Royal Commission report day 30 page 6
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
11661 Do you know whether he came out of house to shoot at the police—of your own knowledge?— No.
11662 Was he in the house?— He was not in the house at all.
11663 Was he one of the four that fired at the police when they came up?— Yes, but he came out from behind the chimney, and the second time after he emptied his rifle they called out to come on to the train. He went back again behind the chimney.
11664 Are you speaking of what you know of your own knowledge?— I saw a man; he came out from behind the chimney; the first shot that was fired on the verandah. He was standing: on the end at first, firing down in this direction towards the gate. He fired the first shot, and then he went in and loaded again, and then came out into the open that looked on to the drain, and called out, towards the drain, “Fire on, you cocktails, you cannot hurt us.” Every one could see him quite plainly, and there was a terrific volley fired at him, and it was the time the yells occurred, and that was the first time I knew people were in the house.
11665 Was that the time that Mr. Hare called out “Cease filing”?— There were a good many called out prior to any shots being fired, “Cease firing.” Mr. Hare was going through the gate; the time he had retired. He was going back. When I was on the platform, after we came back from Mrs. Stanistreet's, I stood on the end of the platform, watching Jones's. I saw a rider coming in the main road along the railway fence, and he went to the side of Jones's. Whether he got off his horse, or what he did, I do not know I lost sight of him there through a lot of bushes. Just as he was going along here, Bracken rushed out and spoke to me first, on the platform.
11666 Have you read the evidence in this case?— No, I have not, only one man's.
11667 It appears to me that your evidence rather contradicts some evidence given before by other witnesses. I understand you to say that Bracken first came out and spoke to you after he escaped from the Kellys?— Yes, that is right.
11668 Was Mr. Hare then with Mr. O'Connor?— Well, I could not tell you exactly.
11669 Yes or no?— I could not say yes or no. He left me to look after the horses.
11670 What horses were they?— Some we had in the trucks.
11671 The black trackers' horses and Victorian police?— Yes.
11672 They would be some of those that belonged to his own party?— Yes.
11673 When Bracken came down and told you, did you tell Mr. Hare, or did Bracken?— Bracken went up, and Mr. O'Connor got hold of him and got him against the wall, at the station, about ten or twelve yards from where I was.
11674 From what Bracken told you, and told the party, did you see Mr. Hare and Mr. O'Connor run up towards Jones's house?— Yes, we all went together.
11675 Did you hear Mr. O'Connor taking to Mr. Hare when you were running up?— I do not remember that. I do not remember there was a word spoken, we went so quietly—I do not think so. We ran on tiptoe as far as we went. I did at any rate.
11676 Did you go through the wicket gate?— I did.
11677 Did you see Mr. Hare go through?— I did. He led the way.
11678 Did you see Mr. O'Connor through?— No.
11679 Would he be in your rear?— He would, when he got to the gate.
11680 Can you say where you last saw Mr. O'Connor, from the time you saw Bracken until Mr. Hare was wounded?— At the second culvert.
11681 Was he on the culvert, or in the drain of the culvert?— I did not see him after he left the train. He was on the track when I last saw him.
11682 Mr. O'Connor says, “When at a short distance from the front of the place, we were stopped by a volley of bullets from its verandah “—would that be correct?— We were stopped.
11683 Who?— I could not tell you—the five or seven.
11684 Would Mr. O'Connor have been one?— I am not prepared to say the was still with us. I know the three men who were with us, three men and myself, that is all out of the seven.
11685 You were by at the time that you believed Mr. Hare was wounded?— Yes, I was standing close to him.
11686 Did you hear him say, “O'Connor, I am wounded, shot in the arm, I must go back”?— Yes.....
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