The Fitzpatrick Incident
The Kellys had already had a long history of trouble with the police when the Fitzpatrick incident occurred.
Kate attracted the attention of Alexander Fitzpatrick, a young police constable with a history of womanising. On 15 April 1878 Fitzpatrick, whilst drunk, paid a visit to the Kelly household, claiming he had a warrant for the arrest of Dan Kelly for horse stealing. He made some kind of pass at Kate, resulting in her family coming to her assistance. Exactly what this assistance constituted is unknown, and a point of debate amongst historians.
Fitzpatrick returned to Benalla Police Station claiming that Ellen Kelly had struck him with a fire shovel, Dan Kelly had beaten him, and Ned Kelly had attempted to shoot him. William Williamson and William Skillion, neighbours of the Kellys, were also accused of violence. Ellen Kelly received a long sentence for her alleged crime, based purely on Fitzpatrick's claims. Ned and Dan Kelly fled into the Wombat Ranges to avoid gaol. On the 25 October 1878, at Stringybark Creek, they encountered four police officers who had been sent to arrest them. Three of the officers were killed. Ned, Dan, Joe Byrne and Steve Hart now turned to bank robbery.
With their mother in prison and their brothers on the run, Kate Kelly and her sister Margaret looked after the younger children. Kate also acted as a decoy on horseback, leading the police astray when they tried to locate her brothers. She supplied the Kelly Gang with food, ammunition, and information. The folk song "Ye Sons of Australia" includes a passage about Kate's role in the Kelly Gang ;
-
- The daring Kate Kelly how noble her mien
- As she sat on her horse like an Amazon queen,
- She rode through the forest revolver at hand'
- Regardless of danger, who dare bid her stand.
Kate Kelly is mentioned again later in the song, taking a role in the siege at Glenrowan;
-
- The daring Kate Kelly came forth from the crowd
- And on her poor brother she called out aloud,
- "Come forth my dear brother, and fight while you can"
- But a ball had just taken the life of poor Dan
Read more about this topic: Kate Kelly (outlaw)
Famous quotes containing the word incident:
“Every incident connected with the breaking up of the rivers and ponds and the settling of the weather is particularly interesting to us who live in a climate of so great extremes. When the warmer days come, they who dwell near the river hear the ice crack at night with a startling whoop as loud as artillery, as if its icy fetters were rent from end to end, and within a few days see it rapidly going out. So the alligator comes out of the mud with quakings of the earth.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)