STATEMENT BY THE POLICE SERGEANT.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3599, 9 July 1880, Page 2

STATEMENT BY THE POLICE SERGEANT.

Sergeant Arthur Loftus Maude Staele, of Wangaratta states: I arrived at Glenrowan with fi?e men about 5 a.m. The others came down by train. I was challenged in the vicinity of the hotel by the police, and informed them who we were. I scattered men around the house. Went up to the neajgat tree behind the back door, aud heard no firing up to that time. A woman and child came to the back door screaming. I told her to ruu quick and she would not be molested. A man then came to the back door, and I called upon him to throw up his hands or I would fire on him. I was only about 20 yards from the house. The man did not hold up his hands, but stooped and ran towards the stable. I fired at him, and he turned and ran back into the house. 1 am certain that the man must have been injured, as he screamed and fell towards the door. I was firing with slugs. There was then some hot firing, and bullet*: were whistling all round. From the ring of the slugs I at once recognised that the men wore mail. I then heard some men. roaring out It was just breaking day, and when I look round I saw Ned Kelly stalking round behind me in the bush. He was marching down on the home quite deliberately, and from his rig-out I supposed him at first to be a black-fellow, until I saw him present a revolver, and lire at the pi ice. I could see the bullets flying about his head and chest, and con* eluded he bad armour on. I then made a run for him, and got within ten or fifteen yards of him, when he turned round and aimed at me with a revolver. I immediately shot at his legs, and he staggered. He still aimed at me, sol &aye him the second barrel also in the legs, about the knees. I was at this time in the open. He fell on my second charge, and said, " I'm done, I'm done." I ran

up to-him then. Just as I gol. up lie tried to get the revolver pointed on mo D^ain, but I ran behind, and he could not. twist round fast enough. I got up to him nnd seized hold of the revolver, and t«rnecl it off from me, and he fired it. off in my hand ; senior-constable Kelly came up at this juncture and caupht hold of him, and in a few seconds there was quits a group of people around us. We disarmed and secured him. We found only one revolver on him. Having divested him of his armour, we carried him to the railway station. Just after I -had seized him the rush of the other people knocked me and Kelly over, and I received a rather awkward twist, and his armour injured my side. i THE BUBNED BODIES. Father Gibbey, who, at much personal risk from the flames, entered the hotel and rescued the wounded platelayer, Cherry, saw two bodies lying side by side on their backs. He touched them, and found life extinct in each. These were the bodies of Dan Kelly and Hart; and the reverend gentleman exprersed the opinion based on their position, that they must have killed one another. Whether they killed one another, or whether both or one committed suicide, or whether both, being mortally wounded by the besiegers, determined to die side by side will never be known. The priest bad barely time to feel ♦ heir bodies before the fire forced him to made a speedy exit from the room, and the flames had then made such rapid progress on the western side of the house that the few people who followed close on the ret. gentleman's heels 'dared not attempt to rescue the two bodies. It may be stated that after the house had been burned down 1 these two bodies were removed from the embers. They presented a horrible spectacle, nothing but the trunk and skull being left, and these almost burnt to a cinder. Their armour was found near them. As to Byrne's body, it was found in the entrance to the barroom, which was on the east side of the house, and there was time to remove it from the building, but not before the right side was slightly scorched. This body likewise presented a dreadful appearance. It looked as if it had been ill nourished. The thin face was black with smoke, and the arms were set at right angles with the elbows, the stiffened joints below the elbows standing erect.