1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:03,760 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,080 Speaker 1: I'm to blame a chocolate boarding and I'm fair Dowdy. 4 00:00:16,360 --> 00:00:19,320 Speaker 1: And this episode starts off in one of my favorite ways, 5 00:00:19,800 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: with the mysterious unidentified head or skull. Rather, it is 6 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: a good way to start a podcast. We've done it 7 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: a few times, but it's always a classic intro. So 8 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: here's how this story starts. In two thousand nine, a 9 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: West Australian farmer named Tom Baxer turned in a skull 10 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: to the authorities, claiming that it's the skull of Ned Kelly, 11 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,639 Speaker 1: a famous bush ranger or bandit who was executed back 12 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 1: in the eighteen hundreds. His body was believed to be 13 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: buried in a mass grave, but for decades kelly skull 14 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,040 Speaker 1: lived in a display case in Melbourne Jail until that is, 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: it was stolen in nine, so nobody has really known 16 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: where the skull or the head was since then. It's 17 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: been a mystery, and Baxter didn't really help illuminate that 18 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,839 Speaker 1: question very much. He refuses to say how he got 19 00:01:09,840 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: the skull or if he was involved in its stuff, 20 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: which is kind of sketchy if you think about it. Yeah, 21 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: I wonder if there will be more details on that 22 00:01:17,360 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: aspect of it in the future, but as far as 23 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 1: we know right now, researchers haven't positively identified the head 24 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: as Ned's. In two thousand ten, they issued kind of 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:27,560 Speaker 1: a request for help. They had sort of reached to 26 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:29,200 Speaker 1: the end of the road and as far as they 27 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: could go and testing things, and they asked people to 28 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,520 Speaker 1: turn in any information that they know, any stories, any photographs, 29 00:01:35,560 --> 00:01:38,319 Speaker 1: and at least one man, according to a story in 30 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 1: August two thousand ten, has come forward with a tooth 31 00:01:41,600 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: that he believes belonged to the skull, so a tooth 32 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 1: that had been handed down through his family as a 33 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: souvenir sort of Ned Kelly exactly. And he has given 34 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: it to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, where which 35 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 1: is the body that's conducting the research and so I'll 36 00:01:58,120 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: see what happens with that, know, very funny. So there's 37 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: been that renewed interest in Kelly, but really he's never 38 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 1: really gone away from the Australian collective consciousness. He's been 39 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: the celebrated outlaw, the subject of many songs, books and films, 40 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: over the years, and some even think of him as 41 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: a national folk hero. There are others, though, who consider 42 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 1: him just as a ruthless criminal, a villain. So we're 43 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: going to try to get to the bottom of how 44 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: these takes on his character could be so vastly different. 45 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: And while we explore that, we're also going to take 46 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 1: a look at his wildlife and the last stand that's 47 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: been so romanticized over the years. But to really understand 48 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 1: Ned's story, first you need to know a little bit 49 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: about bush rangers, and if you're not Australian, it probably 50 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: doesn't really have any context for you, right, But bush 51 00:02:47,080 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 1: rangers were basically bandits or highwaymen who specialized in robbing 52 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:54,840 Speaker 1: or bailing up as it was called, stage coaches, banks 53 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:58,080 Speaker 1: and small settlements. Yeah, we'll try to use the authentic 54 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,480 Speaker 1: lingo in the Whenever week in So what they did 55 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: was sort of in the same vein as the legendary 56 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,919 Speaker 1: English highway robbers, so they're often compared to the likes 57 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: of Dick Turpin. Also, sometimes you'll see comparisons to the 58 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: American wild West, people like Jesse James. But the bush 59 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: ranging industry actually went for longer than America's wild West period. 60 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: The main period of Australia's bush ranging spanned about a 61 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,480 Speaker 1: hundred years, from the guy who's considered the first bush ranger, 62 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:27,959 Speaker 1: Black Caesar, to Ned Kelly's gang in eighteen eighty. Yeah, 63 00:03:27,960 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 1: and there were also more bush rangers per capita in 64 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: Australia than there were outlaws in America, about six thousand 65 00:03:34,840 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: bush rangers during that period that we mentioned. And a 66 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: lot of these bush rangers were really just ruthless killers, 67 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: but sometimes they've been glorified and characterized as robin Hood 68 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: type folk heroes, mainly because of the actions of a 69 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: few specific bush rangers, such as Edward Teddy, the jew 70 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: Boy Davis, who supposedly treated his victims humanely and shared 71 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: what he stole with the poor. And we see this 72 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:04,000 Speaker 1: idea in the Kelly story too. There's certainly a robin 73 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: Hood element to it. So to set up the period 74 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: that this story takes in a little bit better, we 75 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: should explain that within that hundred year period of bush ranging, 76 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: there were two sorts of sub periods. From about seventeen 77 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: eighty nine to the eighteen fifties, bush rangers were mostly 78 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: escaped convicts, but from the eighteen fifties to eighteen eighty 79 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: or so, most bush rangers were free settlers who had 80 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: broken the lawn, and Ned Kelly definitely fell into that 81 00:04:27,880 --> 00:04:30,880 Speaker 1: ladder camp. Yeah. So. Ned Kelly was born in June 82 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:34,240 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty five in the state of Victoria, Australia, and 83 00:04:34,560 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: he was the first son of Irish parents Ellen and 84 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:41,640 Speaker 1: James called Red Kelly, and his dad had somewhat of 85 00:04:41,640 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: a criminal background himself. He had been transported from Ireland 86 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: to Australia for stealing and ned grew up in this 87 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:53,880 Speaker 1: clan like atmosphere of Irish Australian families in this area 88 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: and according to an article by Graham Seal in History Today, 89 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,599 Speaker 1: they were called free selectors, so basically poor people who 90 00:05:01,760 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: were allowed by the government to cultivate tracts of land 91 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: for a small amount of rent. Many of these free selectors, 92 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,840 Speaker 1: ned Kelly's family certainly included, made their living off of 93 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 1: a combination of quote legal pastoral activities and illegal activities 94 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: such as stock stealing, which in Australia was known as duffing, 95 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: and this would consequently get them into trouble with the 96 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: law now and then. Yeah, and incidentally, many feel that 97 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:31,039 Speaker 1: it's this association with an economically and politically disadvantaged social 98 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: group that helped characterize bush rangers like Ned as quote 99 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: poor man's heroes. So that kind of sets up the 100 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 1: villain versus hero, Yeah, the Robin Hood motif. Right. So 101 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:44,520 Speaker 1: Ned had several run ins with the law while he 102 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: was growing up. By age sixteen, he had already served 103 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:49,919 Speaker 1: one jail sentence, and that year he was convicted of 104 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 1: receiving stolen horse and had to serve another three year 105 00:05:53,560 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 1: jail sentence. By the time he got out in February 106 00:05:56,320 --> 00:06:00,480 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy four, Seal says he had transformed into a hard, 107 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: bitter man. Yeah. Still, though, he managed to stay out 108 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: of trouble for a few years. Three years, and then 109 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: in September eighteen seventy seven, he was arrested for public 110 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:14,720 Speaker 1: drunkenness and got into this fight with four policemen while 111 00:06:14,720 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: he was trying to escape. Seven months later, though, things 112 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: really elevated to another level. One of the policemen who 113 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,919 Speaker 1: had been involved in that fight, Constable Fitzpatrick, came to 114 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: the Kelly home, not coming after Ned, but to arrest 115 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: Ned's brother Dan for horse stealing and what happened next 116 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: is up for debate. Yes, Fitzpatrick claimed that he was 117 00:06:36,279 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: assaulted by the Kelly's, including the mom Ellen she got 118 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 1: in on the fight too, But the Kelly's claim that 119 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: Fitzpatrick tried to molest one of the daughters, one of 120 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 1: Ned Kelly's sisters basically, and the assault, including which included 121 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:49,719 Speaker 1: a shot to the wrist, was kind of a self 122 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:54,480 Speaker 1: defense thing, so the judge was prone to side with Fitzpatrick. 123 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 1: He reviewed the case six months later and he sentenced 124 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: Ellen to three years in jail or her role in 125 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: this in this fight, and then also said that he 126 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: would have given Ned and Dan fifteen years each, but 127 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: they had disappeared. Yeah, Ned and Dan had fled into 128 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 1: the Wombat Ranges and set up camp in the hills, 129 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: which they knew well. Two of their friends, Steve Hart 130 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: and Joe Byrne, joined them there in October. Event though, 131 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: a team of four policemen were sent to track this 132 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: new Kelly Gang as they were known, down where they 133 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: were camping out. Then on October the police and the 134 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: Kelly Gang had a confrontation at Stringy Bark Creek, and 135 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: some sources you'll see that it was a police raid 136 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 1: on the Kelly camp and others. You see that the 137 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: Kelly's actually ambushed and bailed up or robbed the police, 138 00:07:41,880 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: regardless of how the confrontation came about. A gunfight ensued 139 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: and the three policemen were killed. One McIntyre escaped to 140 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: tell the tale back in Melbourne. And after that, I mean, 141 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: this was really a turning point for them. After that, 142 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,320 Speaker 1: the government declared the four Kelly Gang members outlaws and 143 00:07:57,360 --> 00:07:59,880 Speaker 1: put a high price on their heads. They even passed 144 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 1: thing called the Outlaw React. I don't know if I'm 145 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: pronouncing that right. It's kind of a strange word, but 146 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:08,840 Speaker 1: this law basically said that the rights and the property 147 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: of the outlaws are forfeit and any citizen can kill 148 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: them on site. Sympathizers and they had many at the time, 149 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: could also be imprisoned and lose all of their belongings 150 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: as well. Okay, so you think after this new act 151 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: the Kelly Gang would have sort of tried to play 152 00:08:23,120 --> 00:08:25,280 Speaker 1: it cool. You know, you might have your friends turn 153 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: into enemy suddenly if there's a reward, or your friends 154 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,680 Speaker 1: could get into trouble for for sympathizing with you. But 155 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 1: it didn't cause the Kelly gang to lay low at all. 156 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: Less than six weeks later, on December tenth eight, they 157 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: raided the town of Euroa and robbed the bank and 158 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,800 Speaker 1: stole food from the shops in the town. Of course, 159 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: they made off with a lot of gold and cash 160 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: two thousand pounds worth, but ned also stole deeds and 161 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 1: mortgages held in the bank safe and this is something 162 00:08:56,320 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: that really endeared him to the struggling free selectors in Victoria, 163 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,839 Speaker 1: to the poor people. They saw the banks as discriminating 164 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: against poor Irish settlers in the area. This reminded me 165 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 1: a little bit of of Bonnie and Clyde. People liked 166 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: them for for robbing banks. Yeah, once they got away, 167 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: the Kelly Gang divided up the loot between themselves, their families, 168 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 1: and their sympathizers, so again sharing with people who helped 169 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: them out. Authorities increased the reward for the Kelly's at 170 00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 1: this point from two thousand pounds to four thousand. But 171 00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:26,800 Speaker 1: this didn't have an effect on the loyalty of their 172 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:29,840 Speaker 1: supporters at all. They even wrote songs about it. So 173 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 1: here's just a little bit from one here. Oh Patty dear, 174 00:09:33,559 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: did you hear the news that's going around on the 175 00:09:36,040 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: head of Bold Ned Kelly. They have placed a thousand 176 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,600 Speaker 1: pounds for Steve Hart and Dan Kelly. Five hundred more 177 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: they'll give, but if the sum were doubled, sure the 178 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:47,160 Speaker 1: Kelly boys would live. I wish we could set that 179 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: to some music. I know, if only we knew what 180 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:52,679 Speaker 1: the tune was supposed to be. Maybe maybe some of you. 181 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: All day we're both thinking the same thing. Um, So 182 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,319 Speaker 1: you know, obviously, if you have people writing folk ballads 183 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:01,320 Speaker 1: about you, you're pretty pop killer. And that loyalty really 184 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: continued into their next job, which was a raid on 185 00:10:03,960 --> 00:10:07,680 Speaker 1: Gildry And during that they locked at police officers in 186 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:12,240 Speaker 1: their own cells and masqueraded around town in the police uniform. 187 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: So pretty bold stuff. Yeah, they did their usual. They 188 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: held up banks and shops again, and they locked up 189 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: the townspeople in the hotel. It wasn't so bad to 190 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: be a hostage though, apparent a policeman as long as 191 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 1: you're in a policeman right. Apparently, the Kelly gang treated 192 00:10:27,080 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 1: everyone to drinks and Ned made speeches. They made off 193 00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: with two thousand pounds once again, and once again they 194 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,720 Speaker 1: also burned mortgages. Ned also left a ten thousand words 195 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: statement with a bank teller that came to be known 196 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: as the Gildery Letter. Now that letter only exists in 197 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:44,280 Speaker 1: a copy, but it's got some pretty interesting content. It 198 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: catalogs complaints and grievances of Ned Kelly and his gang 199 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: against the government, the police, wealthy squatters, and basically just 200 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 1: shows his whole point of view and why lays it 201 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,120 Speaker 1: all down, why people sympathize with him. So at this 202 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: point that Kelly gang was really riding high, but they 203 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: were also kind nervous because the police seemed to be 204 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 1: getting too hot on their trail. They needed to shake 205 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: him off somehow. So their last raid took place June 206 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: on a small town surrounding a rail station called glenn Rowan. 207 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: But the raid was really about more than just getting 208 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: loot this time. The night before they killed a man 209 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: named Aaron Sherrett, who was a one time Pierre but 210 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: who had also been acting as a sort of double agent. 211 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 1: So he was a friend of the Kelly gangs, but 212 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: he was informing on them to the police, and so 213 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: they had reason to kill him for for that that fact, 214 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: of course, but they also hoped that his murder would 215 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: lure the bulk of the Special District Police Force onto 216 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: a train that would pass through Glen Rowan, so his 217 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: murder would essentially act as a trap for the police. So, 218 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: banking on the fact that all the police would be 219 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: on this train taking this train, the gang had lifted 220 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,960 Speaker 1: the rails off to the side near a hilltop with 221 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: the intent of derailing the train and killing all the 222 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: police on board and then picking off whomever was left. Yeah, 223 00:12:02,679 --> 00:12:05,240 Speaker 1: So after setting this up, they raided the town as usual, 224 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: stole food and money, and locked up the locals and 225 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,959 Speaker 1: Glenn Rowan's Jones Hotel where they sang, dance, drank, and 226 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:14,320 Speaker 1: basically carried on with the crowd while they waited for 227 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: the police to arrive. So it seemed like a pretty 228 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: good plan, but Ned made a couple of major mistakes here. 229 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: He told the hostages about his plans for one, and 230 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: then he let a few of them go home. One 231 00:12:25,559 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: of them, a school teacher named Thomas Kernow, went to 232 00:12:28,120 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: the track and warned the police by waving a lantern. 233 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: So the train stopped just in time, and about thirty 234 00:12:34,720 --> 00:12:37,640 Speaker 1: seven police got off and headed for the hotel. So 235 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: when the Kelly gang heard the train stop, they knew 236 00:12:40,080 --> 00:12:42,200 Speaker 1: the jig was up and they had just one more 237 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: move to pull out of their bag of tricks. A 238 00:12:44,920 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: few months before the attack on Glen rowan plowshares and 239 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: some cast iron started disappearing throughout the area, and it 240 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: turns out that the gang had used it to create 241 00:12:54,200 --> 00:12:57,200 Speaker 1: crude suits of armor for themselves. So a little bit 242 00:12:57,240 --> 00:13:01,679 Speaker 1: about this armor, which has become famous over the picture. Yeah, 243 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: if you can easily look at pictures of this, and 244 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: it's probably one of the best known things about Ned 245 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 1: Kelly and the Kelly Gang. This armor. It consisted of 246 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: back and breastplates and an adjustable metal apron that protected 247 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: the growing area of the wear. And each suit. This 248 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: is what I found really remarkable. Each suit weighed eighty pounds. 249 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: Only one of them, that was Ned's, had a helmet 250 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: that had slits and advisor, and that itself weighed about 251 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,040 Speaker 1: sixteen pounds, and he was the only one strong enough 252 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: supposedly to wear the suit, the helmet and still handle 253 00:13:31,920 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: a gun at the same time. Yeah, it sounds like 254 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:36,760 Speaker 1: it would be quite comfortsome, but yeah, it doesn't look 255 00:13:36,840 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: very comfortable. If you do get a chance to check 256 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 1: out these pictures, it's kind of like a broke down 257 00:13:40,559 --> 00:13:45,080 Speaker 1: tin man. Doo look like a really shabby tin man, 258 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,079 Speaker 1: and it looks like some pretty crucial areas are left 259 00:13:48,160 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: vulnerable still, so maybe it's not quite worth it. Well, 260 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: we're gonna it's funny, you should mention that, Sarah out 261 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 1: more about that. So the bush Rangers put on this 262 00:13:56,120 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: this crude armor and stood outside the hotel waiting for 263 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: the police and of course a gun battle and food 264 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:05,200 Speaker 1: and civilians trying to get out of the hotel during 265 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,679 Speaker 1: the fight didn't want to get caught in the crossfire. 266 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: But the armor really didn't seem to do the gang 267 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 1: that much good. It was clunky, of course, and it 268 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: caused painful bruising when it did stop a bullet. It 269 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: just was like a sheet of cast iron hitting your chest, 270 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:23,120 Speaker 1: which couldn't be very comfortable. So, perhaps not surprisingly, Joe Byrne, 271 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: Dan Kelly, and Steve Hart were all shot dead during 272 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,760 Speaker 1: that gunfight. Ned Kelly was shot in the foot, the arm, 273 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: and the thumb and several other places. It seems he 274 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: retreated into the bush and lost consciousness briefly. When he 275 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,920 Speaker 1: woke up, though, instead of escaping, he tried to attack 276 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: the policeman, crashing out from behind them and firing at 277 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: them the whole time. He fought them for about a 278 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: half an hour, some sources say, before they finally took 279 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: him down by a shotgun blast to the legs. After that, 280 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: he was taken to Melbourne where he recovered from all 281 00:14:53,200 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: thirty of his wounds and stood trial and was found 282 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: guilty sentenced to be hung, even though there were public 283 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:02,200 Speaker 1: protest us and some people even campaign to have a 284 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 1: sentence reduced. Yeah. So Kelly was hanged on November eleven, 285 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty and his last words were such his life. 286 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,240 Speaker 1: But weirdly, he'd told Justice Barry, who was the same 287 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:17,680 Speaker 1: judge who had sentenced his mom. He probably already had 288 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: a grudge against him, but he told Justice Barry that 289 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: he Barry would shortly follow him to the grave, And 290 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,040 Speaker 1: sure enough, Barry died of a heart attack just two 291 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: weeks later. Yeah, and this must have just only added 292 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 1: to the legend that's lived on through stories and songs. 293 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: In fact, Australia's first feature length film was nineteen o six, 294 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:39,920 Speaker 1: is the story of the Kelly Gang. I wonder if 295 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,360 Speaker 1: there have been movies on Kelly since that. I'm sure, 296 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 1: I'm sure there are. I don't unfortunately have the names here, 297 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: but I think there are many movies, books, um stories, songs. 298 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: As we've said, there are plenty of opportunities, including many 299 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: biographies on Ned Kelly's life, to learn more about him. 300 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 1: I think it's time for a new movie considering this lost, 301 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: potentially rediscovered head too. Yeah. Well, I think we'll have 302 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,480 Speaker 1: to wait to see how that mystery unravels a little 303 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: more before that story is completely fleshed out. But I 304 00:16:08,920 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: think you might be right. But you know, even if 305 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: you're not an expert on Ned Kelly, you could sort 306 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:19,120 Speaker 1: of invoke him in speech. There's a saying if someone 307 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: says you're as game as Ned Kelly, that means that 308 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:28,920 Speaker 1: you're highly courageous, wicked, brave, willing to tackle big odds. Um. 309 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,800 Speaker 1: So you could pass this on. It's like a nice 310 00:16:31,800 --> 00:16:33,920 Speaker 1: thing to say to people. I hope the Australians say 311 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 1: wicked brave. That's what you get from living in Boston. Yeah, well, 312 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:42,000 Speaker 1: what can I say? Language seems to stick with us 313 00:16:42,200 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: no matter where we are. Um, And I think that's 314 00:16:44,600 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: a great place to transition into this listener mail that 315 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:53,560 Speaker 1: we have coming up. Yeah, so this listener mail is 316 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: a were Waldo postcard. I think it's so cool. Uh, 317 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,520 Speaker 1: it's from Caitlin and you wrote, Hi, Sarah Dablina. I 318 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 1: found your podcast a few months ago and fell in love. 319 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: I've always loved history, and you guys make it come alive. 320 00:17:07,320 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: I had a podcast idea the barefoot mailman legend here 321 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: in South Florida, before Henry Flagler established a good railway 322 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:18,240 Speaker 1: system in Palm Beach, there was a mailman who walked 323 00:17:18,320 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: everywhere to deliver the mail barefoot. Of course, I don't 324 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: know if there's enough information out there about him, but 325 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: I've always found the story interesting. But there's a strange story. 326 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:33,040 Speaker 1: I wonder if he he wore armor too, perhaps armor 327 00:17:33,080 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 1: and no shoes. It doesn't sound very wise, it doesn't. 328 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:41,199 Speaker 1: It sounds like if you get a parasite, we're just 329 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: a crushed foot from the weight of your armor. But anyways, 330 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:47,080 Speaker 1: I really did like this Wear's Waldo postcard. It was 331 00:17:48,119 --> 00:17:51,399 Speaker 1: it's the parascene from like the original Wears Wado book, 332 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: and it kind of brought back old memories. I remember, 333 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:56,760 Speaker 1: even a few years ago breaking out my old Wear's 334 00:17:56,800 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: Waldo book and I knew where Waldo was on free 335 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 1: page like right away. And I don't know if I 336 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 1: just got better at at finding Waldo over the years, 337 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 1: or if I if it's somewhere locked in my brain 338 00:18:10,119 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 1: like where Waldo is on each page. Mm hmmm. Al right, 339 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:17,640 Speaker 1: Well that's it for this edition of What Sarah Does 340 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:22,080 Speaker 1: on the Weekends. If you have any wonderful postcards from 341 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: for us from your various travels, or just some insight 342 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: to offer on any of our episodes. If you're on 343 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 1: Australian and have extra Ned Kelly stories, I'm sure we've 344 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,399 Speaker 1: only begin to scratch the surface of his life. We 345 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: do actually have a postcard of Ned Kelly's helmet. Yes, 346 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,879 Speaker 1: it's so cool. It's in my cubicle right now. We 347 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: love to get mail. We love to get emails. You 348 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:45,439 Speaker 1: can send them to us at History Podcast at how 349 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:47,880 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. You can also look us up 350 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: on Twitter at Myston history or on Facebook. And if 351 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 1: you want to learn a little bit more about trains 352 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: and crime, we do have an article on how the 353 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: Great train Robbery worked. You can look for it by 354 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 1: searching for a Great Ate Train Robbery on our homepage 355 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:08,920 Speaker 1: at www dot how staff works dot com. 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