This system is simply that people are innocent until proven guilty.

He attributes that the Clarke gang murdered five or six people. They were never convicted let alone charged of these murders.

Tom Connell was charged with the murder of Myles O'Grady, but the charges were dropped.

The gang can only be suspected of murder. Without being charged and going to a properly convened trial with a finding of guilt, a person cannot be said to be a murderer.

Also, it would be very remiss to insinuate that they were the only suspects.

Mr Smith is forgetting about the harbourers and the police, who were also suspect at the time by various persons, and who both had reason to want the Specials out of the way.

Yes, it was easier to charge and try them for wounding Constable Walsh, but that was because they did not have enough evidence to convict them of the murder of the Specials.

Compare the deaths of four men with non-serious wounding. Had evidence been available, they would have been charged for murder.

Anyone, past or present, who says the Clarke gang murdered the Specials are also incorrect.

These men were never charged and never found guilty of these offences.

It is time these erroneous assertions were laid to rest, and time that the law was followed.

To make up history is totally lacking in credibility, and as a resident of the Braidwood district I would like to have respect for the Braidwood and District Historical Society and to be proud of all of our local authors.