Sydney Morning Herald (34)

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Reardon, the line repairer, who was ordered by Kelly to take the rails up, gives the following narrative:-

“I was in bed with my wife and family, as my wife has already informed you, when they called at my house. I was awakened at about twenty minutes past 2 o’clock on Sunday morning by my dog barking, and subsequently, hearing a horse galloping and thought it was one belonging to a friend that had got loose, I therefore got up and dressed and went out to catch it. I was met in the yard by a mate who said he had been arrested. I asked him what trouble he had fallen into, thinking he had been arrested by the police. Ned Kelly then stepped forward and, presenting a revolver at my head, ordered me to bail up, and tell him who was inside. I did as he desired, and all in the house were then bailed up. My children had to come out half-dressed. He then told me that I had to tear up some rails, and that if I refused he would shoot me. The tools necessary were in a box which was locked up, and I pretended not to have the key. The look was broken by some one, and I was directed to take out the necessary tools and to accompany a party down the line. I took along some tools, but not all that would be required, and some six or seven other men were brought along with me to assist. Kelly pointed out the spot where he wanted the rails lifted, and ordered me to proceed with the work. I remonstrated with him, and begged to be excused owing to my position on the railway, and on account of my wife and family, whom I would not be able to support if I lost my billet. He repeated his order in a peremptory manner, and told me I was a dead man if I refused. I then asked that the other men should do the work, and said I would direct them. To this he agreed. I accordingly showed them how to unscrew the bolts and so cut off one rail on each side. I then directed them to remove the pair of rails with the sleepers to which they were attached; I thought by removing sleepers and all there would be less danger for the train. Kelly objected to this, and talked to me again fiercely. I represented to him that the danger would be increased if the sleepers were re- moved, and that if the set of sleepers and rails were pitched over the culvert, thirty men would be unable to raise them again. I also protested that I had not the tools by which the rails could be detached. He fired up on me again, and asked 'If I could not draw out the bolts with my teeth?' I appeased him by replying that he could not do that himself, although a stronger man than me. He persisted, however, in having the rails removed singly. I then commenced hammering at them, making a great clanking noise. He at once interfered, and said he would not stand that. The rails and sleepers were then removed altogether, and thrown over the embankment, and we returned to the hotel. My boy was shot by the police in the shoulder when trying to escape with his mother. I have heard from Wangaratta that he is improving, for he was able to take a good breakfast this morning."

The man who stopped the train turns out to be Mr Thomas Curnow, the local schoolmaster. Mr and Mrs Curnow were stuck up at about 11 o'clock on Sunday morning by Ned Kelly and Byrne at the railway gates, as they were driving towards Greta. Their horse and buggy were put up at Jones's hotel, and they themselves were lodged in the station-master's house. When bailing them up Kelly said, “I am sorry, but I must detain you." They were detained until about 10 o'clock at night, when Kelly and Byrne took them to the hotel, requested them to get into their buggy, and then accompanied them to the police station, where Kelly told them to go home and get into bed, and to remain quiet, other- wise he would shoot Mr Curnow. How Mr Curnow heard of the rails having been pulled up has not yet been explained, and it seemed strange, seeing that he had been set at liberty before the deed was done. He, however, did come by the information, and took the risk of earning the hatred of the Kelly gang by doing it in the interests of humanity.

His house stands quite close to the railway line, and he was therefore able to hear the pilot engine approaching. Upon hearing it approaching he immediately ran out with a red handkerchief, which he held up, with a lighted match behind it. By this action the special train was secured, and the locale of the gang discovered. Next door to the police station is the post-office of Glenrowan, and on the Sunday night Mr Reynolds, the postmaster, was interviewed by Kelly as to where constable Bracken was to be found. Kelly, by his remarks, showed that he had a full knowledge of the constable's habits. He pointed, for instance, to a sofa, and said he expected to find him sitting there. Finding, after bullying Mr Reynolds, that Bracken was really not there, he left without making Reynolds a prisoner.

When he stuck up Bracken at the police station, he went into Bracken's bedroom, and found Mrs Bracken in bed with her little son. He shook hands with the little boy, and said, "I may be worth £2000 to you yet my child." He then demanded handcuffs and cartridges from Bracken, who had, however, to defend his office, where these things were, by cunning, evasive replies, for had Kelly got the handcuffs he would in all probability have put a pair on the constable, who would then have been unable to escape from the hotel, as he so opportunely did. Constable Bracken gives an account of the proceedings in the hotel, and the dance which took place on Sunday morning there, all the outlaws taking part in the festivity. Kelly called a man named Sullivan before him and said " I have seen you somewhere else, have you been in Wangaratta lately?" Sullivan replied in the affirmative. Kelly then asked if he had ever been in New Zealand , and received a similar answer. "How long ago," he next asked, and Sullivan replied, "Ten or twelve years ago." In answer to other questions, Sullivan said that he was in New Zealand when the notorious murders were committed there by strangling, but denied that he was the Sullivan who turned Queen's evidence on his mates, and who is understood to be living in the district at present. Kelly then said to me,-"£8000 has been offered for our capture. I promise to give you a similar amount if you tell me where that Sullivan is to be found, and the same amount as to where I can find Quinlan, the man who shot Morgan." No doubt all the gang had been drinking heavily on Sunday and Monday morning.

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