Royal Commission report day 47 page 9
The Royal Commission evidence for 31/8/1881
(see also introduction to day 47)
F. C. Standish giving evidence
16120 Did he do his duty?— He was very, slow in many things he did.
16121 This led you to push to the front a younger officer in the service?— It was from purely conscientious motives.
16122 Why did you pass over all the others who were entitled by priority to the position besides Mr. Nicolson?— Because I thought, and think still, and everybody will admit it, that Mr. Hare is the most suitable officer for that kind of work. I mean for the work in the Benalla district.
16123 Was Mr. Chomley not considered suitable for the work?— I do not know how he conducts the business of the office. I know nothing about that. He is an excellent officer.
16124 And there was Mr. Winch, who was senior—would not he have been adapted for the position?— In selecting an officer I selected the one I thought by far the most suitable.
16125 Was it in consequence of your not thinking the others adapted for the position?— It was my duty to select the fittest man for the work, and I did it.
16126 You thought Mr. Hare the best man?— Certainly.
16127 Was that the sole reason that actuated you in the appointment?— The sole reason.
16128 In making that selection, would you suppose that the senior officers would naturally have cause of jealousy?— I do not see it. It is my duty, in the position I occupied, to select the man I thought the fittest, and I did it. Mr. Hare , in addition to that, was a capital horseman, a good shot and bushman.
16129 As a question of precedence amongst the officers, would they be justified in feeling jealousy in consequence of your preferment of Mr. Hare?— They may have, but they had no right to.
16130 Did ever Mr. Nicolson go to inspect Mr. Hare's district?— Yes, once, I believe.
16131 Did Mr. Hare at any time object to his inspecting the district?— I have no recollection of any objection of that kind being made.
16132 Did he ever make any request that Mr. Nicolson should be brought away from his district?— I have no recollection of it, and I do not think it was ever done.
16133 There is one thing I wish to ask with reference to the Kelly outbreak—the black trackers were brought here contrary to your wishes?— Yes, they were.
16134 I think, in answer to Mr. O'Connor , when he was asking you why you did not inform him or order him and his “boys” to pick up the tracks, you said, “Because if we had you and your numerous baggage, horses, and trackers, we should have been known some hours before we got there.” Was that when you went to Sebastopol ?— They were not here then. It was four months after that that they arrived.
16135 Would it not have been advisable on the occasion of going to Cleary's hut, where you expected to find the outlaws, to have the trackers?— I think Mr. Hare had a black tracker with him. It was information that the outlaws were to be in the place that night, but it turned out to be unreliable.
16136 Suppose you had found the outlaws had just left the place, would it have been advisable to have the black trackers the next morning to go in pursuit?— No doubt the trackers are of use to track in an almost uninhabited place like Queensland, but I am perfectly certain, if they had been put on the tracks of the Kellys, for instance, after sticking up the bank, they would not have been of use. The outlaws travelled eight or ten miles in the hour, and the trackers have to look on every side, and the outlaws all took different routes, and had their friends with them to confuse the tracks, and I am certain the trackers, would not have been of use.
16137 We have evidence that they can go forty miles a day?— On clear country, but not in that country up there, and where the outlaws all separate and ride different routes.
16138 Do you consider that Mr. O'Connor, from the fact of his bringing trackers from Queensland , had a right to complain of your not giving him the chance of following?— We never had a chance. The only time we had a chance the trackers were away—when Mr. Hare went to the Warby Ranges .
16139 There was a time that Mr. O'Connor said he had had a chance on the information you received?— The trackers were away on that occasion; but whenever I heard any information likely to lead to good results, it was necessary for me to be as cautious as possible. If you went jabbering about things to Mr. O’Connor and others, it would at once get spread all about.
16140 Could you not rely on the police?— Most of them.
16141 What was the good of Mr. O'Connor being there with his trackers then?— The trackers were not there at the time.....
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