Royal Commission report day 8 page 6
The Royal Commission evidence for 5/4/1881
(see also introduction to day 8)
Francis Augustus Hare giving evidence
1502 You say in the mountains, meaning the Warby Ranges ?— Yes.
1503 Where are the Warby Ranges from that position?— The house of Mrs. Jones is between the station-master's house and the Warby Ranges, and in pointing in that direction it would be in the direction. Of Jones’s hotel; but I feel confident she said, “Taken him to the bush.” She certainly did not say Jones's hotel, as far as my recollection serves me. As I was walking to the station-master's house, Mr Rawlins then offered me his services, and on my return he said to me, “I am not armed; can any of your men lend me a rifle?” I said, “I do not think so, but I will give you my revolver, and I will stick to the double-barrelled gun.” He asked me to give him the gun, but I said, “No, I will stick to the gun myself.” He took the revolver, and I began to explain how it is worked, and he said, “ If it is a Webley revolver, I know how it is worked.” We returned to the railway station, and I said, “I am going to order the horses out at once.” I wish particular notice to be taken of this, because numbers, some have given different versions of this. I am giving the version impressed on my mind that the horses were never taken out till I returned there, because I had no information to take them out till then. Before I took them out I had the information that the Kellys had been there five minutes previously. I was standing on the platform, in amongst all the reporters, police, and every one; and as we were all together, and a number of the horses had been taken out (say five or six or them—they were not in horse-boxes, but trucks), Constable Bracken at this time appeared. Where he came from, or how he came upon the platform, I do not know, but he said, “Mr. Hare, go quickly to Jones's hotel, the outlaws are there, and I have just escaped from them they have a number of people in the hotel.” I called upon the men; I said, “Come along, men, here we have got them at last; we have got them in Jones's hotel.” There was some delay; the delay seemed to me a long one, but I suppose it could not have been for more than four or five seconds before I again called out, “Oh, come along, we have got them in the house, and if we do not be quick they will escape from us.” Some one called out, “What are we to do with the horses, sir?” I said, “Let go the horses, and come along as quickly as you can.” With that every horse dashed out of the carriage—the remainder of the horses that had not been taken out—there was a few had been taken out. They scampered away as hard as they could in between the fences. I knew they could not escape. I then, when I saw four or five, a group of men (I cannot tell the number) standing near me, I started off towards Jones's hotel followed by the group of men that were there. I remember going through a little iron gate that checked me for the time, and I made straight for the left-hand side of Jones's house. I had to turn tip, I remember, to the right.
1504 How many men had you with you?— I could not possibly say. There was a group around me, there may have been four or five, there was one Queensland man among them. I ran towards the extreme left of Jones's hotel, and whilst running up I saw a flash, and by that flash a man. He was just at the edge of the verandah, out of it.
1505 The flash of a gun?— Yes, and the report also followed, I should say, and my hand dropped beside me. I had no more pain then than if I had hit my hand like that—[illustrating his meaning] My hand dropped just like that, immediately the first shot was fired on the left by a man, Ned Kelly, I heard afterwards; three flashes came simultaneously, first the one which hit me, and then three almost within half a second of the first. The second my hand dropped beside me. I fired with my gun in this position—[the witness illustrated his meaning]—with my right hand. As I told you before, I had been accustomed to fire a double-barrelled gun almost ever since I was born—ever since I could walk—being born at the Cape of Good Hope . I remember distinctly firing those two shots, and, immediately after I fired, I put the gun between my legs. It is a breech-loader, with the action between the hammers, and in touching this action the barrels drop forward, and then I took the two cartridges, pulled out the old ones, and put two new ones in. I have the most distinct and positive recollection of that. The firing on my right was taken up by my men, or the men that followed me up, and it was continued for, I should think, five minutes. During this time, at intervals, I fired my gun off at the outlaws. I never moved from that one spot. I kept on firing at intervals. The effect that the shot had on me was just as if I had looked at the sun. Immediately I was struck my eyesight was affected, my eyes became dim. I kept firing from time to time. The two shots, I recollect most distinctly, were the two I fired immediately my hand dropped beside me, and I know I fired several after, how many I would not like to swear. I think six.....
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