Senior Constable John Kelly was heavily involved in the siege at Glenrowan.

                                John Kelly was like Ned Kelly physically, it must have been an odd situation 
to have two similar Kelly's!! 
In fact there was also a Constable Patrick Kelly as well as Senior Constable 
John Kelly on the ground at Glenrowan.

The following was said by Frank Clune in his book, 'The Kelly Hunters'.  'Seeing the train arrive, Senior Constable Kelly
ran on a wide circuit from the north end, to report the state of affairs to the superintendent on the railway platform.
    He was lucky that some of the newly-arrived police did not shoot him as, in the half-light, with his big black beard and
powerful frame, he looked like Ned Kelly. He had lost his wideawake hat in the bush and, to keep his head warm, was
now wearing Ned Kelly's bloodstained skull-cap. He was also carrying Ned Kelly's six-barrelled (sic) Spencer rifle.
As most of the police were not wearing uniforms, it was surprising that they did not shoot one another in the general
confusion that ensued when the reinforcements arrived.'

In the book 'In the Performance of Duty', the following was said of Snr. Const. Kelly..
John Kelly was an experienced policeman........in March 1880 he was transferred to Benalla
to assist in the Kelly hunt. Supt Sadleir asked him to take charge of Greta but he refused. 
He was fearful for his family, therefore Sadleir made an adverse entry in his record sheet.
Two years later the Royal Commission had it struck out. He retired in 1898.