Royal Commission report day 30 page 5
The Royal Commission evidence for 15/6/1881
(see also introduction to day 30)
[[../../people/peQ_R/rawlinsC.html|Mr Charles C. Rawlins]] giving evidence
11635 Do you not remember standing alongside of me and calling to the prisoners in a loud voice?— Yes, that is the time you were with Mr. Sadleir. We went down together to the tree. That was just the time the prisoners came out. I remember I asked you who it was that fired the shot at the flag of truce, because it came from the drain.
11636 What time was it when you first saw me?— The first time when you came to tell Mrs. O'Connor it was all right—that was after Mr. Hare was gone.
11637 Can you fix about the time?— No, it was dark, and I never dreamed of looking at my watch at all.
11638 By the Commission— Was it before the capture of Ned Kelly?— Yes.
11639 Did you see him at the capture of Ned Kelly?— No.
11640 What was the next time?— The time he refers to he had a red comforter on and there was a flag waved at the door. The moment it was out some shots were fired from the drain, and I said, “For God's sake, do not fire at a flag of truce,” and then we went to a tree and we gave them ten minutes to come out.
11641 Where was Mr. O'Connor?— He was with us.
11642 Was that before the capture of Ned Kelly?— That was after the capture of Ned Kelly.
11643 That would be about ten o'clock ?— It was half-past ten when the prisoners came out.
11644 Did you see him between the time at the drain and the time when the prisoners came out?— Once, when he came to Mrs. O'Connor.
11645 By Mr. O'Connor— You mentioned that you saw me shortly after the capture of Ned Kelly—can you remember the time?— I saw you with a comforter round your neck with Mr. Sadleir; but you were about with Mr. Sadleir all day after that.
11646 That was when the people came out?— Yes.
11647 By the Commission— What do you mean by being about with Mr. Sadleir?— I saw Mr. O'Connor with Mr. Sadleir. They were going round from point to point round the place, the time the firing was going on into the place at different angles, so as to get at the chimneys. That was after the prisoners were out.
11648 By Mr. O'Connor— Were you there at the burning of the house?— Yes.
11649 Were you near Mr. Sadleir when Senior-Constable Johnson proposed burning the house?— No.
11650 When did you first know the house was going to be burned?— I was at the tree with Hart's brother, and Johnson ran across from there. I was between the railway gate station and Jones's public-house. When the fire was put in, Mrs. Skillian came along from the station along the road, and was going up to the house. The constables called out to her to come back, and she came out to this tree, at the Benalla end. I saw Johnson run across with a wisp of straw all on fire. The police were firing at the side of him; and he put it under the chimney at the Benalla end, where there was a hole, and he ran back, and it gradually lit up the inside.
11651 Who was it called out to cease firing—do you know?— Well, the first call I heard about cease firing was when that man called out, “For God's sake, do not fire into the building, it is full of women and children”; and I heard you call out, “Let the women out.” This was a man inside the building. I do not know who he was, because just before that there was a terrific volley fired at a man who came out in the front, and that was accompanied by shrieks and screams inside. That was the first time I knew there was anybody inside.
11652 Did you hear anybody call out “Cease firing”?— Yes; three or four people did, and “Lie down till daylight.”
11653 You cannot swear who it was?— No; I heard you call out, “Let the women out,” when McHugh came out with the boy on his back. Do not you remember you bailed him up?
11654 When this man came out and the women came out, did you hear me speak at all?— Yes, that is how I found out exactly where you were.
11655 Will you say what I said?— You called out, “Bail up; what have you got; who is that?” or something of that kind, and this man called out, “A wounded man.” Mrs. Jones was standing at the railway gates at the time, and the daughter was with me there. She had bleeding from the head.
11656 Did you hear me address a man on the left, to see that the Kellys were not coming out with them?— Yes I heard words to that effect, but I did not know whom it was to.
11657 At this time Mr Hare was at the platform?— Yes, that was the time I came with the ammunition.
11658 By the Commission— Can you throw any light on the time Kelly came out?— He never went back again; he came out of the house when Curnow stopped the train.
11659 Where were you then?— We were down at the train.
11660 Do you know whether Ned Kelly came out to shoot at the police on the verandah?— He had not been in again.....
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