Royal Commission report day 11 page 9
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The Royal Commission evidence for 12/4/1881
(see also introduction to day 11)
Superintendent Sadleir giving evidence
2118 Whatever way you describe it, I want it to be now known to the Commission that the position indicated on the occasion when you gave the information, and Mr. Nicolson did not go out, is about the same locality as where you got information that the Kellys were in the habit of meeting, or between that and Tom Lloyd's house?— I will have to turn to the plan more particularly—in fact I should have had it before me from the first. I purpose putting it before the Commission now, but with the particular request that the press will take no further notice of it than to speak of it as a map. —[The witness handed in and explained the plan referred to.]—The point A is the point indicated as where the outlaws were. What is written on that was put down by me at the time from the lips of the informant.
2119 You said in your evidence that you did not visit the place?— I never saw the place, to my knowledge, before or since.
2120 I fancy you have, perhaps without being aware of it?— No; I never was on that line of road at any time. If I was ever, it would be six or seven and twenty years ago, but never since. I can speak assuredly of that.
[At this stage it was decided by the Commission to hear Mr. Wyatt's evidence, in order to allow him to return to his, official duties.]
The witness withdrew.
[[../../people/peU_Z/wyattMag.htm|Alfred Wyatt, P.M.,]] sworn and examined .
2121 By the Commission. —you are a police magistrate?— Yes.
2122 Stationed where?— At Benalla; that is my formal head-quarters, but I am scarcely there as much as at some other places in my district; for instance, at Seymour . If the Commission will permit me, I will read Captain Standish's evidence, the portions that I first come to. Captain Standish says, at question 26, “Mr. Wyatt informed me that he was returning from Seymour or some town on the line of railway the night the bank was stuck up, and that as the train approached Faithfull's Creek, near Euroa, they pulled up and saw the telegraph lines on both sides of the railway had been smashed up a couple of hundred yards. Question 27. They stopped the train to see that?— Yes; and Mr. Wyatt informed me that he got out and picked out a bundle of broken telegraph wires, and took them up with him. On arriving at the Benalla railway station Mr. Wyatt met Mr. Nicolson and Mr. Sadleir.” The statement of facts is this: on the 10th of December 1878 , I was proceeding by the luggage train from Violet Town to Euroa, to hold a licensing meeting, which started, I believe, at about three. I will ascertain exactly, if I am allowed to look at a telegram which I have here. —[The witness did so]—This is the telegram I sent to Captain Standish, and it enables me to remember more exactly when I refer to that. The time was 4.40, it seems, by luggage train. Well, the train was still going slowly from Violet Town , when a man came along the foot-plate and spoke to me.
2123 At what position on the line?— Within 100 yards after we had started—while it was still going slowly, and a man came along and addressed me through the open window. His name was Watt, a telegraph repairer, from Benalla, came to me as he had seen me getting into the train, and was now desirous of speaking to me. He came forward and said, “Look here, the lines are down, and the queer feature of it is that the Government telegraph lines cross our railway telegraph line.”
2124 This was 4.40 at Violet Town ?— Yes, I thought he had made a mistake about the last point, but I said— “All right, keep a bright look-out on your side, and I will do the same on my side, and we will find where the line is broken.”
2125 You mean the ordinary line—the Government block line—was the other the railway line?— Yes; we arranged to watch from different sides of the train, as I thought he would watch on the railway side while I would watch on the Government line, which I could see from where I was sitting. He went back on the foot-plate, and resumed his position whatever it was. I do not know whereabouts on the train, but he was to watch on the other side. When we came within sight of Faithfull's Creek station I was looking out side, and could see a long distance; and a quarter of a mile before us, and as I came near to the spot, I saw the Government line was down.
2126 How far was that from Violet Town ?— Three miles and three-quarters from Euroa— [examining the time table]—and eight miles from Violet Town . I saw in the distance that the line was down. I leant out of the train to telegraph to the fireman or the engine-driver; I cannot tell on which side. Oh! yes, in Victoria it is the fireman's side, so that it would be the stoker. He saw me look at him, but he had already seen what had happened himself, and was slowing the train. While the train was slowing, the same person Watt came along the foot-plate again to me with a small handful of telegraph splicing wires—slender thin wires, used simply to splice one wire to another. He said to me— “Look here, Mr. Wyatt, I cannot mend this line; what must I do? I wish you would send a message through to Mr. Gorman, at Euroa, to Melbourne for me.”
2127 Who was Gorman?— The station-master. I said, “All right.” He said, “I shall want”— I said to him, anticipating his reply, as I had reckoned what he would want for repairs as I went along, I finished his sentence. “Six telegraph posts, thirty-six insulators, and a corresponding quantity of line wire,” and he said, “yes, sir.” I said, “Cannot I help you, shall I get down and help you?”.....
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