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Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission evidence
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== The Royal Commission evidence for 8/6/1881 ==
''''''
=== full text ===
(see also introduction to [[Royal Commission report 8/6/1881|day 27]])
'''Mrs Margaret [[Reardon|Reardon]] giving evidence'''
<span id="rc10552">[[#rc10552|10552]]</span> And did the firing commence immediately?— The firing commenced in about fifteen minutes after that.
<span id="rc10553">[[#rc10553|10553]]</span> Did you see what Constable [[Const Hugh Bracken|Bracken]] did after he told you that?— No, I did not see him after that, for we were in the back room.
<span id="rc10554">[[#rc10554|10554]]</span> Can you tell us [[Jones' Glenrowan Inn|the rooms]] situated?— There were three different rooms—the dining room, the bar room in the middle, and the little parlor, at the Benalla end.
<span id="rc10555">[[#rc10555|10555]]</span> How many doors in the front?— Two—one from the bar and the other from the dining room.
<span id="rc10556">[[#rc10556|10556]]</span> How many rooms were there behind?— Two? and a little narrow passage.
<span id="rc10557">[[#rc10557|10557]]</span> Did the passage go right through the house?— Only from the bar to the back kitchen.
<span id="rc10558">[[#rc10558|10558]]</span> It was only between the two back rooms?— Yes.
<span id="rc10559">[[#rc10559|10559]]</span> And in coming through it you entered the bar coming to the front?— Yes.
<span id="rc10560">[[#rc10560|10560]]</span> Do you remember the time the firing commenced?— Yes.
<span id="rc10561">[[#rc10561|10561]]</span> Can you describe anything you saw then in the house?— I did not see anything in the house just then, for there were very dark window blinds, and they were all drawn down.
<span id="rc10562">[[#rc10562|10562]]</span> Was there no light?— No.
<span id="rc10563">[[#rc10563|10563]]</span> How many windows were there in the front?— There were three windows on the front— one in each room, and one in the bar.
<span id="rc10564">[[#rc10564|10564]]</span> Was there a door going from the verandah into the dining room?— Yes.
<span id="rc10565">[[#rc10565|10565]]</span> And one from the verandah into the bar?— Yes.
<span id="rc10566">[[#rc10566|10566]]</span> No door from the verandah into the little parlor?— No; you entered that from the bar.
<span id="rc10567">[[#rc10567|10567]]</span> Was there a skillion room at the back?— There were two.
<span id="rc10568">[[#rc10568|10568]]</span> And then at the back of those a small yard?— Yes.
<span id="rc10569">[[#rc10569|10569]]</span> And two or three steps up to the kitchen at the back?— There were no steps; it went straight on up a little incline to the kitchen at the back.
<span id="rc10570">[[#rc10570|10570]]</span> Do you remember anything of what occurred when the firing commenced?— After there had been a few shots exchanged, I heard a scream in the front room—that was the time Mrs. Jones's boy got shot.
<span id="rc10571">[[#rc10571|10571]]</span> Do you remember when the first volley was fired?— Yes.
<span id="rc10572">[[#rc10572|10572]]</span> Do you remember where it was fired from?— I could not say that, but it was fired from the outside; the firing all commenced from the outside.
<span id="rc10573">[[#rc10573|10573]]</span> Do you remember seeing the outlaws come into the house immediately after?— No; I did not see them, but I heard them come round the back and into the little passage, but I did not know how many came in.
<span id="rc10574">[[#rc10574|10574]]</span> You were shut in the room?— Yes.
<span id="rc10575">[[#rc10575|10575]]</span> Did you hear any talk of their surrendering?— No; I did not.
<span id="rc10576">[[#rc10576|10576]]</span> Did you hear Ned Kelly ask any of them to come out?— I heard a voice in the yard say, “Come along boys, follow me”; but I did not know who it was said it.
<span id="rc10577">[[#rc10577|10577]]</span> You did not know whether Ned Kelly went out or not?— I did not.
<span id="rc10578">[[#rc10578|10578]]</span> Was it after the volleys you heard that?— Yes; after the first firing was over.
<span id="rc10579">[[#rc10579|10579]]</span> You were then in the back room?— Yes.
<span id="rc10580">[[#rc10580|10580]]</span> How many were with you?— Oh, the place was full of children and another woman and men.
<span id="rc10581">[[#rc10581|10581]]</span> Did that room contain all the prisoners that were in the hotel.?— Oh no.
<span id="rc10582">[[#rc10582|10582]]</span> Which other room were they in?— They were all over the front of the house; there were some in every room.
<span id="rc10583">[[#rc10583|10583]]</span> Were there any in the bar, of your own knowledge?— I could not say; I could not see it.
<span id="rc10584">[[#rc10584|10584]]</span> Did you hear the Kellys offering to allow the prisoners to go?— Yes; some time after the first volley was over Mrs. Jones's daughter came in with a lighted candle and said, “All women and children are to come out.” We accordingly did so. There were two other women, a good many children, and Mrs. Jones and her daughter and I all went out in a great group.
<span id="rc10585">[[#rc10585|10585]]</span> Which door did you go out at?— At the back, round through the back yard.
<span id="rc10586">[[#rc10586|10586]]</span> And went outside?— Yes.
<span id="rc10587">[[#rc10587|10587]]</span> Did you get away at that time?— No. One of my children was not able to walk, and we had to wait to help her on.
<span id="rc10588">[[#rc10588|10588]]</span> Had you to go back into the house again?— The others had got away while we were getting the child out.
<span id="rc10589">[[#rc10589|10589]]</span> How old was she ?— Thirteen years.
<span id="rc10590">[[#rc10590|10590]]</span> Why could not she go?— There were a great number of them lying under the bed, and when she came out she was cramped and could not walk. That lot got away, and three of my children with them. We got close to the gate‑house, when a voice called from under the bridge, “Who comes there ?” and we said “Women and children”; and a little higher up in the gutter or drain there came shots against us, and we had to run back to the house again—my husband, my two biggest boys, and two little ones, and myself.....
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[[Royal Commission report day 27 page 1|previous page]] / [[Royal Commission report day 27 page 3|next page]]
== The Royal Commission evidence for 8/6/1881 ==
''''''
=== full text ===
(see also introduction to [[Royal Commission report 8/6/1881|day 27]])
'''Mrs Margaret [[Reardon|Reardon]] giving evidence'''
<span id="rc10552">[[#rc10552|10552]]</span> And did the firing commence immediately?— The firing commenced in about fifteen minutes after that.
<span id="rc10553">[[#rc10553|10553]]</span> Did you see what Constable [[Const Hugh Bracken|Bracken]] did after he told you that?— No, I did not see him after that, for we were in the back room.
<span id="rc10554">[[#rc10554|10554]]</span> Can you tell us [[Jones' Glenrowan Inn|the rooms]] situated?— There were three different rooms—the dining room, the bar room in the middle, and the little parlor, at the Benalla end.
<span id="rc10555">[[#rc10555|10555]]</span> How many doors in the front?— Two—one from the bar and the other from the dining room.
<span id="rc10556">[[#rc10556|10556]]</span> How many rooms were there behind?— Two? and a little narrow passage.
<span id="rc10557">[[#rc10557|10557]]</span> Did the passage go right through the house?— Only from the bar to the back kitchen.
<span id="rc10558">[[#rc10558|10558]]</span> It was only between the two back rooms?— Yes.
<span id="rc10559">[[#rc10559|10559]]</span> And in coming through it you entered the bar coming to the front?— Yes.
<span id="rc10560">[[#rc10560|10560]]</span> Do you remember the time the firing commenced?— Yes.
<span id="rc10561">[[#rc10561|10561]]</span> Can you describe anything you saw then in the house?— I did not see anything in the house just then, for there were very dark window blinds, and they were all drawn down.
<span id="rc10562">[[#rc10562|10562]]</span> Was there no light?— No.
<span id="rc10563">[[#rc10563|10563]]</span> How many windows were there in the front?— There were three windows on the front— one in each room, and one in the bar.
<span id="rc10564">[[#rc10564|10564]]</span> Was there a door going from the verandah into the dining room?— Yes.
<span id="rc10565">[[#rc10565|10565]]</span> And one from the verandah into the bar?— Yes.
<span id="rc10566">[[#rc10566|10566]]</span> No door from the verandah into the little parlor?— No; you entered that from the bar.
<span id="rc10567">[[#rc10567|10567]]</span> Was there a skillion room at the back?— There were two.
<span id="rc10568">[[#rc10568|10568]]</span> And then at the back of those a small yard?— Yes.
<span id="rc10569">[[#rc10569|10569]]</span> And two or three steps up to the kitchen at the back?— There were no steps; it went straight on up a little incline to the kitchen at the back.
<span id="rc10570">[[#rc10570|10570]]</span> Do you remember anything of what occurred when the firing commenced?— After there had been a few shots exchanged, I heard a scream in the front room—that was the time Mrs. Jones's boy got shot.
<span id="rc10571">[[#rc10571|10571]]</span> Do you remember when the first volley was fired?— Yes.
<span id="rc10572">[[#rc10572|10572]]</span> Do you remember where it was fired from?— I could not say that, but it was fired from the outside; the firing all commenced from the outside.
<span id="rc10573">[[#rc10573|10573]]</span> Do you remember seeing the outlaws come into the house immediately after?— No; I did not see them, but I heard them come round the back and into the little passage, but I did not know how many came in.
<span id="rc10574">[[#rc10574|10574]]</span> You were shut in the room?— Yes.
<span id="rc10575">[[#rc10575|10575]]</span> Did you hear any talk of their surrendering?— No; I did not.
<span id="rc10576">[[#rc10576|10576]]</span> Did you hear Ned Kelly ask any of them to come out?— I heard a voice in the yard say, “Come along boys, follow me”; but I did not know who it was said it.
<span id="rc10577">[[#rc10577|10577]]</span> You did not know whether Ned Kelly went out or not?— I did not.
<span id="rc10578">[[#rc10578|10578]]</span> Was it after the volleys you heard that?— Yes; after the first firing was over.
<span id="rc10579">[[#rc10579|10579]]</span> You were then in the back room?— Yes.
<span id="rc10580">[[#rc10580|10580]]</span> How many were with you?— Oh, the place was full of children and another woman and men.
<span id="rc10581">[[#rc10581|10581]]</span> Did that room contain all the prisoners that were in the hotel.?— Oh no.
<span id="rc10582">[[#rc10582|10582]]</span> Which other room were they in?— They were all over the front of the house; there were some in every room.
<span id="rc10583">[[#rc10583|10583]]</span> Were there any in the bar, of your own knowledge?— I could not say; I could not see it.
<span id="rc10584">[[#rc10584|10584]]</span> Did you hear the Kellys offering to allow the prisoners to go?— Yes; some time after the first volley was over Mrs. Jones's daughter came in with a lighted candle and said, “All women and children are to come out.” We accordingly did so. There were two other women, a good many children, and Mrs. Jones and her daughter and I all went out in a great group.
<span id="rc10585">[[#rc10585|10585]]</span> Which door did you go out at?— At the back, round through the back yard.
<span id="rc10586">[[#rc10586|10586]]</span> And went outside?— Yes.
<span id="rc10587">[[#rc10587|10587]]</span> Did you get away at that time?— No. One of my children was not able to walk, and we had to wait to help her on.
<span id="rc10588">[[#rc10588|10588]]</span> Had you to go back into the house again?— The others had got away while we were getting the child out.
<span id="rc10589">[[#rc10589|10589]]</span> How old was she ?— Thirteen years.
<span id="rc10590">[[#rc10590|10590]]</span> Why could not she go?— There were a great number of them lying under the bed, and when she came out she was cramped and could not walk. That lot got away, and three of my children with them. We got close to the gate‑house, when a voice called from under the bridge, “Who comes there ?” and we said “Women and children”; and a little higher up in the gutter or drain there came shots against us, and we had to run back to the house again—my husband, my two biggest boys, and two little ones, and myself.....
=== Previous page / Next page ===
<br />
{{MicroficheCopy}}<br />
'''The [[Royal Commission report day 26 page 1|previous day]] / [[Royal Commission report day 28 page 1|next day]] . . . Royal Commission [[Royal Commission Index|index]]''' [[RC_index.html|RC_index.html]]
[[Category:Royal Commission]] [[Category:March 1608]] [[Category:Royal Commission]] [[Category:Commisioner Standish]] [[Category:history]]
MediaWiki:Sidebar
{{^|Original page location \documents\RoyalCommission\RC810608_27_02_10552.html}}
