Royal Commission report day 49 page 14
Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission Report
The Royal Commission evidence for 6/9/1881
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full text
(see introduction to day 49)
Sup John Sadleir giving evidence
16786 By the Commission. — What steps did Mr. Hare take immediately about that?— I do not know; he asked me about it.
16787 Did Mr. Hare go to Beechworth at all?— He was there afterwards.
Mr. Nicolson . — Mr. Hare stated in explanation that he was up in Beechworth, and did not ask about that, or make any attempt to see it.
Mr. Hare . — A week after I was in Beechworth.
16788 By Mr. Hare (to the witness) . —Whist were you preparing all the morning before I arrived?— Mr. Nicolson was.
16789 What was it?— I think he was preparing and putting the business together.
16790 What was it-the statement of the accounts?— Really I could not tell you the particulars.
16791 By the Commission. — Was Mr. Nicolson in the office preparing for Mr. Hare?— Yes, I think he was preparing—he was busy that morning in the office.
16792 Did he tell you it was with the view of having things ready for Mr. Hare?— I think that was distinctly understood.
16793 By Mr. Hare . —Those were principally the accounts?— I could not tell.
16794 What else could he be preparing?— I could not tell you.
16795 In your evidence in chief, you said that it was from fifteen to twenty minutes that Mr. Nicolson was talking to me?— I meant by that that he was talking business, giving you the information about the Kelly business in those fifteen or twenty minutes, and that is the very least I could swear to; it was possibly very much more.
16796 Look at that entry I made on that day-[showing a diary he kept]:— “I left Melbourne by the early train; found Nicolson , Sadleir, and O'Connor in the office. Nicolson gave me the names of special men engaged by him, letters from them, and said Sadleir would tell me everything. He told me all in ten minutes.” You see the date of that?— I see it is the 2nd June 1880 .
16797 Would that not be probably more correct than any opinion given from recollection six months after?— Every statement here, except the time, is unquestionable. That he told you all in ten minutes I do not think can be correct. I am sure the time you were conferring and discoursing together about the Kelly business must have been longer than that.
16798 You said fifteen or twenty minutes?— I was under great pressure at the time, and speaking so long after I can only stick to my evidence in chief
16799 By the Commission (to Mr. Hare ) . –Do you assert that it did not take more than ten minutes?— I do assert it positively.
16800 What means have you of testing that; did you look at your watch?— No, from the time I was engaged at it, and I wrote that at the time, never thinking of anything turning on it afterwards, or that I should be called on to give evidence about it. I wrote it just the same as other portions of my diary.
16801 It might be fifteen minutes?— Yes, but I have entered it here as ten minutes.
16802 By Mr. Har e (to the witness) . –Will you refer to Mr. Nicolson's evidence at question 890 —“You wish us to understand in your opinion you kind the Kellys almost completely under your control at the time you were withdrawn?— I do; and I say it not only on behalf of myself but on behalf of my assistants and agents.” Were you aware of that when I relieved Mr. Nicolson, that he had the Kellys under his control?— No, I do not think such an expression as that was used.
16803 Whether it was used or not, do you think it was the case?— I think it is an assumption.
16804 Were you of the same opinion?— I was under the impression that we were getting very near the Kellys, no doubt of it; and, I think, I wrote to you to say so.
16805 Do you remember me having a conversation with you on that very subject, and saving, “ Now, Sadleir, what nearer are you in catching the Kellys now to what we were eleven months previously?” —No, I do not remember that.
16806 Do you know anything that pointed, say a week after Mr. Nicolson left, to the fact that we were about to catch the Kellys?— I would sooner speak of what is before.
16807 Whilst you were giving me all the information, do you remember giving any information that would lead me to believe that you thought that you had surrounded the Kellys by agents?— No, I do not think so, not in that sense. If I did speak in that strain, I must have told you we were nearer to the Kellys , and knew more of their movements than we ever did before.
16808 Do you remember telling me that?— No; but if we had turned on that, it would have been the way I would have expressed myself.....
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