The Complete Inner History of the KellyGang and their Pursuers (88)

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CHAPTER XXII

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The Reward Board gave Sergeant Steele £290/13/9 for the part he played in shooting innocent men, women and children who were trying to escape from Mrs Jones’ hotel at Glenrowan. The Royal Commission, on the other hand, recommended that Sergeant Steele be reduced to the ranks for cowardice in not following the bushrangers from Wangaratta to the Warby Ranges, when the fresh tracks made by the Kellys were pointed out to him.

The Reward Board gave Supt Hare £800, although he left the field as soon as he received a wound on the left arm.

The Royal Commission, on the other hand, in a majority report, compared the cowardice of Supt Hare in running away when wounded in the left arm, with the courage and leadership of Ned Kelly, who, although much more seriously wounded in the instep and arms, stood his ground until 7 o’clock in the morning, when, bravely attempting to rejoin his mates, he was overpowered by numbers. The Royal Commission recommended that Supt Hare should, therefore, be retired from the police force on pension.

The Reward Board gave the constables who went under the bed at Aaron Sherritt’s, when the latter was shot by Joe Byrne, £42/15/9 each.

The Royal Commission recommended that three of these four policemen be dismissed from the police force for gross cowardice and disobedience.

The fourth had already anticipated this finding, and resigned before the Commission drew up its report.

The Reward Board gave Supt Sadleir £240/17/3.

The Royal Commission recommended that he be reduced in rank.

The Reward Board gave Mr Stanhope O’Connor £237/15/-.

The Royal Commission recommended that Mr Stanhope O’Connor be not again employed in the Victorian Police Force, although the Chief Secretary had intended to make Mr O’Connor an inspector of police in the North-East district.

Although the action of the police force at Glenrowan, both officers and men, was considered an indelible disgrace to the police force of Victoria, no fewer than forty five of them participated in the reward.

The Royal Commission

After the tragedy of Glenrowan, the public press of Victoria was more emphatic than ever in its condemnation of the heads of the police force. As the result of this criticism, the Chief Secretary was requested by Captain Standish to institute a full and complete inquiry into the proceedings and management of the police force from the tragedy at Stringybark Creek in October, 1878, to the destruction of the Kelly Gang at Glenrowan.Mr CH Nicolson wrote to the Chief Secretary as follows: -

“I have the honour respectfully to request that, before proceeding to acknowledge the services of those engaged in the destruction of the Kelly Gang of outlaws, a searching inquiry be held into the whole circumstances and transactions of the police administration in the North-Eastern district since the Kelly outbreak in October, 1878, and particularly into the circumstances of my recent withdrawal from that district.”

Mr Stanhope O’Connor also wrote to the Chief Secretary requesting an inquiry.

After considering these three requests, the Government of the day acceded to their wishes and appointed a Royal Commission on March 7, 1881, under letters patent:—

1. To inquire into the circumstances proceeding and attending the Kelly outbreak.

1. As to the efficiency of the police to deal with such possible occurrences.

1. To inquire into the action of the police authorities during the period the Kelly Gang were at large.

1. The efficiency of the means employed for their capture; and

1. Generally to inquire into a report upon the present state and organisation of the police force.

The Government appointed a Royal Commission of eight persons, six of whom were members of Parliament:—

Hon Francis Longmore, MP, Chairman; W Anderson Esq, MP; EJ Dixon, Esq, JP; GR Fincham, Esq, MP; Jas. Gibb, Esq, MP; Hon. JH Graves, MP; GW Hall, Esq, MP; GC Levy, Esq, CMG.

The first meeting of the Commission was held on Tuesday, March 15, 1881, and sat at regular intervals, and visited many centres in the North-East. The evidence given before this Royal Commission was so contradictory and so conflicting that it was very clearly seen that perjury among some of the police force had developed into a fine art.

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This document gives you the text of this book about the KellyGang. The text has been retyped from a copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. We also apologise for any typographical errors. JJ Kenneally was one of the first authors to tell this story from the KellyGang's point of view