The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (76)

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CHAPTER XIX

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Question — There was no effort made by them to come up until you told them? — No, there was no man that came up with me, or that I saw, till the first man that reached me after I came out of the back, and called out to them. He was the first man I saw come to the house. I think that there were three that ran up after that. That was after I came out. My great object is going, of course, was to see to get those men time for repentance; and I would have preferred much to have seen them executed rather than to have seen them destroyed in that manner.

Question — Although you saw no firearms about them, you still think they committed suicide? — I could not judge of anything except from the position in which they were lying. They lay so calm together, as if laid out by design.

Question — It had all the appearances of a pre-arrangement? — It had. I saw some time in the press different remarks about casting censure upon the Police Commission - that they had not given me any portion of the reward. Now I wish to make a statement on that matter. From the first I never intended to receive anything of that reward, though I might be considered entitled to it. I never thought myself for a moment that I would accept any portion thereof; and my reason for that is simply this - that it is better for society at large that we should be (the Catholic priesthood, I mean) free from any charge of taking any money that is offered as a reward, because we can more readily move on that matter; we can approach them with some amount of confidence on that account. Of course, I merely make the remark with your permission that it was my own determination; and if you had not given me the opportunity of saying so, of course, I would never make such a remark, because it might not be understood in the way I intend it.

Question — This is not the Commission that allocated the reward? — Indeed!

Question — That was a board appointed for the purpose; but your object in stopping at Glenrowan that day was in your capacity as a Catholic priest? — As a priest.

Question — Your duties as a priest were paramount to all other considerations? — It was only that that kept me there and actuated me at all. There was another thing I thought I might as well remark. I thought it strange, as I was the principal witness in finding those bodies, that I had not been in any way consulted in the matter, that I had not been referred to at all as a witness. I did not see any reason at all why I should not be, at least so far, consulted in the matter, or spoken to, to hear what I had to say on that. Of course, I was the witness of the manner in which those bodies were found, and the first witness.

Question — We fully intended to call you, but we did not know at first you were in the colony? — I referred simply to the inquest.

Question — And you were on the ground at the time? — I went on to Albury.

Question — But they could have found you? — Yes. I think I might say, too, with your permission, that in order that it may not appear strange why I should be so far from my own place, my object in visiting Victoria has been collecting for the orphan institution of which I am the certified manager myself in my own colony. It might appear a strange thing for me to be away so far from my own duties.

Question — Did you tender any advice or suggestion to the police officers during the day in any way? — Well, I did not find or see any of them. I exposed myself very considerably in trying to find one of them, because in going from tree to tree, if the parties had been alive inside, as was supposed, they might have said, “He is one making himself very busy giving general directions, going from place to place, from one officer of police to another.” They might have picked me off; but still I was very intend on trying to have the sister go there, seeing no one else would be safe to go, and it was then I sought for the officer in charge.

Question — You did not find him on the scene of the fight? — He was with the party at the opposite end.

Question — Did you notice the blacktrackers there? — Well, as I was passing along in the front of the house, along by the railway line like - was questioning myself afterwards about that - I think I saw some of them lift their heads and look up to me from a kind of gulf of hole they were in. I could not say for positive now; I did not pay any particular attention to that.

Question — You did not notice whether there was any particularly heavy shooting from there or not? — No.

Question — Is there anything further you wish to add? — I do not think there is.

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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