The True Story of the KellyGang of Bushrangers Chapter 5 page 2
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In these remarks Captain Standish by no means exaggerated the difficulty of the position from the police point of view, while it was alleged by many civilians that some members of the police, who received extra pay while on Kelly hunting duty, were not too anxious to capture their game and go back to the inactive barracks scale of pay. Most of them, however, undoubtedly did their duty with the utmost zeal, even in cases where experience and intelligence were wanting, and the nature of the district and the people imposed a most formidable task upon the police in pursuit of the bushrangers.
In addition to the despatch of constables and arms, Captain Standish’s first active move was the sending of Superintendent Nicolson to Benalla to take command of Kelly operations, leaving Superintendent Sadlier in ordinary charge of his district, with the understanding that he also was to assist in every way in his power with the most important work in hand. Accordingly, on October 28 - the same day on which news of the murders reached Melbourne - Superintendent Nicolson left the city by the Sydney train for Benalla, and, arriving there that evening, found the township in a great state of excitement. Two other small police parties in addition to Kennedy’s were at that time absent from their stations in search of the Kellys, and considerable anxiety was felt lest they should have suffered the same fate; but in the course of a day or two they returned safe.
When Superintendent Nicolson arrived Superintendent Sadlier was absent from Benalla in another part of the district. He returned on the morning of October 29, and rode over to Mansfield, where he gave instructions to Sub Inspector Pewtress regarding the search for the body of Kennedy, and then returned to duty at Benalla. At Mansfield Mr Sadlier found in the lock up Isaiah Wright, commonly known as ‘Wild’ Wright, a noted Kelly sympathiser frequently in collision with the police, whose name indicates well enough his reputation; and the police officer promised him ₤30 if he would go and find the body of Kennedy, or bring him into Mansfield, if alive. ‘Wild’ Wright started on his mission, his intention being to see Mrs Skillion, Ned’s sister, and learn from her Kennedy’s whereabouts; but before he could do anything in the matter, the body was found, under circumstances already described. This arrangement with ‘Wild’ Wright was the first instance, after the Kelly murders, of the employment of private ‘agents’ by the police - a system which afterwards attained to considerable dimensions and importance. Previous to this, Detective Ward, a Victorian officer, had been travelling through the district unknown to the ordinary police, making inquiries as to the Kellys’ whereabouts, and it was owing to information supplied by him that the search parties, including Kennedy’s which so disastrously encountered the outlaws, were put upon their tracks. Superintendent Sadlier, however, wishing for more accurate knowledge, had proposed to Captain Standish to employ an agent to supplement Ward’s endeavours, and on August 29 wrote as follows:-
‘Dear Captain Standish, - I am a good deal exercised in mind at hearing, as often as I do, of Ned Kelly being about. He is not likely to fall into our hands by ordinary means, and I think of proposing to a young acquaintance of mine, of the criminal class, to spend a few weeks in the places where he is supposed to haunt, and endeavour to lay us on to him. I am sure, if this trap were known to Kelly or his associates, the young fellow’s life would not be worth much. They would not be any the wiser, unless the young fellow himself talks about it. It would require a few pounds to give the young fellow a start. I can only say he is bad enough, I believe, to do anything in the prospect of the reward. I should be glad to learn from you if you would like the proposition. By letter posted on Saturday, or a telegram till Monday, will find me at Mansfield , where my protege lives.’
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