Royal Commission report 24/3/1881
Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission 24/3/1881
| Summary of the evidence on day 2 of the hearings | ||
| Question number | Date | Witness |
| 325 - 675 | 24/3/1881 | Assistant Commissioner Nicolson |
| 676- 915
916- 1065 11997 - 12079 16861 - 17127 17128- 17274 |
25/3/1881 29/3/1881
16/6/1881 7/9/1881 8/9/1881 20/9/1881 |
See the following dates for other evidence given by Ass Com Nicolson |
| Appendix | Title |
| 12 | Nicolson's report |
| 20 | Minutes of Proceedings at Meetings Held by the Royal Commission |
24/3/1881 Ass Com Nicolson commenced his evidence - some brief highlights
Inspecting Superintendent Nicolson had the honorary title of Assistant Commissioner. His first involvement with the KellyGang was after the murders at Stringy Bark Creek on 28/10/1878 when he was ordered to Benalla to take charge of the hunt for the killers. He organised search parties and other measures to meet the problem. The police force in the area was nearly doubled in size.
Chasing the KellyGang in the floods on the River Murray at Baumgarten's and the first positive citing; at the railway bridge in Wangaratta. The lack of an adequate police response.
Com Standish came up to Benalla and he and Nicolson went off to Beechworth to join up with Sadleir and the police at the start of the Sebastopol cavalcade. There were many questions; who was in charge, why did they gather and why so much noise, etc. Nicolson made a spectacular entrance into the Sherritt home. ". I knew nothing about what was going. I was riding by myself with two or three men near me, when Mr. Sadleir came up and said to me, "Now Mr Nicolson, this is the house of the Sherritts;" you will do this and you will do that, and the outlaws are said to be here. This hut was backed by a large paddock. I turned to Mr. Sadleir and said, "You send some men into that paddock, and see the men do not escape by the back;" and I said to two or three men about me, "You - (mentioning their names) come along with me;" and I galloped with those men to the hut at full speed. .... . I went into the hut. We had to turn a short turn to the left to make for the hut. I rode down the entrance passage, about that breadth- [spreading his arms]-which I did full speed, threw my legs off my horse, and burst in the door ..."
"One man told me afterwards he heard us a mile away."
One of the police horses from Stringy Bark Creek found in the Warby Ranges. Problem with Insp Brook - Smith and his efforts to follow up on this find.
Nicolson spent a lot of time out with search parties and tried to recruit agents to find out more about the movements of the KellyGang, " I had to go out with several parties, and I was out first with one, and then with another; and when I was not out with parties actually, I was continually raveling from one place to another; and when out with these search parties at that time we could not get any guides or assistance from the inhabitants, with the exception of one man, who is now a mounted constable, Dickson at Wangaratta, who joined us as a guide." He then went on to detail how the police search parties lived in the bush.
On Monday, 9th December 1878, Nicolson was satisfied that the KellyGang were not in the Kelly country. The Kelly country was defined.
KellyGang's old camp on German's Creek discovered.
There was a police camp on the Broken River, on the Benalla and Mansfield road, for the purpose of searching the Strathbogie country-and back from there to the road from Mansfield to Longwood.
Nicolson had a problem identifying sympathizers who were happy to give false information from people who could help the police in their search for the KellyGang. He also discussed people who were engaged as agents and his contact with members of the Kelly family.
What did Nicolson do with Patrick Quinn's information about the KellyGang being at Euroa?
Nicolson explained why at the height of the Euroa robbery he and Sadleir went off in the wrong direction, "Now Mr. Sadleir and I had come to the conclusion that the Kellys had been baffled in crossing the river; further, the opinion of all our best assistants, all the respectable portion of the community and the most experienced, was that the Kellys would make another effort to escape across the Murray at that time. Mr. Sadleir and I concluded that we would run up to Wodonga and Albury, as we were assured that the Kellys were not in the Kelly country, to warn the police all the way up and down up to the likelihood of their trying to cross. We two went up by the last train at night, and were to return by the first train in the morning."
What was looked like a 'bouquet of flowers.'?
"(The Commission)Was this the time when Captain Standish said you pooh-poohed the information that was given to you about Faithfull's Creek, and started off with Mr. Sadleir to Albury?- (Nicolson)Yes, that was the occasion."
The magistrate Mr Wyatt, who had been in Euroa on the day of the robbery and saw the broken telegraph wires at Faithful's Creek station. He tried to tell Nicolson about these events when he met him on the railway platform at Benalla. Nicolson described the collection of broken telegraph wires that Wyatt was, "carrying something in his hand like a bouquet of flowers". Why did this confusion occur?
How Nicolson was informed about the Euroa robbery when he got to Wodonga and what happened next. He then issued orders to send out search parties and informed Melbourne of the news.
Eventually Nicolson got to Faithfull's Creek, interviewed a number of people and then started off with the police on a search of the area. After being awake all night the police searched all day and at the end of a very hot day they were exhausted. Details of the search provided.
Nicolson nearly bind and exhausted; replaced by Hare, after visit by Standish.
The sympathizers were everywhere, galloping around the country after the KellyGang was useless There was a need for some demonstration of police activity to address the needs of of public opinion. "I knew those fellows were too clever to be caught by a party galloping after them"
Nicholson took over running of the Office in Melbourne while Standish and Hare went up to take charge of the hunt for the KellyGang
Nicolson was in charge of the police force and he had to continue his relationship with Standish who was the Commissioner of police. Nicolson tells his side of this story, "They were strained, and any expression of opinion by me was treated with, I would not say almost contempt, but something very near it; I was not in his confidence at all" How this relationship affected the hunt for the KellyGang and management of the police.
Relations between Nicolson and Hare. Nicolson was in command at the time when they captured the bush ranger Harry Power.
Nicolson described how he climbed through the ranks from the humblest position.
Ass Com Nicolson continued his evidence on the next sitting day
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