Her Majesty's Goal
Melbourne Nov 5/1880

His Excellency the Marquis of Normanby

I now take the liberty of bringing under your
notice a statement of the facts of the Glenrowan
affair. The first thing I waited for was the last
Passenger train to pass at nine o'clock, I then
bailed up a lot of men in tents around the
Station Masters House as I suspected there
were detectives amongst them, I then bailed
up Mrs. Jones Hotel then Mr. Stanistreet the
Station Master and asked him if he could stop
a Special train with Police and Black Trackers
on, he said he could stop a Passenger Train
but would not guarantee to stop a Special train
with Police and Black Trackers exactly where
I wanted it, so then I bailed up the Platelayers
and overseer and ordered them to pull up the
line a quarter of a mile past the station so as
the train could not go any further, and my intention
was to have the Station Master to flash the danger
light on the Platform so as to stop the train, and
he was to tell the Police to leave their firearms
and Horses in the Train and walk out with their
hands over their heads and their lives would be
spared, also to inform them that it was useless
them fighting as me & my companions were in
full armour and we could take the train and every
one in it, and that the line was pulled in front of
them and that I had a tin of powder behind them
so if they attempted to return I would have them
blown the line up there as well.

This was my first intention so as to capture
the leaders of the Police and take them into
the bush and allow the Superintendent to
write to the head Department if they sent any
more Police after me or try to rescue him I
would shoot him and that I intended to keep
them prisoners until the release of my Mother
Skillion and Williamson but subsequently I
varied my plans what I did do was to bail up
every person that came that way & placed
them in Jones' Hotel and on Sunday night I
stuck up the Police Barracks which a mile
further away there being only one Policeman
there Constable Bracken who came to the
door with a double barrelled gun in his hand
loaded and full cock but dropped when I told
him to do so. I took him with all his firearms
and horse to Jones' Hotel with the other
Prisoners I had there, I left his wife and child
in bed and told her if any Police came there
not to let them know then I let a man go to
stop the train about a mile below the Railway
Station and opposite the Police Barracks
and to tell them that we where in the Barracks.
he had a double barrel Fowling Piece and
Cartridge and to fire as a signal for me if the
Police got out and surrounded the Barracks
which I expected they would do as it was a
most likely place for me to be as it was a
strong brick building and they would only send
a few men on to the platform to look after the
Horses as they could not take them out
without going to the Station and it was my
intention then to take

possession of the train horses and every thing
and returning along the line leaving the Police
surrounding the Barracks at Glenrowan
which I had the train and robbed the Banks
along the line for I had it ready before hand
that the Horses I had taken to Jones' Hotel the
minute I left by the train where to be driven
into the hills so as the Police would have no
chance of following me the reason I differed
from this first plan is I wanted the man that stopped
the train to have the reward as I heard it was to be
done away with in three days so you can see by the
above that it was not my intention
of upsetting the train for the purpose of killing the
Police if I had have wanted to have done so I need
not have went to Glenrowan at all but could have set
the Powder in between the sleepers and waited until
the train was coming full speed over it and blowed the
line up and nothing could have saved it although by
stating the true facts of the case make me appear
worse but will show it was not for to take life, but as the
Police did not do as I expected ( that is to say) they did
not surround the Police Barracks but came right on to
the railway Station and was informed then by Constable
Bracken that the Kelly's where in the back yard of Jones'
Hotel getting their Horses and to surround it immediately
or they would make their escape, also that upon his
(Brackens) escaping from the Hotel he locked forty two
men women and children they being held as prisoners
by the Kelly's and that they were

then there instead of surrounding the Hotel they came
in a body and commenced firing into the House
amongst the Peaceable inhabitants, it was reported
they did not know who where in the Hotel and that there
was Four shots fired from the verandah of the Hotel first
this is false we never fired a shot and can be proved by
all people in the Hotel it was also said that Inspector Hare
upon hearing the screams of the females ordered his men
to cease firing but the fact was he received a wound in the
wrist and as soon as he had it bandaged he returned and
fired four shots into the Hotel himself that will show any
person that in place of him being desirous to stop the
firing amongst the People held by me as Prisoners he
was but to anxious for the firing to continue he setting
the example by firing four shots into the unfortunate
people whom he was supposed to protect, when the
train stopped at the Station I was opposite to it on
horseback I jumped off in a hurry to take possession
of the train when a ball broke in my armour which
necessitated me to repair it this gave the Police time
to get in front of the Hotel and fire into the People
When I heard the screams of the females I thought
they had one of my companions in the Gatekeepers
house as I took it to Mrs Stanistreet that was screaming
so instead of taking possession of the train as I had
intended I went to their assistance and as

I got about half way between Jones' Hotel and
the Gatekeepers and while streaking I received
a wound in the foot and immediately
afterwards another one in the arm then I
fired four shots out of my rifle which is
a five chamber revolving rifle which was
recovered afterwards with only
one charge in it When I did fire it
was at random and only
at the flashes made by the Police firing I
fired two shots in front and two at the left
side of me this is how I account for
Superintendent Hare being shot but
neither me nor my companions fired a
single shot until after I was wounded which
was the third volley from the Police which
can be proved by forty witnesses in the
Hotel after I fired I looked back at Jones'
Hotel and could see the People running to and
past the lighted windows in the House I went
back and cried out to put out the lights and to lay
down I then went around to the yard at the back
of the Hotel and there met Byrne who informed me that
Constable Bracken had escaped I then sent
my brother & Hart into the House as I
did not want the People to know I was wounded
and they pulled up the Counter and partitions and
barricaded the sides of the House to save the
people within which were then lying down the
Police all the time keeping up a continuous fire
on the House, Senior Constable. Kelly took charge
of the Police after Superintendent. Hare was wounded
instead of him ordering the men to cease firing as he
states he did