Royal Commission second Report Part VIII ( page 11)

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The Royal Commission Second Report -Part VIII

VIII.-PROVISIONING THE OUTLAWS

A Pentridge inmate, named Williamson, who had been implicated in the assault upon Constable Fitzpatrick, and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment, imparted some very important information to the authorities shortly after the Wombat murders. His first communication was dated 30th October 1878 . In this he gave certain particulars respecting the gang, their haunts, probable whereabouts, and their mode of obtaining supplies of provisions while hiding in the ranges. Attached to the statement was a rough pen-and-ink sketch, or plan, of the position and surroundings of Mrs. Kelly's but at Eleven-mile Creek and its relation to a large hollow log, not far distant, which was likely to be used as a receptacle of food-for the use of the outlaws. Search was made for the log, and it was found by Senior-Constable Flood without much difficulty. It was lying about 400 or 500 yards distant from Mrs. Kelly's hut, and in a spot suitable for secreting provisions. The suggestion made by Williamson - indeed the action that common sense would have dictated - was to watch the log, when discovered, and endeavour to cut off the outlaws' supplies, or possibly trace them to their lair. This course was not adopted. From the appearance of the hollow log, Senior-Constable Flood came to the conclusion that it could not have been utilized as indicated, and so the matter rested. About the same time a secret agent informed Mr. Sadleir that Mrs. Skillion, the sister of Ned and Dan Kelly, was in the habit of preparing large quantities of food which she conveyed into the bush at night, returning in the morning with her horse completely exhausted. She was not, however, interfered with. It was stated in evidence that attempts were made to follow her, but the difficulty of doing so without skilled trackers was thought insurmountable, and all efforts to trace her nightly expeditions to their source were relinquished. The evidence given by Superintendent Sadleir upon this point is unsatisfactory, and favors the hypothesis that the officers depended upon fortuitous circumstances rather than upon any defined plan of operations to bring about the capture of the outlaws. .....

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