The Last of the Bushrangers: An Account of the Capture of the Kelly GangHare, Francis Augustus
History
The Last of the Bushrangers: An Account of the Capture of the Kelly Gang
Hare, Francis Augustus
Brigands and robbers -- Australia; Kelly, Ned, 1855-1880
No sooner did he get within sight of his house than he said, "You can't
go wrong; there is the house. I will return, as I don't like leaving
the men there alone." I saw he was just as zealous as ever. I thought
all this zeal might have been put on to deceive me, but I listened to
his footsteps making back as fast as he could. I thought after he had
let me go he would probably return to his hut for a cup of tea, as the
night was bitterly cold, and he was dressed as usual, with a white
shirt, trousers, and boots. I sat there fully half an hour, but I heard
no sign of his returning. I went to the hut, picked up Ward and my
horse, and rode back to Beechworth, telling Ward I was convinced that
the men at Sherritt's house were not working as they should, and that
I had decided I would remove them and send others in their place as
soon as I could arrange to do so. Exactly at that time on the following
Saturday Aaron was shot, and two of the outlaws were guarding his place
for some hours afterwards.
On Saturday evening, the 26th June, about nine o'clock, a man named
Antone Wicks, a German, who lived about a quarter of a mile from Aaron
Sherritt's house, was stuck up by Joe Byrne and Dan Kelly. He was
handcuffed by the outlaws, and made to accompany them to Sherritt's
house. He was told to call Aaron out, and say he had lost his way, and
ask him to put him on the road, as it was quite dark. When the three
arrived at Aaron's house Wicks knocked at the door; Aaron said, "Who is
there?" The German replied, "It is Antone Wicks, he has lost his way."
Aaron opened the door, and Wicks said, "Come and show me the way."
Aaron said, "Who is that?" at the same moment stepping out of his door.
Joe Byrne jumped forward and fired at him. He retreated to the middle
of the room, and Byrne stood in the doorway and fired a second shot,
and Aaron dropped down dead without saying a word. It is commonly
believed that Ned Kelly was present at the shooting of Sherritt, but
Wicks stated that only Byrne and Dan Kelly were there; they kept him
handcuffed all the while they remained at Sherritt's house.
It might be as well to explain why they took Wicks up to Aaron's house
to call him out. The outlaws may have heard voices in Aaron's house,
and thought that if they called him outside his door their voices would
have been recognized by him, and he would have been on his guard, so
they got Wicks, who lived close by Aaron, to call him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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