Royal Commission report day 5 page 10
The Royal Commission evidence for 30/3/1881
(see also introduction to day 5 )
Stanhope O'Connor giving evidence.
1204 That was the first official recognition?- Yes, I will read it: "Police Department, Chief Commissioner's office, Melbourne, 2nd July 1880. -Sir-I have the honour to enclose for your information a copy of a letter I have received from the private secretary to His Excellency the Governor. It gives me great pleasure to have this opportunity of conveying to you this expression of His Excellency's appreciation of the important services you have recently rendered to the Police Department and the community generally in connection with the destruction of the Kelly band of outlaws. -I have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient servant, F.C. STANDISH, Chief Commissioner of Police. Stanhope O'Connor, Esq., Sub Inspector Queensland police." This is the enclosure, "Government House, Melbourne, June 30th, 1880."-You notice the difference of the dates, the time that elapsed before Captain Standish was "pleased" to send this to me. - "Sir - Although the Governor has already communicated to you by telegraph his congratulations to the police on their successful overthrow of the Kelly gang, he was not at the time fully aware of all the circumstances of the case, and I am now directed by His Excellency to request that you will convey to Mr. Superintendent Hare, Mr. Superintendent Sadleir, Mr. O'Connor, and the members of the police force engaged on the occasion, his thanks and congratulations upon the promptitude, courage, and determination displayed by them, and also upon the very proper prudence and caution exercised, by which, no doubt, several valuable lives, which might otherwise have been sacrificed, were saved. -I have the honor to be, Sir, your obedient servant, (Signed) FREDK. LE PATOUREL., Private Secretary. Captain Standish, Chief Commissioner of Police, Melbourne." - You can see from that that nearly all the people imagined that Mr. Hare remained on the field, and was, in fact, doing everything. Subsequently, I dined at Government House, and I gave Lord Normanby a full detailed account of what happened. He was not aware of anything of the sort. In fact, the first telegram that Mr. Hare got, I believe, thanked Mr. Hare, not mentioning any others at all. Afterwards, Mr. Ramsay wrote this to my Government:- "9th July 1880. -I avail myself of the opportunity afforded by the return of Mr. Sub Inspector O'Connor to Brisbane to express to you the thanks of this Government for the great service rendered by the Government of Queensland in allowing that officer and his men to remain on duty in Victoria for so long a period, and especially for your prompt reply to my telegram of the 27th ult., authorizing me to detain Mr. O'Connor and the native troopers when on their way back to Queensland. Mr. O'Connor and his men were present during the whole of the encounter with the outlaws at Glenrowan, and it will gratify you to learn that they rendered most valuable assistance on that occasion. I am assured by the Chief Commissioner of Police that there is no ground whatever for supposing that a feeling of jealousy existed at any time on the part of the Victorian police towards Mr. O'Connor and his party of trackers. It appears that the greatest cordiality invariably prevailed between the two bodies, and I am quite at a loss to understand what can have given rise to a contrary impression. -I have the honor to be, Sir, your most obedient servant, (Sd.) ROBERT RAMSAY."-I wish to state that the Chief Commissioner of Police was aware that there was this jealousy, because, prior to my leaving, I called upon the Chief Commissioner of Police, and he, in his office, offered to shake me by the hand, which I declined. He asked me, "What is this I have received from your Government. They state there has been a feeling of jealousy between your men and our police?" -My reply was, "Captain Standish, the Victorian police, as a body, both officers and men, have always treated us with kindness with the exception of the Chief Commissioner of Police, Captain Standish"; and I said, "When the time comes, as I have no doubt it will, I will do my best to prove to the satisfaction of the commission or board what I say"; and in the face of that he tells Mr. Ramsay to write that letter to say there was no feeling of jealousy. I think I may say I have concluded, with one exception. In reference to my evidence this morning, when word was sent to Mr. Sadleir that Joe Byrne was seen at a certain place, and that we started up to Beechworth, I wish to state more fully about that. The communication was addressed to Mr. Nicolson, at Benalla. Mr. Nicolson was, at the time, down in Melbourne worrying about this business whether he was going to be removed or not. He was down there when the information came. We immediately sent a telegram down to him, which was the telegram that Captain Standish said he was so courteous as to hand to Mr. Nicolson at the Spencer street station. Mr. Nicolson came up by that train, arriving about eight o'clock, and met Mr. Sadleir and me on the platform, and we all then went up in the train to Beechworth. It is a small matter, perhaps hardly worth speaking about.
1205 What is your opinion of the action taken by the police in setting fire to Mrs. Jones's hotel?- I think it was the most proper thing to do. We knew at the time the outlaws were encased in what you may almost call bullet proof armour. They were in a bullet proof house as long as they kept in the chimneys and the house was barricaded. There was no way, except by serious loss of life, and it is the duty of a police officer not to sacrifice his men's lives; if he can see his way to do his work as effectually any other way it is his duty to do so. These men were outlaws, so that a little finger of any one man on the field was of more value than the two outlaws' lives. After mature consideration Mr. Sadleir and several of the sub officers considered it was a proper thing to do. Any army man would consider it nothing but false sympathy about those ruffians.
1206 Have you related all the circumstances of the attack on the house?- I can only speak from hearsay.
1207 Were there not some other persons injured?- Yes; but I would suggest that Mr. Sadleir, who knows all the circumstances of the case, would be better able to speak of that.
1208 You did not see the prisoners?- I saw them, but I have forgotten, and Mr. Sadleir will go more clearly into all the details. ...
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