Royal Commission report Appendix 16

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The Royal Commission Appendix 16

(full text transcription)

[[../../people/peQ_R/rawlinsC.html|Reports from Rawlins]]

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Urgent . (copy.)

Police Department, Melbourne , 14th October 1881 .

SIR,—I enclose herewith, for the information of the Royal Police Commission, a statutory declaration by Mr. C. C. Rawlins, in reference to matters now under their consideration. Mr. Rawlins was examined before the Commission at a time when the officers were excluded from the proceedings, and until yesterday I had no opportunity of knowing that he was in the position to give the evidence shown in his declaration.

I hope that, even at this late period in the inquiry, the Commission will be pleased to take his declaration into careful consideration.

I have, &c.,

J. SADLEIR, Superintendent of Police. –`

J. Williams, Esq., Secretary R. P. Commission.,

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(Copy.)

I, Charles Champion Rawlins, farmer, of 36 Russell street , in the colony of Victoria , make oath and say as follows:—I was at Glenrowan on 28th June 1880 from the first attack of the police on the Kelly gang until about 4 p.m. I saw the train conveying Mr. Sadleir and the Benalla police, which arrived at Glenrowan about 5.30 a.m. About twenty minutes after Mr. Sadleir arrived, I saw him near the railway station at Glenrowan. I understood from Mr. Sadleir that he had just come from Mr. O'Connor. I said to him, “Have you made the south and west side of the hotel (Mrs. Jones's) secure against the escape of the outlaws?” Mr. Sadleir replied, “Yes, I have placed Sergeant Whelan a number of the police there, and the place is perfectly secure.” Mr. Sadleir was at this time standing on the Benalla end of the platform, in the open, and in view of the hotel (about 120 yards distant), from which the outlaws had been firing all the morning. Subsequently, about 9 a.m. , I had further conversation with Mr. Sadleir. We were standing together near the contractor's tents, about 45 yards from the hotel (Mrs. Jones's). We were speaking of the difficulty of getting the innocent persons out, and I said, “Shall we tickle them up a bit?” Mr. Sadleir said, “We can't fire into the building until we get them out.” I saw Mr. Sadleir constantly he took entire control of the proceedings.

I saw Mrs. Skillian arriving on the ground just as the hotel was taken fire. She had not been on the ground before. And I make this declaration conscientiously believing the same to be tree, and by virtue of the provisions of an Act of Parliament of Victoria rendering persons making a false declaration punishable for wilful and corrupt perjury.

(Signed) CHAS. C. RAWLINS.

Declared before me, at Melbourne , on the 14th day of October One thousand eight hundred and eighty-one.—F. CALL, P.M.

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