Royal Commission report day 38 page 11
The Royal Commission evidence for 21/7/1881
(see also introduction to day 38)
[[../../people/peA/alexanderRPmc.html|Const Robert Alexander]] further examined
13902 By the Commission— Will you say, in a few words, what happened as to those points just referred to?— Detective Ward came to the door, pushed the door in—I did not see him, but I think so. I heard the door burst in; he spoke to Duross; I could not hear what he said to Duross; he came into the sitting-room and he put his head into the bedroom door and shook his hands and said, “Say they are gone down to watch Byrne's.” Duross said to me afterwards to say they are gone down to watch Byrne's. I said I would not. Mr. Hare then came in, and he and Duross had some conversation. I do not know what it was.
13903 Did you tell Mr. Hare any time during the night that the others were down there watching?— I did not. He spoke to me and asked me could I take him down. I said I could, two ways, one by a bridge near Julian's, and another a foot-bridge behind Byrne's. Mr. Hare said, “We will go by the foot-bridge.” We started, and when we had gone along a piece, some distance from the hotel, he asked me my opinion of Sherritt. I said I thought he was true to us otherwise I thought not by his conversation. We went a piece further on, and Mr. Hare said it was too light to go by the bridge, “ We will have to go another way.” I said, “The creek is close by.” He said, “We will go across the creek.” We got across, and on the other side it was very scrubby and full of diggers' holes, and in the dark I had very great difficulty in finding the way; in fact I thought I would not get there at all; I only undertook to get there the other two ways—by the bridges.
13904 There is no charge of your misleading or delaying. It is supposed to be want of ability to find the place?— Yes, I could not find the place.
13905 Did you at any time, as you were going, lead Mr. Hare to suppose that those two men were watching?— The thing was never mentioned. He never asked me, and I never told him. He asked me why I had not gone down to watch, and I said I was going down with the others.
13906 Do you swear positively now that Ward told you that you must go—the others were gone?— I swear he said to say they had gone to watch Byrne's. I lay my life on that. I took it for granted that be meant to say to Mr. Hare that they had gone to watch Byrne's, and he said it five or six times in the hearing of us all—to Duross particularly. I was present at the time.
13907 By Detective Ward— How is it that you say that, and you did not hear what I said at first—what did I say first to Duross?— I heard the door burst open, and then I came out into the sitting-room to see who it was.
13908 Are you certain the door was closed?— The upper hinge was broken, or the door caught in the floor, and I heard it scrape open.
13909 What did I say to Duross?— I could not hear what you said to Duross; I only heard the door open.
13910 What did he say to me?— I could not hear it; he said it in a whisper.
13911 It is a strange thing you could hear one thing and not another;—how long did this talking take altogether?— I dare say inside a minute—a very short time.
13912 When Mr. Hare distinctly states he never lost sight of me, how could I go inside and have this conversation with you and Duross?— Mr. Hare was close behind you. He might see at a distance, but you said this before he was in after you.
13913 Where were you when I went in?— In the bedroom.
13914 Did I speak to you at all?— No, you did not; you spoke in my presence
13915 Who was present as well; was not Mrs. Sherritt in the sitting-room as well?— Yes. ....
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