The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (78)

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CHAPTER XX

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The fourth question is: Do you remember seeing me (Mr Sadleir) about the platform? — After the house had been set fire to, I believe I saw you twice. I said I saw you. I believe it was pointed out that that was Mr Sadleir on the left-hand side of the house looking at the house from the direction of the railway gate. I saw you there with a party of men, and then I sent Miss Kelly to go on now and ask if she might go to the house. (RC12774)

The fifth question is: How long before the house was fired did Mrs Skillion or Kate Kelly, Ned Kelly’s sister, arrive on the ground? — It was Miss Kate Kelly. Mr Sadleir, I never saw her; I saw Mrs Skillion approaching and turned her from the house.

Question — Mr Sadleir: My question is to elicit when the woman approached the building—that is the one I refer to? — I never had any doubt it was Kate Kelly.

Mr Sadleir — My question is with regard to the woman that approached the building from the railway gates. — It does not matter if we both understand we mean the same person.

Question by the Commission (to the witness) — You sent on the sister to Mr Sadleir, and I think what the Commission have to do is to ask how long before the fire was it she went to Mr Sadleir? — I believe the man had already come back from the house. I think he had already returned from the house - the one that set fire to it.

Question — It was just at the time the house was set fire to? — I was coming round with this woman to find Mr Sadleir. I saw the man running from the house after setting fire to it. It was only then I became aware the house was being fired; when I made an effort to get this woman to approach the house I did not know then the house was being fired, but I had heard that there was a cannon on the way.

This is question six: In the interval between her arrival (Ned Kelly’s sister) and your approach to enter Mrs Jones’ house did you see me (Mr Sadleir)? — Not at the time that I was called out to; that is, I did not see to take notice until the time I was called out to by Mr Sadleir that I should not approach there without his permission, or some words to that effect.

Question seven: Please to describe where you went to search for me, and say whether this was after Mrs Skillion’s arrival or not? — That is a question I have already answered.

Question eight: How long were you detained altogether before your ministrations to Ned Kelly were completed — That is difficult to answer.

Question nine: Was it not possible that while you were so engaged, or even before your arrival on the ground, or after that, the police were acting under definite orders without your knowledge?—It was quite possible that they might be acting under definite orders. I have not made any remark that I know which would show they were not acting under definite orders. My remark, I think, was to the effect that the only uniformity I observed was in the intermittent firing at the house—that there was uniformity in that. They used to begin at one end of the cordon and fire all round till they reached the other. But what I generally felt impressed with was (as I might say, a post factum witness on the scene) that firing had commenced at the house when I believe it ought not to have been done - that is, when all the innocent people were there. I maintain that as it was the practice of those men to stick up people wherever they came to, it was not a fair thing to fire into the house while the innocent people were there. This is where, I think, discipline was wanting; and then continuing till the people burst out of the house, and then firing at them as they burst out. I am referring now as a post factum witness - one that came there and heard what had been going on.

Question ten is: Might not the outlaws have been called on to surrender without your hearing? — Quite possibly, but in reply to that I might say that I understand they were called upon - the idea they were called upon - I would look for occasions sufficiently long for them to see that they were not fired on. I would look for periods of time to be given them to come. Of course, I cannot say exactly what length of time there would be, or what time there was between one volley and the other. I can simply give my impressions in the evidence I give.

Question eleven is: Please to describe the particulars in which you observed the want of generalship, bearing in mind that the outlaws were in impenetrable armour, and the difficulty of knowing in what part of the building they were hiding? — I think I have already answered that question in my general remark upon the way the thing, just as I came there, impressed me, and it was continued while I was on the scene. I look upon the matter as being one which began in a blunder (I am simply stating my impressions), and that it was continued on until they were allowed to go beyond the bounds of the house they were confined to. Some described their condition - lying on the ground. Reardon described the condition of the women and children on the ground, and he was there until someone threatened to kill him by firing on him if he stopped; and then there was such an uproar on the part of the people confined in the place that at length they were allowed to come out and throw themselves on the ground. Now, I could not for the life of me make out how it was possible that the people would be confined to the house for so many hours, and the police would be surrounding it, and that they would not have known the condition of affairs in that house.

Question by Mr Sadleir — What do you mean by the beginning? — I refer to the volleys that were fired on that house while the people were confined in it.

Question — Does that include the first attack? — Well, I dare say it will. There were more innocent people in that house than there were guilty, and if the police were to fire indiscriminately on us here what would we say?

Question by the Commission — When the first attack was made, you understand, we have it in evidence the police did not know that there were people in the house, and the first volley was fired from the house upon the police - you would not have such a strong opinion as to the first attack on the house? — Surely no one could have any misgiving about Mrs Jones and her family being there.

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This document gives you the text of this book about the KellyGang. The text has been retyped from a copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. We also apologise for any typographical errors. JJ Kenneally was one of the first authors to tell this story from the KellyGang's point of view