Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission 21/6/1881
| Summary of the evidence on day 32 of the hearings | ||
| Question number | Date | Witness |
| 12080 - 12284 | 21/6/1881 | Henry Armstrong |
| Appendix | Title |
| 20 | Minutes of Proceedings at Meetings Held by the Royal Commission |
Summary of the evidence on day 32 of the hearings
21/6/1881 Const Henry Armstrong commenced his evidence - some brief highlights
Const Armstrong had a long assocaition with Aaron Sherritt.
The Royal Commission started by reviewing his record as a policeman.
Armstrong was in the police force for nearly 9 years and at the beginning of the hunt he was based at Wangaratta. In reviewing this evidence the Royal commission asked him, 'Did you ever on any occasion have the belief or the knowledge that you came close upon the Kellys in any of those parties'
Armstrong was a member of the cave party. He worked closely with Aaron Sherritt and the Royal Commission asked him if he had reason to doubt Aaron's support for the police. Why was he murdered? Armstrong was there at the time.
The problem with the reports on the cave party
Who lost a letter in the cave?
Who sent Armstrong out to Aaron Sherrit's place and when?
Who was incharge?
Why did the Chinese chase the police?
What happened on the night of 19/6/1880. Did Ward lie?
what will you do in the event of the KellyGang coming?
What was Paddy Byrne doing riding about the place a few days before Aaron Sherritt died?
What happened when Aaron Sherritt was shot?
Joe Byrne challenged the police with some choice language
What was the relationship between Joe Byrne and Mrs Barry?
"Could not you, under shelter of the women, have rushed out in order to have a chance?"
"We put her under the bed roughly, but she did not complain."
What happened next morning?
Who were the members of the KellyGang?
What happened to Ned Kelly's other brother?
"Tom Lloyd, if he is treated well by the police; is a splendid fellow."
"I am going to try my luck in the United States of America."
"Do you think a boy twelve years of age, going to school, and seeing strange policemen in the house, is likely to be silent to his schoolfellows?"
"I have also heard that Mr. Hare received information that the outlaws were about to do something to astonish the world. I heard nothing of it, although I was twenty-one days out in the bush. "
Did Aaron Sherritt lie to Armstrong?
"Ward is a good-natured -- fool; he has got no brains."
What did Aaron Sherritt think of Nicolson.? Nicolson gave Sherritt his cap.
Denny Byrne tracked tracked the police in the sand for a hundred yards every morning to and from Aaron Sherritt's place. The Byrnes also found straps that the police had lost.
Mrs Sherritt's statement about the bed is totally unture.
Ward wrote to Armstrong just before he gave his evidence with some riding instructions and advice.
"I have been out at Sebastopol. I saw Mrs. Sherritt's father, and he said the women screened the police at Beechworth at the inquest, but they will do so no longer if the next two men gave such evidence as the Melbourne men had given,"
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