Extracts from Superintendent John Sadleir’s memoirs concerning the Glenrowan Siege and the events that led to it.
Category: The Glenrowan Archives
A collection of archival material that records the events surrounding the Glenrowan siege and its aftermath from contemporary authors and witnesses.
A report on the inquest into the death of Martin Cherry, who was a civilian killed during the siege.
A collection of illustrations and associated text from an issue of the Australasian Sketcher.
A first-hand account of Jesse Dowsett’s rescue of Margaret Reardon and his involvement in Ned Kelly’s capture.
The enquiry upon the body of Aaron Sherritt was continued at the local Police Court this morning, before a Jury of 12.
The evidence given on the previous day having been read over to the Jury, the examination of Mrs. Ellen Barry was proceeded with.
The chief commissioner of police has received the following report from Mr. Curnow, late schoolmaster at Glenrowan, of his proceedings in connexion with the Kelly gang :—
“After the house had been burned, Ned Kelly’s three sisters and Tom Wright were allowed an interview with him. Tom Wright, as well as the sisters, kissed the wounded man, and a brief conversation ensued, Ned Kelly having to a certain extent recovered from the exhaustion consequent of his wounds.”
The following information comes from the evidence of Henry Armstrong who had been one of the constables stationed with Aaron Sherritt the night he was murdered. It concerns the events leading up to the murder that may have played a role in Aaron’s death, and follows the narrative through the murder with the occasional detour. These are merely extracts from the evidence, rather than the evidence in its entirety in order to keep it as focused as possible on the subject of Aaron Sherritt.
The following extracts come from Superintendent Hare’s testimony during the 1881 Royal Commission. We begin with Hare’s account of the events leading up to the siege and his involvement in the early stages, including his injury. We close on Hare recounting some of his frustrations with the police that were to be working with Aaron Sherritt, as well as a brief account of a discussion with the “Diseased Stock Agent” about the armour.
When Kelly lay on the floor in the railway van Inspector Sadlier appealed to him to send some signal to his comrades and spare further bloodshed, but he replied, “I cannot. They will never give up, and you cannot take them alive.”
Glenrowan 