WHO SHOT CHERRY?

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2318, 21 August 1880, Page 2

WHO SHOT CHERRY?

A correspondent of the Benalla paper denies that Ned Kelly caused the death of Cherry, the platelayer. His account of it is this : —“ When the police arrived at Glenrowan they commenced to fire into the dwelling from all directions. The bullets came thick and fast like showers of hail. Each of us endeavoured to protect ourselves as well as we could, some under beds, others on the floor. I took refuge among some bags of grain. I could occasionly hear bullets strike and bury themselves in the bags of grain behind which I was sheltered. As the bullets continued to pour in among us, I heard some person cry out ‘ For God’s sake, come here ; I am shot.’ I recognised Martin Cherry’s voice. I immediately ran to his assistance, and I found him blceeding from a wound he had received in the gx'oiu, I pulled a sheet from oil; the bed and did my best to stop the bleeding by tying the sheet over the wound. I had

scarcely completed the rough dressing when a bullet grazed the back of my head, so finding I was iu extreme dan» ger of being shot myself, I lifted a maf* tress of a bed and placed it overCbeny to protect him as much as possible from further danger, and then rushed back to ray previous place of shelter, where I remained until about ten o’clock in the morning, when the police gave us all permission to leave the house. I wish to state that Martin Cherry was lying on the floor when the shot that caused his death struck him, and the said shet was fired from outside the house, Ned Kelly was not in the house at the time and had not been for some hours previous to Cherry being shot, which stale ment can be confirmed by all who were in the house at the time. In conclusion I wish to observe that some members of the police force have visited me since the Gleurowan tragedy, and implied by indirect threats to keep my mouth shut respecting how Cherry came by bis death. But thinking it best to let the public know the truth, is my only excuse for trespassing on your space,”