Paul,

"...were brutally murdered by Kelly and his gang at Stringybark Creek October 26th 1878."

The police were armed and according to some accounts went on the search for Kelly with gear for bringing back bodies.
As the police were armed and chose to fight rather than surrender then their killing was hardly brutal murder, don't seek to play on emotions.

I wonder why the author chose 'Black Snake' as a title?

Hi Issy and o sung wu,

By the account of his great-grandfathers death, actually an execution style murder, when the man was begging for his life for the sake of his wife and children, I haven't got the book with me (in Sydney at the moment), Ned made the other three take part in the actual killing of Sargent Kennedy, and bullets were pumped into the corps long after death. I find all murder brutal, the hanging of Ned was brutal in my opinion. Ned did claim it was a fair fight in his rambling 'Jahidera letter', but Ned's version of all these events did change many times.

A couple of points, the police were not in disguise wearing civvies, a common practice in those days to preserve the one and only uniform they had, and other than the helmet, paid for by the officer himself from a very mega pay, often taking up to two years to pay it off. The police were poorly armed in comparison to the bushrangers. There were no body bags (they didn't even exist at that time) or such like in the polices possession to transport the dead bushrangers. There was never any talk of bring them in dead or alive, beforehand. Ned through informants knew much more about the police strength and their movements than did the police know about the bushrangers. At Stringybark Creek the police thought the gang were miles away, when in fact they were very close. We don't know what was the police intention was, if they actually encountered the gang, bring them in, establish their whereabouts, its not that clear. Its a very good story, and worth a read.

"Black Snake", a title given to Ned Kelly by the bushranger Harry Power, whom Ned was "apprenticed" to at a young age. Ned gave Power up to police in return for amnesty for himself, Powers hated Kelly, and was pleased that he hung.

cont

cont

o sung wu, how do you thing you would have went as a bush constable back in the 1870's. Under paid, under trained, under resourced, up against an influx of ex-convicts, miles of territory to police, on your own, suffer isolation at some out in the bush location. A miserable life for many.

When you make a major bust, like a horse thief, grateful law abiding citizens might pass around the hat for you, to help you out. Sargent Kennedy was known as one who would share those gifts with others in the community who had helped him, some did not.

Hi there PAUL1405...

I reckon I would've gone pretty poorly actually, being a one-man show, up against some of these wily bushrangers with years of cunning eluding both police & troopers alike. Moreover, the lack of appropriate remuneration, inadequate training, and almost no vocational leadership, would remove any real incentive of trying to apprehend any of these fellows.

Especially at the risk of being wounded, or losing your life in some lonely tract of the backblocks, where the likelihood of being found (if injured), was remote?

Somehow, given all the pressures, and diversions police face today, I'd much rather remain in present times, with all the modern gizmo's available to us. As opposed to trying to tackle a group of tough men in the personages of these shrewd Bushrangers.

My knowledge of this branch of Oz history is lacking - However, didn't the police play 'dirty pool' with many of these Bushrangers? I don't know the circumstances, but there's something in the back of my mind? Instances of double-crossing, false promises, etc. Some might aver, nothing's changed with the coppers - The still play 'dirty pool' with the accused person, even today!

Don't forget why many decent people become criminals.