Harbouring the Kellys.

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3241, 9 December 1880, Page 3

Harbouring the Kellys.

TrtK Wnugaratta correspondent of the "Argils" supplied that journal with the following report of the heariug of the charge ag&inst Ann Jcmes, late landlady of the Glenrowan Hotel :— Anno Jones, late of the Glenrowan Hotel, was charged before the Wangaratta Bench 6n Wednesday, under the 75th clause ot the Criminal Offences Statute, with harbouring a felon. CohstableThomasM'lntyre waa examined as to the fact of the murder of tho police at Stringybark Creek, with a view of cubsequently establishing a knowledge of the murder on the part of the (prisoner. Detective Michael E. Ward deposed as follows : I know the prisoner, and had frequent conversations with her at her hotel at Glenrowan about the Kcllys between October, IS7B, and June, 1879. Asked her if she could give me any information ns to where I could find the Kelly gang. I said tt was a pity thoy Bhould be at largo—that they had killed intimate frionds of mino, naming the three police who had been shot. I said, " You can have tho money, nud I would have the credit of capturing them;" she said she had no knowledge whatever of where they were, nnd that it was not likely they would come up to her place, but if she wolud find out anything aa to their whereabouts she would let me know; she said that Hettie, sister of Steve Hart, waa stopping at her place, an_ she would try to find out from her where they were, as;Keliy had killed her brother and done away with him; she stated also that Kate Kelly and Mra Skillian would not speak to her.

Jitnics Reardon deposed that he was a railway line repairer, and knew prisoner; some time after the shootiog of the police witness said to prisoner, "It was a great pity tho Kellys ihot the police ; she said, " It; was but if they did n?»t shoot the police the police would shoot them; I asked her if she would take the reward; she said she would not take any bloodmoney ; she said there were a lot of police after the Kelly's, and she gained very well by them. Witness described the arrival of the Kellys at Glenrowan. Mrs Jones said to Ned Kelly, " Come on, old man, and have some breakfast and a wash, it will do you good;" one of ihe gang said, "There Is no room in your house," and sho said there was plenty of room ; she then said, " Come on and have a drink," and they all then went up to the house ; Dan Kelly ordered breakfast, and said he would pay for it; they remained there until ten or eleven o'clock the next morning (Monday) ; during the night Ned Kelly asked my wife if she would not like to go home, and she said she would; Mrs Jones said no one should leave the house until Ned Kelly gave them a lecture ; Mra Jones locked one of the doors; she might have locked the other; she gave one key to Dan Kelly and kept the ether herself; Edward Kelly was at the back, and came and cautioned me not to leave my bed without permission; when the police came and fired, and when the boy was shot, Mra Jones said to the bushrangers, "You cowards, why don't you go out and fight them hand to band ?"

Cross-examined : I took up about 22 feet of the rails; I could have done it in five minutes, but took about an hour and a half to do it; young Jones, Miss Jones, and Martin Cherry were shot from outside. Margaret Reardon deposed: Was taken ptisoner by Ned Iv6liy on the Sunday morning, and taken, in the first place, to Mr Stanistreet's and then to Mrs Jones's hotel; about 3or 4 o'clock in the afternoon Dan Kelly asked me if 1 would like to go home; I Bald certainly; Mrs Jones came in as we were preparing to go home; sho said no one was to leave the house till Ned Kelly gave them a lecture, and that every one had better mind their own business; the doors were locked long before that; we were then not allowed to go out, and we were frightened ; it was Mrs Jones who prevented our going ; Ned Kelly gave one of my children leave to go home for eorae bread ; Kelly said that Mrs Jones would give them all something to eat; Mrs Jones said to Ned Kelly and Byrne, " I have plenty of bread, but I am keeping it for you, as I wouid not give a bite to half of them inside, as they treated me like a black-fellow;" I remained in the house till the police came. John Delany, a labourer, and one of the Kelly prisoners, said : Prisoner was there, and said, " Old chaps, I've got you ; I have a large company here to-day;" I asked her to let me and my brother home, as she seemed to be a bit of a boss; she said, " No, teveugo is sweet j I would give 5s a head for some more of the Greta j" I board Dan Keily ask Mrs Reardon, about 10 o'clock on Sunday night, if she would like to go home, and she said, "Yes, and I would like the others to come too ;" Dan Kelly then said, " You all can go," and then moved towards the others ; Mrs Jones put her hands across the door and said, "Go back, and Ned Kelly will give us a lecture ;" Mrs Jones nvide her son Bins " The Wild Colonial Boy." She said she wished the "Kelly gang would stop there a week ;" none of the bushrangers were present when she said so; Kelly cautioned them, saying that if any one passed any remarks after they \»ent away he would shoot them; when the police came Ned Kelly told them all to lie down or they would be shot, and Mis Jones said, when the police commenced firing,. "This is all Fitzpatrick's work."

The Bench committed the prisoner for trial at the next assizes to be held in Beechworth, and fixed (the bail at two sureties of £50, or one in £100, and the defendant's own in £100,