|
Post by Sir John on May 15, 2013 14:25:51 GMT -5
No, he would be the Leader of the ALP (Australian Socialist Party), and get elected as Prime Minister.
THEN they would hang him!
SJ
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 18:36:07 GMT -5
That would have been better than hanging, being killed with kindness
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 20:41:23 GMT -5
It is my understanding that the cops were about as bad as the criminals in those golden days .
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 22:07:04 GMT -5
I understand that the Australian state police forces like cops anywhere had their bad characters on the take, but I am also aware of dedication and hardship that the bush police endured that made them hard men and not gentle if they were after you for criminal activities.
The Kelly Gang knew that police were tracking them and prepared an ambush complete with fabricated steel armour for Ned, unfortunately for them police rifles were no match for their cover and Ned's armour did not stop him from being brought to ground and captured.
According to one victim account from within my extended family, ancestors who were held captive in their farm house on a family country farm near Glenrowan Victoria the Kelly Gang were not violent towards them and had good manners, all they wanted was food and fresh Horses.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 22:16:43 GMT -5
On that family, and Troopers/Police, they also had a Queensland property outside Winton where the Jolly Swagman song was compiled, words by poet Banjo Patterson and music by a daughter of the property owner Christine Macpherson who chose a Scottish tune. "Up rode the Troopers one two three", the senior officer was her brother who confronted the Swagman - tramp, at the Billabong - creek pond.
At a museum in Winton I viewed many pictures and read stories about Troopers of the early days, one I remember featured a 17 hand Black Stallion that had been ridden by the same man since it was quite a young Horse. The Trooper was killed and his Horse refused to allow anyone else to mount. Eventually the Horse was allocated a new rider and new to the district, he mounted and the Horse went crazy, bucked him off and killed him. The others shot it.
Hard times.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 15, 2013 22:56:57 GMT -5
I thought his last words were Oh Shit .
|
|
|
Post by Sir John on May 16, 2013 3:26:19 GMT -5
"Ned was just a mis-understood lad who if he were alive today would be treated with kindness ."
If Ned was alive today he would be a shoe-in for PM.
SJ
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2013 19:17:42 GMT -5
Ned was a Teddy Bear and or a Koala in comparison to American bad men in the old west .
|
|
|
Post by Sir John on May 16, 2013 19:58:58 GMT -5
I think he probably was.
We had quite a few "bushrangers" operating in small gangs that robbed people and rustled farms of their stock. One famous one stole a whole herd of about 1000 cattle and drove them about 1000 miles from Queensland to South Australia.
Ned's biggest mistake was killing 3 cops.
SJ
|
|
|
Post by Sir John on May 16, 2013 20:03:43 GMT -5
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2013 20:09:59 GMT -5
John Westley Hardin killed 51 . till The Texas Rangers nabbed him in Florida a bit out of their jurisdiction .
|
|
|
Post by Sir John on May 16, 2013 20:13:20 GMT -5
How did he die?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2013 20:22:15 GMT -5
Shot in the back by a wannabe , this was in a saloon in Texas after Hardin had been released from prison after spending 16 years in confinement . The wannabe was later found shot stabbed beaten flogged then hanged , John like Ned was a mis-understood lad that had a personally flaw he didn't like people and the people he didn't like died .
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2013 20:35:23 GMT -5
Australia's "bushrangers" often robbed state coaches, US citizen founded Cobb&Co which was the biggest national operator here, 5 horse power and a network of Inns and holding yards for the Horses, several thousand of them. Cobb also established his business in South Africa.
In later years when buses, trains and planes took over from coaches (last coach journey 1925 I recall ended at Longreach Queensland) one Queensland business man used a Whippet extended chassis car as a people move Toowoomba down the Brisbane daily, it was grey with black fenders. The people called it the Greyhound.
No relationship to the US Greyhound bus line, a coincidence.
Near where I live in New South Wales a road is called Thunderbolt's Way, he was like Ned and had his own gang, they used to disappear Horses and all and the Troopers were baffled. It took years to find their well hidden hideout, Jenolan Caves further south along the Great Dividing Range between the coastline and the west from the east coast. A very large number of connected caves with a difficult trail to access the complex.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 16, 2013 20:47:23 GMT -5
Billy the Kid another unfortunate lad who was said to have killed 21 men , actually 4 , 3 being lawmen , he was unarmed when Pat Garret blew Billy away .
|
|