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A
Fatal
Encounter
{Saturday
26th
October
1878}
Around
5.00p.m
on
Saturday
the 26th
of
October
1878, at
a place
deep in
the
Wombat
ranges
known as
Stringybark
Creek,
three
police
officers
would
soon be
shot
dead.
The
first
would be
Constable
Thomas
Lonigan.
He was
in the
company
of
another
police
officer,
Thomas
McIntyre,
when
they
were
ordered
to…
bail-up
by four
young
men. Two
of these
young
men were
brothers,
and were
wanted
by
police
for the
supposed
attempted
murder
of a
Constable
in April
of the
same
year.
Their
names
were
Edward
and
Daniel
Kelly.
With the
aid of
their
two
mates,
Joseph
Byrne
and
Stephen
Hart,
two more
police
officers
would
soon lay
dead;
Sergeant
Michael
Kennedy
and
Constable
Michael
Scanlan.
In a
strange
twist of
fate
during
this
fatal
encounter,
Constable
Thomas
McIntyre
was able
to
secure
Sergeant
Kennedy’s
horse
and make
good his
escape.
For the
killing
of these
three
officers
one
hundred
and
twenty
nine
years
ago to
the day,
four
young
men
would be
declared
outlaws
by the
Victorian
government,
and
could
now be
legally
shot on
sight by
any man
who
deemed
it fit.
Edward
Kelly,
Daniel
Kelly,
Joseph
Byrne
and
Stephen
Hart
were now
fugitives
from the
law and
society,
and
would
remain
so for
the next
twenty
months.
During
this
time
they
would
hold up
two
banks
and take
the life
of a
known
associate
they
believed
to be a
traitor.
On June
the 28th
1880,
three of
these
young
fugitives,
like the
police
at
Stringybark
Creek,
would
also lay
dead.
Like
Constable
McIntyre,
Edward
Kelly
would
escape
death
after a
second
fatal
encounter
with
police,
but
would
soon
accept
it just
five
months
later at
the end
of the
hangman’s
rope.
Whatever
way you
look at
this
fatal
encounter
at
Stringybark
Creek,
there is
no
escaping
the fact
that
because
of it,
eight
men
would
lose
their
lives
tragically
in the
space of
just
twenty
months,
not
including
the
innocent
loss of
life in
the
final
encounter
at
Glenrowan.
Edward
Kelly
would
swear to
his
dying
day that
the
killing
of the
three
police
at
Stringybark
Creek
was in
self
defence.
Whether
you
believe
him or
not, the
taking
of human
life is
hard for
any of
us to
totally
come to
terms
with or
accept.
At the
end of
it all,
the
only souls
who are
left to
carry
the pain
are the
loved
ones
left
behind.
To all
of those
lives
lost in
that
turbulent
twenty
months
of the
Kelly
outbreak,
from
Stringybark
Creek to
Glenrowan;
you will
not be
forgotten.
Keep ya
powder
dry!
A Fatal
Encounter
In arms
of
distant
ranges
sound,
With
scent of
bush and
dampened
ground,
Gnarled
treetop
fingers
grasping
high,
As if to
touch
the
morning
sky.
Beside a
rippled
twisting
creek,
So deep
within
this
mountain
keep,
Young
men are
working
from
harms
way,
With
song of
magpies
greeting
day.
And
through
the day
these
men did
toil,
To
search
within
this
wetted
soil
For sign
of
speckled
golden
light,
A gift
from
god, to
ease
their
plight.
But
sound
from
gunshot
echoed
near,
Their
hearts
now
beating
with a
fear
That men
of
justice
true and
fair,
Had
found by
chance
this
secret
lair.
With
sweated
brow,
and guns
in hand,
Through
tangled
bush did
run this
band
Of
brothers
true,
towards
the
sound,
Not
knowing
what
would
soon be
found.
But safe
behind
the
spear
grass
wall,
In
silence,
but for
natures
calls,
These
men did
sight
with
troubled
care,
Two men
of
justice
true and
fair.
With
tent and
campfire
burning
bright,
With
Billy
boiled
for cold
of
night,
These
men all
dressed
in
bushman’s
ware,
Did not
deceive
the
young
men’s
stare.
So from
the
thicket
they did
come,
These
four
young
men with
loaded
gun,
"Bail
up,Bail
up, your
arms
hold
high!"
But only
one
would
hear
their
cry,
And from
some
cover
quickly
got,
With
head
drawn up
to take
his
shot,
Did feel
the
pain,
before a
breath
Could
save
this
man,
from
wings of
death.
These
men of
justice
true and
fair,
Had come
to take
a life,
not
spare.
So
gathered
round
whilst
fires
burn,
The four
young
men but
quickly
learn
More men
of
justice
soon
would
come,
With
horses
strapped,
and
loaded
gun.
All
hidden
near the
campfire
bright,
Two
riders
now do
come to
sight,
Again a
cry
"throw
up your
hands"!
But
these
two men
will
make a
stand.
With
rifle
slung
across
the arm,
One man
on
horseback
with
alarm,
Did
swing
that
Spencer
down to
bear,
But much
too
late, as
slugs
did tear
Into his
side,
with
painful
sound,
This
horseman
now
kneeled
onto
ground.
No mercy
asked,
no word
was
said,
This man
of
justice,
now lay
dead.
Dismounted
comrade
now did
stand
Alone,
to face
this
youthful
band
Of men
all
fighting
for
their
life,
No time
for
thoughts
of child
or wife.
And on
his
mount
with
strength
and
care,
His
friend
of
justice,
true and
fair,
Did ride
with
speed,
away
from
fight,
Into the
bush,
and out
of
sight.
Now left
alone,
no place
to flee,
With
careful
shot
from
tree to
tree,
Was not
enough
to keep
him
sound,
The
young
man’s
aim did
bring
him down
.
With
shot
once
more
into his
breast,
At
peace,
this
brave
man came
to rest,
A hero’s
cloak
they
laid
upon,
A silent
prayer,
and all
were
gone.
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