Royal Commission report 11/5/1881
Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission 11/5/1881
| Summary of the evidence on day 18 of the hearings | ||
| Question number | Date | Witness |
| 5293 - 5941 | 11/5/1881 | Const Faulkiner |
| 5141 - 5292 | 10/5/1881 | Start of Const Faulkiner's evidence |
| Appendix | Title |
| 20 | Minutes of Proceedings at Meetings Held by the Royal Commission |
Summary of the evidence on day 18 of the hearings
11/5/1881 Const Faulkiner continued his evidence - some brief highlights
Const Faulkiner asked to be allowed to make a few corrections in his evidence as reported in the Age and then continued his evidence about the cave party and his dealings with various members of the Sherritt family.
What happened to the KellyGang after they crossed under the railway bridge in Wangaratta on 3/11/1878 and what happened to the police hunt for them in the Warby Ranges?
Off to the Whorouly races; why were they important, "Three of us were told off in disguise, Johnson, Lawless, and myself. We went on to the course separately. After being there some time, I recognized Aaron Sherritt as the party whom I had seen at Byrne's house the morning that we rushed the place. This was the man who was, I believed, to ride a horse for Byrne. I passed the remark to Senior-Constable Johnson that if this was the man we could consider the information a hoax either on the part of Sherritt or Byrne. I said it was not at all likely that a man twelve or thirteen stone weight was going to ride in a country hurdle race when Byrne and Hart had brothers of their own, good horsemen."
Why did Hare say ""You are very clever, Faulkiner" when Faulkiner said he could bowl out Aaron Sherritt in a week?
Faulkiner was a member of the cave party watching Mrs Byrne's home. He had to produce 3 reports before he satisfied the needs of his superiors. Why?
The Royal Commissioners became quite concerned about this matter and explored the issue in some detail.
Each of the members of the cave party were required to produce a report, but instead of submitting them direct to the police department they were required to submit them through Det Ward and SConst Mullane, their superior officers. Was that an appropriate way of giving Ass Com Nicolson the benefit of the constables on the ground or did it give Ward and Mullane a chance for a cover up?
The Royal Commssion asked, "That is not an answer to the question; are we to understand that you were to frame your reports in accordance with the truth of the facts, or in accordance with the wishes of the officers?"
The Commissioners then followed up on Faulkiner's answer by saying, "That is not an answer. There are two meanings to be gathered from your answer to that question just now, and one is, that you were to frame the reports in accordance with the wishes of the officers; and the other, that you had to frame the reports, perhaps coloring the reports?"
After all the problems of the cave party Faulkiner was sent out by Hare to seek information amongst the community. He went up around Cotton Tree with Canny. They got a report that the KellyGang were getting provisions from the Chinese store.
They then went to The Gap and got some good news just before the Glenrowan siege
Faulkiner took Ned Kelly up to Beechworth for his committal hearing.
He sang 'The brave KellyGang' most of the way up from Melbourne to Beechworth.
"How long had you been at the cave party before you formed the opinion of the probability of your existence there being known to Byrne's family and others?-"
What happened to Faulkiner's report on the cave party?
What did Aaron Sherritt do to help the police in the cave?
Who took supplies to the cave party?
How did the search parties travel through the bush?
"We met Mr. Hare coming back, and he spoke to me. I would not speak to him at first. I did not know him, because his whole face was covered with icicles from the hoar frost. We watched there till daylight, and as soon as daylight we saddled up the horses and started to search the ranges."
"I received the information that he had been at this place of late, and also the names of the Chinamen keeping the store."
"Of course it is a matter of opinion-have you formed any opinion as to whether he (Aaron Sherritt) was acting to the Government, or was all through acting a friendly part towards the Kellys?- "
'I believe he had been courting one of the girls at one time...'
Why was Aaron Sherritt shot?
Start of Sebastopol cavalcade
Who was incharge?
"Is it an easy thing to inform thirty or forty police on horse back in the bush?- "
Had the police horse from Stringy Bark Creek that was found in the Warby Ranges been pushed?
Where did the Chinaman who was supplying the KellyGang live?
Who was sent to watch the Kelly home just before the Glenrowan siege and why?
Sadleir sought to get over his version of events through cross examination
Were police watching the Hart home?
What was it like to be out with the search parties?
The reports from the cave party; what was the problem?
Ward sought to get over his version of events through cross examination
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