Show brothers beath death recalls old feats 0 robin hood last member of Flot notorious orlo s kelly bandit gang dies peacefully in sleep GLENROWAN AUSTRALIA feats of banditry by australia s robin hood which stirred the coun try about 70 years ago are recalled by the death of jim kelly brother of armor clad ned kelly who was hanged in melbourne after his gang had run wild in country areas in victoria and new south wales for two years last member of the bu ing family jim kelly who was 90 d ed in his sleep near this little vie vic torian town where the kelly gang was finally cornered in june 1880 and made its last stand against 50 police constables during the siege of the town towns s hotel in which ned his brother dan and two companions joe hart and steve byrne stood oft off police for several hounsl hours ned s three mates died the 26 year old leader was captured after he had shot his way out of the burning building wearing his pound suit of armor made from plow steel and bucket like steel helmet jim in jail ai the time did not figure in the esea esca blamed the police ned dan and jim kelly were sons of an irishman who had served a penal term in tasmania and set tied on a farm near melbourne they were in trouble with the police from childhood ned became a fugi tive shortly after he had been fined to in the town of benella tor for riding his horse across a sidewalk A scuffle with police accompanied his arrest and when he was charged with horse stealing soon after he wound ed a constable and escaped his mother was jailed for complicity in the alleged theft joined by dan kelly hart and byrne ned hid out on an old gold digging there was a battle with trailing police and three constables were killed although a reward of 8 pounds was offered tor for their capture the four mounted bush rangers carried out a series of hold ups in which they took over entire towns when the kelly gang capt captured ared a town they rounded up all inhabitants locked them up and then robbed the bank at their ease ned kelly always explained how he had been men driven to crime by the police and sometimes the joined the gang at cards dancing and sing songs kind to poor they acquired many ers and rewarded faithful friends with the proceeds of holdups ned kelly built up a reputation for cour tesy to women and kindness to the poor the gang operated in victoria un til new south wales police ex pressed amusement over the failure of victoria to catch them then they crossed the border into jer eldene N S W where their first call was at the police station in the uniforms of imprisoned policemen and posing as new recruits they called a meeting of Jeril jerldene derie citi CAL zens locked them up and took 2 pounds from the bank news that the gang had been cap aured at glenrowan Glen rowan alter after a seven hour battle was flashed around aus and in melbourne business stopped while people filled the streets to read newspaper bulletins only member of the gang to live through the siege ned kelly wast was tried in melbourne before he was hanged he said such is life his mother who was 91 and a respected citizen when she d ed 25 years ago said she had always felt ned would have been a great mill 0 tary man had circumstances been different |