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Constable
Thomas Lonigan was included in the Stringybark party because
he could identify the Kelly’s. “In
September, 1877, Ned was arrested in Benalla for riding on a footpath
drunk and conducted across the Broken River to the barracks where
he claimed his liquor had been spiked. In charge was Sergeant Whelan
who remembered him from the Ah Fook matter of eight years before.
Whelan took three troopers along next morning to escort him to
court - Constables O’Dea, Lonigan and Fitzpatrick, the last
named a raw recruit from Richmond Depot who impressed Ned as “rather
genteel, more fit to be a starcher to a laundress”. The
party was crossing the street to the courthouse, when - in accordance
with the practice of making the newchum do the dirty work - Fitzpatrick
set out to
handcuff the prisoner. Whatever was said is not known, but Kelly brushed the
handcuffs aside and ran back into a bootmaker’s shop. Before he knew
it, Fitzpatrick had him by the throat and Lonigan by the testicles. He hit
out, and
the troopers were preparing for a third sally when Mr McInnes, J.P., the local
flourmiller, intervened, took the handcuffs and said, “Come on, Ned,
this is the only way out.” As
usual Ned responded to a friendly approach and the miller locked
the handcuffs on him, but the legend has it that he turned
as he left the shop and remarked, “Well,
Lonigan, I never shot a man yet; but if I do, so help me God, you’ll
be the first!” |