Poor Ross's fate
Lalor was not the only one of the leaders to fall at this time. Ross, who perhaps should have been with his troops (although one report says he was with his men, and only took up a position at the flagpole towards the end), seems to have decided to make a stand at the flagpole, perhaps defending "his" flag.
Sadly, this handsome young man appears to have been shot at a very early stage, maybe at much the same time as Lalor. The military reckoned he died at this time, but there are some very reliable reports that while badly wounded, or, indeed, not wounded at all, he was not in danger of dying until any time up to ten minutes after the government forces took control of the stockade and he surrendered. That's when it is claimed someone, probably a rampaging police trooper, shot him again, in "cold blood".
Even now, the poor bugger didn't die. It seems some men managed to sneak him out of the stockade in all the kerfuffle, goodness knows how, there must have been considerable confusion, but several men carrying a wounded rebel on something like a door, or a camp stretcher (a sort of portable bed), would seem to stand out more than a bit. Anyway, the poor man was taken to a nearby pub, where he finally died in what was described as considerable agony.
Sadly, this handsome young man appears to have been shot at a very early stage, maybe at much the same time as Lalor. The military reckoned he died at this time, but there are some very reliable reports that while badly wounded, or, indeed, not wounded at all, he was not in danger of dying until any time up to ten minutes after the government forces took control of the stockade and he surrendered. That's when it is claimed someone, probably a rampaging police trooper, shot him again, in "cold blood".
Even now, the poor bugger didn't die. It seems some men managed to sneak him out of the stockade in all the kerfuffle, goodness knows how, there must have been considerable confusion, but several men carrying a wounded rebel on something like a door, or a camp stretcher (a sort of portable bed), would seem to stand out more than a bit. Anyway, the poor man was taken to a nearby pub, where he finally died in what was described as considerable agony.