The Argus at KellyGang 16/5/1881 (4)
Mrs Kelly
Upon being asked whether any of her children had any complaint to make, Mrs. Kelly knocked at the front door, and called out to her daughter Grace to open it. Grace did so, and after much persuasion on the part of her mother, came to the open door, but speedily retreated behind it. She seems about 14 or 15 years old, and bears a much greater resemblance to her brother Ned than either Mrs Skilllian or Miss Kate Kelly do. Most of the party, seeing that the girl was bashful, withdrew from the house, and then Grace made a statement to Mr Longmore and one or two others to the effect that one of her brother Ned's last requests was that his sisters should make full statements as to how the police had treated them.
She then continued as follows: - "On one occasion Detective Ward threatened to shoot me if I did not tell him where my brothers were, and he pulled out his revolver. The police used to come here and pull the things about. Mr Brook Smith was one of them. He used to chuck our milk, flour, and honey, on the floor. Once they pulled us in our night clothes out of bed. Sergeant Steele was one of that party."
Mrs Kelly further stated that when she "came out" her children's clothes were rotten, because of their having been thrown out of doors by the police. The police, also, had destroyed a clock and a lot of pictures, and threatened to pull down the house over their heads. She was understood to make a statement to the effect that the police had made improper overtures to some of her daughters, but she afterwards said that she had no such charge to make.
Mr Longmore and one or two others went into the sitting room, which was very poorly furnished, and the ceiling of which was in a very dilapidated condition. All the inside doors leading into this room were shut, and it seemed tolerably certain that the commission did not see all who were in the house.
A lengthy stay was made at Glenrowan, where, in addition to the commissioners, there assembled Messrs. Nicolson, Hare, Sadleir, and O'Connor, Sergeant Steele, Senior- constable Johnson, and some other members of the police force. Various positions and objects referred to in the evidence previously taken were pointed out to the commissioners, who also visited the spot where the railway line was broken up by the outlaws. Two of the chimneys of Mrs Jones's hotel still remain standing, and it was stated that she intends to build there again. A surveyor was taking measurements for the purpose of drawing a plan of the spot for the commissioners. The boy Reardon, who was one of the outlaw's detainees at the hotel, and who was shot by the police, was also present. The bullet, which lodged in the front of the chest, under the bone, has not been extracted, and the lad - who seems about 18 years of age - is unable to work in consequence of the wound, and suffers great pain. His father, in giving evidence, stated that when he looks at his son he often (seeing the wreck that the shot has made of him) wishes it had been fatal.
The following evidence was taken at Glenrowan -
Constable William Canny deposed that he arrived at Glenrowan on the day the outlaws were captured, about 3 o'clock am. Received no orders from Mr O'Connor. Heard him give no orders. After Mr Hare was wounded witness got no orders from any one until Mr Sadleir arrived. Looked on Senior-constable Kelly as his superior officer until Mr Sadleir arrived. I did not consider Mr O'Connor had any standing in the Victorian police. Did not see Mr O Connor cross or go through the fence between the drain and the hotel. Did not see Mr O'Connor when Mr Hare was wounded.
James Reardon deposed that he was a labourer on the Victorian railways. Was taken by the outlaws to Jones's hotel on the Sunday morning before the Monday when they were captured. Ned Kelly had previously taken witness to break up the line, with Sullivan. Ned said that he had shot a lot of police at Beechworth, and that he wanted to wreck the train coming with police from Benalla. Ned threatened to shoot witness if the latter did not do what he was told. On Sunday evening there were 62 prisoners in the hotel. Hart was pretty drunk on Sunday morning. Saw Dan Kelly and Byrne refuse a drink. There was no chance of escape from the hotel. Mrs. Jones insisted on a dance. She said Ned Kelly was a fine fellow. She refused to let the prisoners go when Dan Kelly said they might go, saying
Ned would give us a lecture. In consequence of the delay caused by her the prisoners were still in the hotel when the police came. She induced a son of hers to sing a song, "The Wild Colonial Boy," to please Ned Kelly. The outlaws had plenty to drink on Sunday morning, but got more sober during the day. Did not hear the police call out to the prisoners to come out until about half-past 9 o'clock a.m. Three or four hours before that Dan Kelly said the prisoners might go if the police would let them. One of the prisoners tried to hold a white handkerchief up to the window, but a volley was at once fired from the drain at the window. Some of us tried to leave the house, but were driven back by the firing from the drain, coming from where Mr O'Connor was.
One constable was firing at my wife, who had a child in her arms. One bullet hit my wife's clothes. That firing came from near where Sergeant Steele was standing. Constable M'Arthur threatened to shoot Sergeant Steele if he kept firing at my wife. The prisoners made several attempts to come out, but were driven back by the heavy firing from the police. When the prisoners came out, Constable Dwyer held a rifle pointing to me, and said - “Let us finish this lot off first." Byrne was shot before we left the hotel. He fell like a log, without a groan. That was about 3 o'clock a.m. When witness left, Dan Kelly and Hart were standing together doing no- thing. They had their armour on. From day-light they fired very few shots, but plenty before. Dan Kelly and Hart seemed to think Ned Kelly was killed outside.
Witness was not a Kelly sympathiser. Steele told him he shot his son, who was worse than dead now. When Steele was firing at witness and his wife, the outlaws were not firing. They said they would not shoot until the prisoners got clean off. Mrs Jones's son and daughter were wounded. Witness’s son was shot out- side the house. Cherry was shot in the out- house behind the hotel. The bullet had not yet been extracted from witness's son. The outlaws had some armour on on Sunday morning, but took it off during the day. The special train would have gone on past Glenrowan if there had been no one to signal it there. When it stopped at Glenrowan, one of the outlaws said - “This is ---- Curnow at work." Witness told Curnow the line was broken, and told him how the train could be stopped.
The commission adjourned until 11 o'clock on Tuesday morning, when they will meet in Melbourne .
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