Ovens and Murray Advertiser (10)

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ROBERT GIBBONS NARRATIVE

Robert Gibbons, farmer, living at present with Mr Reynolds, states:―“I came to the railway station with Mr Reynolds’s brother at about 8 o’clock on Sunday night to bring Mr Reynolds’ little boy home. He had gone to Sunday-school, and we could not understand what was detaining him. We called at the stationmaster’s house, and Mrs Stanistreet informed us that Mr Hart was inside, and that they had been stuck up since 3 o’clock that morning. We went and saw Steve Hart, who presented his firearms, and told us we had to remain there. We had been there about two hours when Ned Kelly came. Hart then ordered us all to come outside. Ned told us we would all have to go with him to the police station. We went, and he kept us there about two hours. He left us for a time, and returned after about an hour and a half with the constable. Byrne was in charge of us during Ned’s absence. Ned told Mr Reynolds’ brother and myself to return with him to Jones’s Hotel. We went with him, and he put us all in the sitting-room. We remained there from 10 o’clock on Sunday night until 3 o’clock this (Monday) morning. During that time we went from one room to another, but were not allowed to go outside. Byrne was in charge of the back door, and the front one was locked. Ned and Dan Kelly were walking about the house quite jolly. Hart was at the stationmaster’s house until about 3 o’clock . The bushrangers were drinking and making themselves quite jolly. At about 3 on Monday morning Ned Kelly came into the sitting-room, and told us we were not to whisper a word of anything that was said there, or seen about him. ‘If I hear any one doing so,’ he said, ‘I will shoot him.’ He went to the door of the room and said, ‘Here she comes,’ evidently thinking that the train was about to be wrecked. With that they seemed to me to be making preparations. The gang went out to the back for a few minutes, and on coming back they proclaimed that the first man who left the house would be shot. Two of the gang mounted their horses and rode away. I saw through the window. They returned in about ten minutes. I saw two, one of them being Dan Kelly, go into a small room. They came out soon afterwards fully armed, and prepared for a fight. Then the other two did the same. Not long after that the police arrived, when the firing commenced. There must have been 40 men, women, and children prisoners in the house at this time. There was a great shrieking of the women and children. Mrs Jones’s eldest daughter (about 14) got shot in the side of the head, and her eldest boy was shot in the thigh. We all lay down on the floor for safety, as the bullets were rattling on the house. We were packed so close that he had to lie on our sides, and lay in that position until we came out about 10 o’clock . Those next the door led the way, and we were prompted to leave by hearing the police, as we thought, giving the gang their last warning. We feared, in fact, that the firing would be commenced again heavier than ever. We did not see any of the gang when we left, as they were in the back room. We were not maltreated in any way.”

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