Rare letter about Ned Kelly describes faithful mare
Baca Juga
A 133-year-old missive of the alphabet describing the dramatic capture of Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, latterly donated to the State Library of Victoria, describes how his faithful mare followed him alongside the trees equally the concluding stages of the shootout unfolded. The missive of the alphabet yesteryear Scotsman Donald Gray Sutherland, dated July 8, 1880, provides an line of piece of job organisation human relationship during the siege at Glenrowan inwards which an armour-clad Kelly was shot as well as captured.
Sutherland’s missive of the alphabet to his parents inwards Scotland, says: “The Kelly’s are annihilated. The gang is completely destroyed …”
Sutherland fifty-fifty enclosed a lock of pilus from Kelly’s Equus caballus with the letter, noting inwards the postscript: “The pilus enclosed is from the tail of Ned Kelly the famous murderer as well as bushranger’s mare. His favourite mare who followed him all simply about the trees during the firing. He said he wouldn’t attention for himself if he idea his mare safe.”
State librarian as well as library primary executive Sue Roberts described the donation of the missive of the alphabet equally extremely generous as well as a meaning improver to the Kelly story.
“This missive of the alphabet is a really personal line of piece of job organisation human relationship of events that necessitate maintain conk role of Australia’s folklore.
“We are delighted that Mr Sutherland’s household unit of measurement chose the State Library of Victoria equally caretaker for this remarkable document. It volition bring together Ned’s armour, Jerilderie Letter as well as other of import items inwards our Kelly collection – i of the largest as well as most meaning inwards the world.”
Sutherland sailed to Commonwealth of Australia inwards 1876 when he was 24.
He travelled to Glenrowan after the police describe shootout with the Kelly gang, as well as witnessed an injured Kelly lying on the stretcher.
Sutherland told his parents: “On hearing of the affray I at nowadays proceeded to Glenrowan to necessitate maintain a expect at the desperados who caused me as well as hence many dreams as well as sleepless nights.”
This was likely no exaggeration, equally Sutherland worked at the Bank of Victoria inwards Oxley, simply 8 miles from Glenrowan. The branch had yet to hold upwards raided yesteryear the Kelly Gang.
“I saw the lot of them. Ned the leader of the gang beingness the alone i taken alive. He was lying on a stretcher quite calm as well as collected notwithstanding the swell hurting he must necessitate maintain been suffering from his wounds.
“He was wounded inwards five or half dozen places, alone inwards the arms as well as legs – His trunk as well as caput beingness encased inwards armour made from the moule (sic) boards of a lot of ploughs. Now the farmers close here, necessitate maintain been getting their moule boards taken off their ploughs at black for a long fourth dimension but who e'er dreamed it was the Kellys as well as that they would hold upwards used for such a purpose.
“Ned’s armour lone weighed 97 pounds. The police describe idea he was a fiend seeing their rifle bullets mere sliding off him similar hail. They were firing into him at close 10 yards inwards the grim low-cal of the forenoon without the slightest effect.
“The forcefulness of the rifle bullets made him stagger when striking but it was alone when they got him inwards the legs as well as arms that he reluctantly cruel exclaiming equally he did as well as hence ‘I am done I am done’.”
Kelly, he wrote, did non at all expect similar a murderer as well as Bushranger.
“After his capture he became really tame as well as conversed freely with those who knew him. Not having the pleasance of his acquaintance I did non speak to him although I should necessitate maintain liked really much to enquire why he never stuck upwards the Bank of Victoria at Oxley.
“Poor Ned, I was actually lamentable for him. To come across him lying pierced yesteryear bullets as well as nonetheless showing no signs of pain.”
Kelly, viewed equally a murderer yesteryear some as well as equally a folk hero yesteryear others who considered he was fighting against colonial authority, was hanged at Old Melbourne Jail afterwards that twelvemonth for killing 3 policemen.
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