Royal Commission report 14/5/1881
Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission 14/5/1881
| Summary of the evidence on day 20 of the hearings | ||
| Question number | Date | Witness |
| 7373 - 7601 | 14/5/1881 | Const Canny |
| 7602 - 7774.7274 | 14/5/1881 | James Reardon |
| 10693 - 10703 | 8/6/1881 | Continuation of James Reardon's evidence |
| Appendix | Title |
| 20 | Minutes of Proceedings at Meetings Held by the Royal Commission |
Summary of the evidence on day 20 of the hearings
14/5/1881 Const Canny commenced his evidence - some brief highlights
Const Canny was at the siege at Glenrowan.
'
14/5/1881 James Reardon commenced
his evidence - some brief highlights
James was a railway worker at Glenrowan. He was taken out of his bed by the KellyGang to assist in breaking the railway line.
It was 2.20am on Sunday 27/6/1880 when the KellyGang took Reardon from his place to break the line. When he heard the dogs barking, making a row, he got up and dressed and and went outside the door, and a horse whinneying down by the railway line. He went towards where he heard the horse. He thought it was the horse of a friend, and he went down, and Sullivan was coming through the railway fence. After a conversation with Sullivan Ned Kelly came up and put a revolver to Reardon's cheek and said, "What is your name?", "Reardon," and Ned Kelly said, "I want you to come up and break the line." he said, "I was in Beechworth last night, and I had a great contract with the police-I have shot a lot of them, and I expect a train from Benalla with a lot of police and black-fellows, and I am going to kill all the." I said, "For God's sake, do not take me-I have got a large family to look after." This conversation continued for some time.
Ned Kelly took Reardon's wife and seven or eight children to the station. When we came to a small tool-house, that chest was broken and the tools lying out on the side of the line. Ned Kelly said, "Pick up what tools you want." Reardon took two spanners. Ned Kelly sent Steve Hart off to get the bars and Reardon was taken down to break the rail tracks.
Reardon went on to give many details of his time down the line and later in Jones's Inn. This included the following, 'Just before the train arrived Dan Kelly said, "Now you can all go home," and Reardon stood up and picked up one of his children in his arms, I picked up Ryan's child, and Mrs. Jones stood at the door and said, "You are not to go yet; Kelly is to give you a lecture yet," so we all turned back into the house again, and Mrs. Jones came in and said, "Kelly will give you all a lecture before you go." '
Ned Kelly spoke to Reardon, Sullivan and Bracken. Reardon quoted Ned's words.
| ! | The text has been retyped from a microfiche copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. |
The day before . . . the next day . . . Royal Commission index
MediaWiki:Sidebar
