Jerilderie Letter, p. 43
In this section of the letter, Ned vocalises his opinion that the police are corrupt, dishonest, and out to get him. In doing this, he demonstrates the colourful colloquial language that was common at the time. Interestingly, the expletives refer to Australian native animals, not those of Britain or Ireland.
Created 1879. Manuscript: letter.
Accession number: MS 13361
From the State Library of Victoria's Manuscript Collection.
See the catalogue record for this item
of scattering pieces of me and my brother all over the bush and yet they know and acknowledge I have been wronged and my mother and four or five men lagged innocent and is my brothers and sisters and my mother not to be pitied also who has no alternative only to put up with the brutal and cowardly conduct of a parcel of big ugly fat-necked wombat headed big bellied magpie legged narrow hipped splaw-footed sons of Irish Bailiffs or english landlords which is better known as Officers of Justice or Victorian Police who some calls honest gentlemen but I would like to know what business an honest man would have in the Police as it is an old saying It takes a rogue to catch a rogue and a
