giving £500 reward for news of every man in the gang- £2000 for all four of them.' It was a lot of money. More policemen came to the are

north-east, with

more guns, more

Ned and the gang stayed

horses.

in the north-east.

19

They

tried to

Ned Kelly: A True

Story

Of Police, near Mansfield.

£^

ollin

v

ji

li»ri*a»e«! to

? ?

i

C HMI

fSanlft

The reward for news of the

get

away

Murray

to the north, but there

rarh

for

Kit #*.

Gang

Kelly

was

a lot of water in the

River, and they couldn't get across

help from their friends and the time.

One week

moved from

they rode

it.

They got

place to place

more than

all

three hundred

kilometres.

Thirty policemen rode through the

hills

for a

month and

looked for the outlaws night and day. But they never found

them, and

Warby tired,

in

December Ned and

Hills. It

was

a hard, wild

hungry, and angry men.

20

the gang life,

moved on to

the

and the outlaws were

4

Two DECEMBER,

visits to the

1878. The Kelly

they have no money.

bank

Gang have many friends, but

So they rob the bank

in

of Euro a. They speak nicely to the people do notfire their guns. They leave Euroa give a lot of the

money

the

in

little

the town, and

with £.2260.

to their friends, the

town

but they

poor farmers

of the north-east, to buy food, clothes, and land. The police reward goes up to £.2500.

XXX The

police tried hard to catch the Kelly Gang, but the

outlaws had help from their friends. They were always miles

away when

police put

many

the police

came

to look for them. So the

of their friends in prison.

Ned was very angry about this. 'It isn't right!' he said. 'Why do the police do this? Because our friends are poor farmers, not rich ones, and because they help us.

We must

stop the police!' 'But how?' said Steve.

'Two

things,' said

we must

visit a

'What can we do?'

Ned.

bank.

'First,

And

we need more money,

second,

we

tell

everybody

so in

Australia about the police here in Victoria.'

'Rob another bank?' Dan watching

all

the banks now.'

21

said.

'But the police are

Ned

Kelly:

'Yes, in Victoria,' said

A

True Story

Ned. 'But not

Wales, so we're going to a bank plan.

in

New

in Jerilderie.

There are only two policemen

South

Here's the

in Jerilderie.

We arrive

go to the police station, and lock the policemen

at night,

in the station.

Then we rob

and go to the

the bank,

office

of Jerilderie's newspaper.'

'The newspaper

'To print world.

I

this,'

wrote

Ned and

it

office?' said

Dan. 'Why? What

said Joe. 'Look.

down for him.

his family,

It's

It tells

Ned's

for?'

letter to the

the true story about

about the police, about Stringybark

Creek, about everything.'

'We want everybody give It's

it

to them?'

Ned

to read this letter, but

said.

'We must print it in

how do we

a newspaper.

the only way.'

XXX Ned planned the Jerilderie visit very carefully. There were now more than two hundred policemen in the north-east of Victoria because of the Kelly Gang, and Ned asked his friend

Aaron

Sherritt for help.

So Aaron went drinking with a policeman.

Money

passed from one hand to another, and Aaron spoke quietly in the

policeman's ear.

'Go to Corryong. The gang are planning

Murray River near

to cross the

there very soon.'

So the police rode east to Corryong- and the Kelly Gang rode west, and crossed the river two hundred kilometres

22

Two

away. And

late

on

visits to the

bank

a Saturday night in February 1879, they

rode into the town of Jerilderie.

Outside the police station

Ned began

Help! There's a big fight at the hotel!

We need help!'

The two policemen ran out - and saw their guns.

station,

The gang locked

and took

to shout, 'Help!

the outlaws with

the policemen in a

their uniforms.

The two policemen ran out — and saw the outlaws with their guns.

23

room

in the

Ned Kelly: A True

The man

The bank at Jerilderie. in the doorway is Edwin

For the next two days the gang

On

Story

Living.

lived in the police station.

Sunday Joe and Steve put on the police uniforms and

walked around the town. 'We're the new policemen Jerilderie,' they told everyone.

the hotel next to

front

it,

for

They went past the bank and

and looked carefully

at all the doors,

and back.

Then, on Monday morning Dan and Steve went into the hotel next to the bank, all

and took out

their guns.

They took

the hotel workers into one room.

'Don't move,' said Dan. 'You're our hostages, but don't

be afraid.

We don't want to shoot anybody.'

Ned and Joe went into the bank through the back door.

When they came back to the hotel, they had more hostages 24

Two

visits to

- two bank workers and

Ned had

the

bank

the people

now about

sixty hostages in the

The

police help the rich farmers,

Why? For

farmers in prison. justice?

There

is

no

'The police say killers!

Do you know? No,

Poor men get poorer, and

don't! So listen!

richer.

room, and

to speak to them.

'What's happening in this country?

you

from the bank. And

bank's money - £2140.

There were

Ned began

all

the

men

get

and put the poor

Do you

call this

justice in Australia!

we

I'm going to

nothing!

rich

are killers. But

tell

I

say the police are

you about Stringybark Creek - the

true story, not the police story.'

Ned began a long letter,

a

to read to the hostages

from

his letter.

It

was

56 pages and more than 75,000 words. After

few pages he stopped. 'Where's the newspaper office in this town?' he said.

want

to print this letter.

Edwin 'Mr

Living, one of the

Gill

his house.

'Come But

Then everybody can read

is I

on, then,'

Mr

Gill

Ned

was not

kilometres away.

When

'I

Gill

know

there.' said. at

home. He was

he heard the Kelly

at a

farm ten

Gang were

town, he ran away, because he was afraid of them.

At the house Mrs

it.'

bank workers, answered.

the editor of the newspaper,' he said.

can take you

'I

opened the door.

'Where's your husband?'

Ned 25

asked.

in

Ned

Kelly:

A

True Story

4/

a-^WAf

~*Z*f%/€0C /eAts^-et

aa*.«L~

etts\*.

//*0*X,

£

tL

.

J aCac

/,