Royal Commission report day 30 page 3
The Royal Commission evidence for 15/6/1881
(see also introduction to day 30)
[[../../people/peQ_R/rawlinsC.html|Mr Charles C. Rawlins]] giving evidence
11582 Did he tell you he was wounded the moment he was?— I could not tell yes; I do not think so. I do not think he could.
11583 You mean he remained standing up without saying he was wounded?— I could not tell you really; I do not understand the question.
11584 Will you state to the Commission what Mr. Hare said to you?— He said, “I am wounded; I must go back.”
11585 Did he do anything else?— He did not go back at the moment, but very shortly after.
11586 Did he hand you his gun?— Yes, his gun and bag.
11587 Saying what?— He said, “I must go back.” I went down to the station with him.
11588 Did he say these words, “Rawlins, I am wounded; take my gun and bag, they are no use to me, I cannot load again”?— He made use of an expression of that kind. I asked him for the gun before.
11589 By the Commission— When he made use of that, had he retired through the wicket gate or not?— He was on the side next the hotel at the time he spoke to me about the gun, between the hotel and the gate.
11590 Was his hand tied up at this time?— No, not at all; he was holding his wrist with his other hand.
11591 By Mr. O'Connor— Will you state where he went to?— I went down first of all with him to this first culvert, and then I stopped there, and we met some of the reporters; and then I went down to the station-master's house; and then I went with ammunition back to Senior-Constable Kelly, who had asked me to go back. I left the gun at the station when I went away.
11592 By the Commission— Were you close to him after be said he was shot?— Yes, standing within three yards.
11593 Did he load again?— I could not tell you. In the excitement of the moment it would be impossible to tell, the smoke was so thick, and the yells, you could not see one another, the firing was so rapid. The smoke was blown gently on to the hotel, and it came up from the railway fence quite thick. You could not see anything at all, you could only hear people yelling and talking.
11594 Did he load?— My impression was at the time be did not load again, but, of course, I did not see. I say this merely because the wound seemed to me to be so severe that he could not load again.
11595 Several witnesses have sworn that after Mr. Hare was shot, he sang out to Senior-Constable Kelly to surround the place, that he was shot, and not allow them to escape; did you hear that?— Yes, I did, and I heard Kelly answer him too.
11596 Did you hear him sing out to Mr. O'Connor at any time, “O'Connor, I am shot, do not allow them to escape”?— No, not “Do not allow them to escape;” he said, “I am wounded, O'Connor, I must go back.”
11597 Do you know in what position Mr. Hare was when he said that to Mr. O'Connor, was he inside or outside the wicket gate?— He was inside, within the railway station reserve, just at the bridge.
11598 The first or second bridge?— The second bridge.
11599 Did you see Mr. O'Connor at that time?— No, I heard him.
11600 Do you know where he was at the time you heard his voice then, when Mr. Hare addressed him?— I cannot tell very well on this plan.
11601 Did Mr. O'Connor answer?— Yes, he was somewhere here about the fence, but I know I heard him shortly afterwards, when the wounded boy Jones and the woman came out. He challenged and said, “Let the woman come out” just there — [pointing to the plan].
11602 If you can, I want you to indicate where Mr. O'Connor's voice came from at the time Mr. Hare addressed him?— From here—[pointing to the plan].
11603 Where is that?— I did not see him.
11604 Do you know there is a gully running down there?— Yes.
11605 Was it in any portion of that you supposed the voice of Mr. O'Connor to come from?— Yes
11606 Was that the gully nearest to the railway fence?— Yes, there is a corner in the drain, I looked at it in the morning, in which you can stand up and get a shot at the house. When I was at the railway gate where McHugh came with the wounded boy, I was most anxious that this part of the road should be defended.
11607 By Mr. O'Connor— Before coming to that. On not seeing me you were not prepared to swear where I was?— I could not swear where you were when Mr. Hare was shot, because this was several minutes after.
11608 You accompanied Mr. Hare, you stated, back from the field?— Yes.....
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