Royal Commission report day 10 page 14
The Royal Commission evidence for 7/4/1881
(see also introduction to day 10)
Sup John Sadleir giving evidence
1929 From your own knowledge there were no further steps taken as to this cooking business?— That brings further matter within my recollection. All this was tested and tried in connection with what I have been just speaking of, everything that this man suggested.
1930 Mr. Nicolson has refreshed your memory about the hollow log?— That is it.
1931 Did you get information subsequently of provisions being taken to the hollow tree Mr. Nicolson has mentioned?— This informant, I think, speaks about it.
1932 Did you get information that provisions were taken to any particular place?— Yes; we were told of a place where it was very likely provisions would be brought, and it is my impression we never found the hollow tree.
1933 Did you take steps to find it?— We took steps time after time to find it, and never succeeded, and that on the information of the informant I am speaking of just now.
1934 The reference to the hollow tree has nothing to do with the information given you about the 11th and 12th of November?— We supposed the information I gave then about the 11th and 12th would all agree with this; the two things do touch.
1935 Did you take any steps between the 30th of October and the 10th or 11th of November to ascertain whether there was a hollow tree in or about the locality indicated there?— I have not the slightest doubt we did. I am perfectly certain we took steps, and I am quite certain those steps would be taken as soon as it was convenient to do it, until we satisfied ourselves that it was no use carrying it further.
1936 Then on the 11th of November you got the information from a certain party about the hollow tree?— Yes.
1937 And you then took steps, you think, to ascertain the facts?— Yes; I am sure of that.
1938 Then about the 11th or 12th of November you received information from a distinct party about the cooking and conveying of provisions?— I am coming to documentary evidence on that. On the 11th of November this informant writes:— “I have the honor to inform you that I arrived (at a certain house) at 8.45 on Saturday night, and found Mrs. Skillion absent; returned to bed at 11 p.m.; heard a slight noise at 4 a.m.” I cannot read any more without compromising the writer.
1939 That is the second information?— Yes; but evidently from this he had been employed by me from the early part of the month.
1940 I have now discovered that the Outlawry Act in existence at the time; had you not power, under that Act, in a case of that sort to have prevented those provisions being taken, you having just suspicion that they were being prepared to keep those outlaws in existence?— We could have arrested the woman, probably, but what would have been gained by that?
1941 Would not the fact of your cutting off their source of supplies have facilitated your chance of capturing them?— I do not think it, not taking one isolated case.
1942 Did not their very existence depend upon their being supplied with provisions?— We had this knowledge after—that there were a hundred families, or heads of families, ready to supply them. If it had been like a seaport, which we could blockade, it would have been different.
1943 But at this time you did not know of any other source of supply?— We did, we knew it before that; it is not probable they were depending on this as their sole source of supply. There were only four men to be supplied?— Yes.
1945 I understood you to say that the quantity of provisions you mention would have been more than the daily recurring wants of those men?— No; I said there were four outlaws to be supplied, and I said that what she cooked was more than enough for her and her children.
1946 Well, you were more impressed with the information conveyed to you by a drunken bark-stripper than with the information supplied about the cooking of provisions at the Skillian's place?— I was more impressed with the immediate necessity of act on in the bark-stripper's case.
1947 But you treated your informant as of very little reliable value, when you did not take the steps?— No; the bark-stripper's information was that he would point out where we might get the Kellys; the other man only pointed out where a person was supposed to be bringing them provisions—the direction towards where provisions, he believed, were supposed to be going—totally different information. One man brought us to a hut and we went—we could not let that get stale. The other information was daily expected to develop into something that would bring us into contact with the Kellys.
1948 Was Mrs. Skillian supposed to be taking the provisions to the hollow log?— To some place— where we could not find.
1949 Did you take steps to find that hollow log?— Yes; we could not find it......
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