Royal Commission report day 12 page 2
The Royal Commission evidence for 13/4/1881
(see also introduction to day 12)
[[../../people/peU_Z/wyattMag.htm|'Alfred Wyatt, P.M. giving evidence']]
2261 You are now expressing an opinion. Would it not be better to keep to facts you are acquainted with?— I am entirely in the hands of the Commission in the matter. I am going to give facts. I am coming to them. I am going to mention two individuals.
2262 Can we examine them ourselves?— I do not know whether you will get anything from them. They are two of the sympathizers themselves—men who were arrested. I have reason to believe that two of those men, namely, one of the Quinns—
2263 Which Quinn?— The one that was arrested. There was only one before me.
2264 Mr. Hare. —There were two arrested.
The Witness. —I cannot identify him further than that he was one of the men brought before me, and who was also some years before prosecuted for assaulting a policeman.
2265 What relation was he to the Kellys?— I do not know. Besides one of the Quinns there was Isaiah Wright. I have reason to believe those two men would have assisted to bring the Kellys in before the murders of Scanlan, Lonigan, and Kennedy.
2266 Will you tell us why you have arrived at that conclusion?— My reason is this, that an informal offer was made to me.
2267 In writing?— No, not in writing—from Quinn.
2268 Of what nature?— Of this nature—offering to bring the Kellys in if the Government would liberate Kelly's mother.
2269 That was before they were apprehended?— Before the murders of Lonigan, Scanlan, and Kennedy.
2270 Did you make that known to the police authorities?— I did.
2271 To Mr. Sadleir?— I cannot remember to whom I told it.
2272 To one of them?— Yes.
2273 Would it be Captain Standish?— Certainly not. He was not in the neighborhood at the time. I am not sure Mr. Sadleir was. I think most probably, and I have thought repeatedly about it, that the person was Sergeant Whelan, who is now in charge there, but if he cannot remember it I am at a less to remember who.
2274 It appeared in the press at the time?— I was not aware of that. I must answer further that I am not sure even that an offer was not made to me through a policeman, but I cannot remember at all clearly.
2275 This verbal proposition?— Yes, by the policeman who told me he had received that information, and asked me what I thought of it, or something of that sort. However, it did come to me, and I made answer thus—That I could not make a shadow of a stipulation on behalf of the Government, but if any such efforts were made, and were successful, I would use my most strenuous endeavors to carry out the condition they wished to impose. I said that the more readily because I thought the sentence upon that old woman, Mrs. Kelly, a very severe one.
2276 The condition was that Mrs. Kelly, Edward Kelly's mother, should be liberated?— Yes.
2277 Have you any other information you desire to give?— There was a special reason also for making that proposition to me by Quinn. It was that Quinn had expressed himself that I had treated him with great fairness on two occasions that he had been before me—once as the prosecutor and the other time as a magistrate. With regard to Isaiah Wright, he had been before me as a magistrate several times and had received punishments, and had sent a message to me through Sergeant Kennedy once, who is now dead, stating that, at all events, Mr. Wyatt gave him fair play.
2278 Was that the man known as “Wild Wright”?— The same man. That man never made any proposition to me; but I heard things that made me sure that he was similarly inclined to help to bring in those men before the murders. In each instance, Quinn's and Wright's feeling was that it would be better for the men themselves to be brought in. It was not a feeling of treachery towards them, but that they could not hold out, and that it was better for them themselves to bring them in. That is all that I dare to say as to facts. I was desirous to add more with regard to what occurred at Beechworth, but I cannot say it comes expressly within that limitation suggested by the Commission, therefore I will not refer to it. The last thing I wish to say is this: there was evidence before me that there was a want of concert between the police and the telegraph office at the time of the Euroa bank robbery. That applies not only to the Benalla district, or the Bourke district, but to the Melbourne district. No arrangements had been made between the police and the telegraph office to take care that the earliest information should be given to the police of any breakage in the line. I have good reason to believe that all the lines were broken down at the Faithfull's Creek station, before two o'clock I think, but I would not venture to say this. I have heard from the telegraph gentlemen that it was as early as twelve, but that can be learned from the telegraph clerks......
Previous page / Next page
| ! | The text has been retyped from a microfiche copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. |
The previous day / next day . . . Royal Commission index
