In 1877, Hart was convicted of
horse theft and illegal use of a horse and sentenced to 12 months hard labour in
HM Prison Beechworth. When he was released with the usual remission period he promised to work, and he kept his promise—given that he had not specified where he would work. One of the Kelly brothers (most likely
Dan, as he and Hart were friends and had likely met in gaol at some point) came to his property and asked him to help them pan for gold. This prompted Hart's most famous quote, "Here's to a short life and a merry one!" as he rode off to
Bullock Creek to help the Kelly brothers and their friend
Joe Byrne pan for gold. In 1878 the party of four heard shots being fired and, when they investigated, found a police party camped nearby at
Stringybark Creek. The next morning the four killed one of the police party. The other two policemen were out looking for the Kelly brothers as it was not known that Byrne and Hart had joined them. When the two policemen returned to the camp they were ambushed and killed. It is likely that Hart was not armed when the police camp was first held up, but he obtained a firearm afterward. He became an
outlaw shortly thereafter, with the rest of the Kelly gang. Hart took part in the robberies at
Euroa and
Jerilderie. At Euroa he met an old school friend of his, Francis "Fanny" Shaw (sometimes known as Maggie Shaw) and through her, the police found out the name of the last member of the Kelly gang. Hart also stole a watch from Robert Scott, the bank manager, and when teller Bob Booth asked him for something to remember the visit by, Hart gave him a lead bullet carved with the letter "H". At Jerilderie in 1879 Hart stole a watch from Reverend Gribble, a parson at the Protestant church, and Ned told him to return it, which Hart did, "looking daggers". After Jerilderie, Hart went into hiding with the gang and, for most of 1879, the gang remained shadowy and elusive figures although Hart did appear at a St. Kilda doctor's surgery to be treated for a foot condition. ==Death==