A short statement by Constable Bracken recounting his involvement in the bail up at Glenrowan.
Category: History
Posts under this banner discuss the actual history that the novel is based on.
I am a farmer, and have recently been stopping at Glenrowan with Mr. Reynolds. I came to the railway station about 8 o’clock on Sunday night with Mr.. Reynolds to ask about his little boy, who had not been home. When we knocked at the door Mrs. Stainstreet told us that Mr. Hart was inside, and that they had been stuck up ever since 3 o’clock on Saturday morning. We followed her in, and saw Steve Hart. She told him who we were, and he then put his fire-arms down, giving us to understand that we were not to go out.
Platelayer James Reardon’s account of the Glenrowan seige taken by the Royal Commission.
A statement by the Glenrowan stationmaster, Stanistreet.
I am a sergeant of police at Wangaratta. I arrived here with five men about 5 a.m. We were at once challenged by police, and answered “Wangaratta police.” My men were then distributed around the hut, and I got to the tree near the back door of the hut. There was no firing then. A woman and child came to the back door screaming, and I told the woman if she ran in quick she would not be molested. A man then came to the back door, and I asked him to throw up his arms or I would fire on him. He was only about twenty five yards distant. The man stooped and ran towards the stables, and I fired. He then turned and ran back to the house, and I fired again. I am certain I hit him with the second shot, as he screamed and fell against the door.
During this time we were dressing, and he was in the bedroom. He asked who was in the kitchen; and on mother saying only her four little boys, he said he must see them, and did see them asleep. He then said, ” Lock the door and come quick, as I have no time to loose.” Mother, again crying, asked him where he was going to take her to, and he said he had a lot of men bailed up on the road, and that she must come, too; as he was going to take up the line, to wreck a special train that was coming up with police and black trackers.
A private quarrel occurred between Mr. Hare and myself altogether unconnected with official business, in which Captain Standish, who was not in any way concerned, took part against me, and carried it into official matters. He made a series of communications to the Queensland Government, tending to depreciate me, and to remove the men from my control and supervision. This was done without my knowledge, and, consequently, I had no opportunity of explanation to my commissioner. My Government ultimately acceded to the request of Captain Standish, and informed him that he was at liberty to have one of my men for permanent service in Victoria. Upon this Captain Standish had the man taken out of my party and attached to his police, although he (Captain Standish) still required our services.
Mr Jesse Dowsett, who was a guard in the special train which took police to Glenrowan when Ned Kelly was captured in June, 1880, died at his home in Dandenong, early today, aged 88. Mr. Dowsett assisted in the capture of Ned Kelly, and was one of the very few participants in the affair commended by the Royal Commission which sat subsequently.
Regret was expressed in the Police Department today at the death of Mr. Michael Edward Ward, 76, formerly sub-inspector in the Criminal Investigation Branch, which occurred at his home, Airdrie road, Caulfield, this morning.
Her residence, a four-roomed slab hut, with a bark roof, stands in the middle of a paddock comprising about 40 acres. It is within a short distance from a mountain called Quarry Hill, whence a good view of the surrounding country can be obtained. Within the paddock there were two or three horses and as many cows, and there were a few fowls and a tame kangaroo about the house. But the place presented a gloomy, desolate appearance. There was a very small kitchen garden, but there was no other land under cultivation. Some of the panes of glass in the windows were broken, and, excepting that some creepers had very recently been planted at the foot of the verandah posts, no attempt had been made to beautify the house, or make this home look homely.
Glenrowan 