The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (65)

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CHAPTER XVIII

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I do not know whether it was two shots or one, and the holes have got a good deal larger since.  The shawl was doubled and wrapped round the baby.  There were two holes in the shawl when I first looked at it.  It came from a gun, for I was very close to it.  My son was close behind me, coming about a yard away from me, and he said, ‘Mother, come back; you will be shot’; and I said, ‘I will not go back; I might as well be shot outside as inside’; but I said, ‘I do not think the coward can shoot me.’ My son turned away and walked back towards the house, pulling the little child by the left hand, and with the right hand up.  I looked round and saw him going, and that was the last I saw of him.  It was quite bright; I cannot say whether it was daylight or moonlight.  It was sufficiently light to tell a man.  I heard the police call to Sergeant Steele, saying, ‘Do not shoot her; you can see it is a woman with a child in her arms.’ It came from a policeman close behind Sergeant Steele.  (RC10636)

I found out afterwards that it was a constable named Arthur.  My son was two yards from me.  My son was two yards from me.  Just as I turned two shots went past me.  I did not see my son shot.  He got shot when retreating to the hotel.  He said it was just as he was going in the door, and he fell against the door.  No one called out to me to stop or they would fire before the shots came.  Only one called out what I have said, ‘Put up your hands or I will shoot you like —— dogs’; and we went where the man called us.  I could not be mistaken for a male.  I was dressed in my ordinary female attire, and not only that, but they had been firing from the station at me.  There was a gutter along there, and when Steele commenced shooting at me they all began shooting at me from the other place.  I cannot say the exact words Constable Arthur used.  I heard him say at the first set-out, ‘Do you not see it is a woman with a child in her arms?’—and when those two shots were fired at me I heard him (Constable Arthur) speaking very angrily, and then the firing ceased.  I know that Ned Kelly was captured after what I am now relating.  I walked straight on to the slip-panel, and I got behind a tree, and, when all the firing had ceased, I called out for them (the police) to spare my life—that I was but a woman, and for a long time nobody spoke.  And then Guard Dowsett came out from the railway station, and, as I was not able to get there alone, he helped me to the station.  I do not know how he got me there, whether it was over the fence or through.  I did not see my son (wounded) until about ten o’clock in the day.  He remained at the hotel after being shot, until the male prisoners were released.  That was the first time I knew he had been shot in the morning.  I was very much excited when I attempted to leave the hotel a second time, when I got into the yard and found how I was treated by the police.  I thought my life was in danger.  I knew it was in danger.  I knew it was a constable who shot at me from behind a tree, for there were no others there.  I found out who it was that shot at me by inquiring.  I know I am speaking very strongly against that man (Steele).  I found out particularly that same afternoon Sergeant Steele told my second eldest boy, some sixteen years of age, that it was he (Steele) who shot him (my eldest son).  Another lad from Winton—I think a son of Mr Aherne—was speaking to my second boy about the shooting affair.  The latter said, ‘My brother was shot,’ and the other lad asked by whom, and Sergeant Steele made answer and said, ‘It was I who shot him’—so I think that is plain enough.  I stated that Constable Arthur remonstrated with him (Steele) for shooting.  I did not know him (Arthur) at the time, but two months afterwards I saw him, and inquired as to his name, and found it was Constable Arthur.”

Constable James Arthur

On June 9, 1881, Constable James Arthur, giving evidence on oath before the Royal Commission, said:—“I remember Mrs Reardon coming out, and her son and Mr Reardon.  It was near daylight.  I was thirty yards from the house on the Wangaratta side of Jones’ Hotel. (RC11125)

I was stationed between the back and front, opposite in a line with the passage, about due north from the house.  I heard Mrs Reardon cry out.  When she came out she screamed.  I could not make out what she said.  She screamed out as loud as she could and had a child in her arms, and when she came out Steele sang out, ‘Throw up your hands or I will shoot you like a —— dog,’ and the woman was coming towards him and he fired.  He fired direct at her; we could see it in the moonlight, and then she turned round, and then he fired a second shot, and then I spoke to him and told him not to fire—this was an innocent woman.  I could see her with a child in her arms; and then afterwards he turned round and said, ‘I have shot the mother Jones in the ——.’ Constable Phillips was on his right, on the right hand behind, and I heard him make some remark about a feather.  I could not say what it was.  I told him (Steele) not to fire—it was an innocent woman.  I said I would shoot him if he fired.  I was about twenty yards from him (Steele).  They came out of the back door of the hotel, out of the passage, and just as she came out of the passage Steele fired.  Right behind the hotel I saw her (Mrs Reardon’s) son coming out.  I saw the young fellow coming out, leading a child.  I could distinguish it was a figure of a man.  I could see it was a young man.  It was quite light.  He was walking, leading the child.  I could not be positive that Steele deliberately fired at that young fellow, because he (young Reardon) was nearest to me and Steele had to fire past me.  I have no hesitation in saying Steele deliberately shot at the young fellow.  He shot at him.  I did not see him fall with the shot Steele fired, but with another shot he fell in the doorway.  I would not swear it was Steele who fired the second shot.  Steele made no remark then.  After the youth a man came out with a child in his arms, and Sergeant Steele sang out to him to hold up his hands. 

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This document gives you the text of this book about the KellyGang. The text has been retyped from a copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. We also apologise for any typographical errors. JJ Kenneally was one of the first authors to tell this story from the KellyGang's point of view