On June 28, 1880, the notorious Australian outlaw Ned Kelly was captured.
Ned Kelly’s father was sent to Australia from Ireland for stealing two pigs. As a boy, the young Ned saved another boy from drowning, but his future would be focused on taking lives. The son took after his father and at age 11 stole a calf. By age 14, Ned became a bushranger. “Bushranger” was the Australian word for rural outlaws. He joined a gang led by Harry Power. They took part in armed robberies. Ned became the outlaw’s protégé, but some believe he turned in his mentor to get a pardon. In 1877, police came to his home to arrest him and his brother Dan. Ned shot a policeman in the wrist and he and his brother escaped. Their mother was taken in and sentenced to three years for aiding and abetting. This incident placed much of the public on Ned’s side. He became a Robin Hood type figure, but was closer to Jesse James. At the time, Australia was divided between poor farmers like the Kelly’s and the rich landowners who ran the province. They controlled the police force. There was also a religious divide as most of the poor were Catholics and the rich were Protestants. Most policemen were Protestants who looked down on the Catholics. Ned formed a gang which included Dan. In 1878, they ambushed four policemen who were on their trail. Three of the police were killed. Kelly was now labeled an outlaw which allowed the anyone to shoot on sight and claim a big reward. After hiding out in the bush country for a couple of years, Kelly decided on an audacious plan to lure the police into an ambush by taking hostages and then derailing the train carrying police rescuers. On June 28, 1880, the four gang members went to the Glenrowan Inn and took thirty townspeople hostage. The derailing of the police train was foiled and the law officers laid siege to the inn. Ned and his mates were prepared for the confrontation. They used iron plows to fashion suits of armor. Bullets just bounced off the outlaws. After a while, Ned snuck out the back and worked his way behind the police. He then launched a one tank-like man attack. After exchanging gunfire with the panicked police, he was wounded in the leg and captured. Then the police set fire to the inn and the rest of the gang ended up dead. Ned was put on trial in front of the same judge who had sentenced his mother. Although public sentiment favored Ned, he was sentenced to death and hanged. His life and death became the stuff of legend.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ned-Kelly-Australian-bandit
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21077457
https://www.nma.gov.au/defining-moments/resources/ned-kelly
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