jun 1, 1880 - End of the Kelly Gang

Description:

“The reign of terror of the Kelly gang has come to an end after a dramatic siege and shootout at Glenrowan, a small town north-east of Melbourne. The siege began on 27 June 1880, when the Kelly gang took over the Glenrowan Inn and held about 60 hostages inside. They planned to derail a train carrying police reinforcements from Melbourne who were pursuing them after they had killed a police informer named Aaron Sherritt near Beechworth two days earlier. However, their plot was foiled by a local schoolteacher named Thomas Curnow, who escaped from the inn and alerted the train driver of the danger. The train stopped before reaching the damaged track, and the police surrounded the inn. A fierce gun battle ensued, lasting for more than 24 hours. The Kelly gang wore suits of armour made from stolen plough mouldboards, which protected them from bullets to the body, but left their arms and legs exposed. Ned Kelly was wounded and captured early in the morning of 28 June, after he emerged from the bush and confronted the police. He was taken to a nearby railway station, where he was identified and interrogated. The other members of the gang - Dan Kelly, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart - remained inside the inn, continuing to fire at the police. Byrne was shot dead by a bullet that pierced his groin. The police then set fire to the inn, hoping to flush out the remaining outlaws. Dan Kelly and Steve Hart were found dead in a back room, apparently having taken their own lives rather than surrender. The siege was over by 3 pm on 28 June. The bodies of the dead outlaws were taken to Benalla, where they were put on public display. Ned Kelly survived his wounds and was taken to Melbourne, where he faced trial for the murder of Constable Thomas Lonigan, one of the policemen killed at Stringybark Creek. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by hanging. Despite public petitions and appeals for mercy, the sentence was carried out on 11 November 1880 at the Old Melbourne Gaol. Ned Kelly’s last words were reported to be "Such is life"

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