Royal Commission report 6/4/1881

Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission 6/4/1881

day before next day

Summary of the evidence on day 9 of the hearing
Question number	Date	Witness
1593 - 1632 1633 - 1716	6/4/1881 6/4/1881	Sup Hare Henry Moors, chief Clerk
1238 - 1357 1358 - 1464 1465 - 1592	31/3/1881 1/4/1881 5/4/1881	Start of Sup Hare's evidence
12285 - 12289 13890 - 13901 16315 - 16656	28/6/1881 21/7/1881 1/9/1881	See these dates for other evidence given by Sup Hare

Appendix	Title
3	Superintendent Hare's report
20	Minutes of Proceedings at Meetings Held by the Royal Commission

Summary of the evidence on day 9 of the hearings

6/4/1881, Sup Hare continued his evidence - some brief highlights

Hare described the difference between his salary and that of AssComm Nicolson at the time of Power's capture.

Hare went to the site of the Lancefield robbery, the KellyGang was not involved. The details of the robbery are set out in some detail.

Hare was concerned that Ass Com Nicolson did not hand over information about the KellyGang and the armour.

Aaron Sherritt's brothers John and Willie, tried to have a career in the police force after Aaron died. This was in recognition of the assistance that the family gave the police. Their service was short lived and in a short time they were dismissed and left to fend for themselves.

At about the time the railway arrived in town, in 1864, Hare was directed to proceed with a party of fifteen or twenty armed men to Echuca. They were sent to Sandhurst by train, and from there travelled by ballast waggon or any other way they could to Echuca. There was a dispute between the Victorian and New South Wales governments at the time about the Customs, arrangements. New South Wales had issued a proclamation that they would seize all boats and goods on the river Murray. They claimed the Murray

Hare put into evidence a number of complimentary letters including one from Mr Carrington following the Glenrowan siege and then had to defend himself against the allegation that he manipulated the press.

One of the significant issues before the Royal Commission was whether Nicolson's cave party to watch Mrs Byrne's home was known about by the KellyGang. Hare heard about it while he was at the Richmond Depot. There were others besides the eight policemen engaged in the matter; there were men carrying food, and the whole of the Sherritt family, consisting of seven or eight daughters, -Sherritt himself and the whole family knew it, and they were in constant communication with Mrs. Byrne. They used to convey the provisions up to the cave, and with seven or eight girls, ranging from eighteen to six years old in constant communication with the Byrne family, how is it possible to know who it was divulged by.

Was James Wallace a police agent?

Police rifle practice and the lack of ammunition

6/4/1881 Henry Moors commenced his evidence - some brief highlights

Henry Moors was the chief clerk at the police headquaters in Melbourne.

The Royal Commission stated that the reason why Henry Moors was called to give evidence. It has been given in evidence by Captain Standish that when he came back from Benalla he found the office in a very unsatisfactory state-in a state of muddle while Nicolson was in charge of the office.

Mr Moors started his evidence by stating, "I have read Captain Standish's evidence in the papers, and I think that he has inadvertently used words which implied a great deal more than he meant to say. The office was never in a state of confusion that I am aware of; but there was certainly a delay in getting papers off at times, arising from the difference between the two men-the two heads of the department- Captain Standish and Superintendent Nicolson"

"There was naturally a great pressure on the office during the whole time the Kellys were at large. Under Captain Standish of course the work took a considerable time to perform, it could not be otherwise; but Captain Standish is a man very prompt in action, quick in judgment, and remarkably ready with the pen, and papers were always got away with considerable celerity. Mr. Nicolson is slower and more careful in going through papers. I may put it that under him the machinery moves more slowly than under Captain Standish. Then again he had not the long experience that Captain Standish had, he is not so good an office man; the consequence was that there would be very generally a delay at night in getting the papers off. There would be a longer time taken between the preparation of the documents and their despatch from the office"

1641

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