Royal Commission report day 30 page 13
The Royal Commission evidence for 15/6/1881
(see also introduction to day 30)
[[../../people/peN_P/oconnorPinsp.html|'Insp Stanhope O'Connor]] ' giving evidence
11815 Is it your opinion that Mr. Hare, when he sent that report, purposely intended to reflect on you, where he stated you ran to the drain?— I considered the report. There is no doubt about it—it was calculated to make a bad impression as to my conduct.
11816 This is what I want from you—you have stated that you and Mr. Hare were on the very best of terms, even going up to Glenrowan, and up to the time of the occurrence?— Yes.
11817 Have you formed the opinion that Mr. Hare purposely made allusion to you for the purpose of injuring you?— I could not say that, but that was my impression–my impression was that there was something behind that. It was not of his own free will, because I always considered him a most manly fellow. He stated he wrote it when he was ill. Somebody must have done it for him, and I believe there was some other person gave him the idea to depreciate me, in order to raise himself–that is my opinion as you have asked me. I had not seen Mrs. Hare since this quarrel till I saw Mr. Hare when he was wounded, and the moment she saw me she came out, and shook hands with me, and said her husband wished to see me, and I said “Certainly,” and went into the room, and be put his sound hand out. “O'Connor,” he said, “let by-gores be by-gores–we must not think of anything but our old friendship after such an ordeal as we went through,” and I seized his trend and shook it, and we were on the very best of terms.
11818 Then that would indicate that he did not exactly consider he was on the best of terms before that?— Well, we never had a real make up of the quarrel. Two letters were written. He wrote me one and I answered it. That was the quarrel. We never spoke or saw each other until Mr. Hare arrived in Benalla to take command. He shoot hands with me. We never referred to the quarrel which made it so far that we were on the best of terms–friendly terms, privately and officially.
11819 You had been on the best of terms from the 2nd June 1880 to the 24th June–till you wrote?— Yes. Of course you know there was a certain restraint between us, we were not on such jolly terms as before, but to all intents and purposes we had made up the quarrel without referring to it, and it was after the fight that we, you might say, returned to our old relations–what we were before–really good terms.
11820 Do you think on the morning of the 29th, when you went down with him in the train, that Mr. Hare had anything whatever to do with the reports that appeared in the metropolitan papers giving a full account of what had taken place–the capture of the Kelly gang at the Glenrowan hotel?— Certainly I think he had, and I will explain in a few words. Mr. Hare came from the front wounded. By the evidence, Mr. Hare was tended by the reporters. Mr. Hare stated what he had done–what he knew there and then. Where else did the reporters get their information? Mr. Hare admits sending one telegram which I would very much like to see.
11821 Which is that?— One which he sent down–the first about the fight.
11822 The one that be speaks of that he sent when he arrived at the telegraph office at Benalla?— Yes.
11823 You would like to see a copy of that?— Yes. Then Mr. Hare came down to Benalla, where he saw several people and told them all that he did–those all travelled and got into the press. Everybody was anxious to hear something about it, and I say this is what colored the whole thing. “I did this and I did that” –Mr. Hare did that. Nobody else would know what any other person did at the time, because I had not been to speak to the reporters.
11824 Do you believe that Mr. Hare then–if your suspicions be correct–furnished the information to the reporters of the press, was really then desirous of keeping your name out of the thing?— No, I do not say that for a minute.
11825 Would it not be natural for any one in giving a description of what had taken place to have said “I did so and so”?— Certainly I admit that, but I do not admit that he did right to write that report afterwards.
11826 You suppose that after the heat of the action, any one asked for information would tell what he himself had done?— Yes.
11827 Particularly as it was done in the darkness of night?— Yes. The only communication I had with the members of the press was–I do not know how they came till Mr. Melvin came up and, as the evidence stated, touched me on the back.
11828 One of the other witnesses said it was their special province to obtain information. The constables said they were interviewed by the members of the press?— Yes.
11829 So that there were a number of police constables gave evidence to the prese as well as Mr. Hare and others?— Yes, and I may state that I never spoke to a member of the press until I put that short resume of what happened at Glenrowan into the Argus on the 30th, or some date after.
11830 We have had statements made–would you be kind enough to inform the Commission the conditions under which you stipulated that you would join the police force, in the position that was proposed recently to confer upon you?— That if they offered me a suitable rank I would accept it.
11831 Was the nature of the rank stated?— No.
11832 Would you then have accepted any position lower down the scale than superintendent?— Yes.
11833 Would you have accepted any position lower down than sub-inspector?— Certainly not; I would not take any rank, I may tell you, in the Victorian force under inspector.
11834 In other words, you would not join the service in the ranks–Queensland or any other service?— No, certainly not.....
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