Royal Commission report day 14 page 18
The Royal Commission evidence for 3/5/1881
(see also introduction to day 14)
Inspector Montfort giving evidence
3390 Mr. Hare, in his statement, says he was sent for by Captain Standish and instructed to proceed to the North-Eastern district to capture Power—that he met Mr. Nicolson in the street afterwards and Mr. Nicolson asked him whether he would allow him to accompany him, and Mr. Hare put it to this Commission that he had charge of the capture of Power, and up to the morning when you were proceeding to capture Power Mr. Hare thought he was still in charge of that capture. Were you under that impression at that time?— The thought never struck me; you asked me did I form an opinion on it, and I wish to tell the exact truth, that I did not form an opinion. There are some questions I cannot answer, because the thought never struck me. I am telling you what my impression was at that time. I saw no act of claim to pre-eminence until we were going up the hill, and then Mr. Nicolson instantly assumed the command; that was about ten minutes before Power was captured—previous to that they appeared to be acting together. 3391 I want to ascertain who, in your opinion, w as entrusted by the Government, or the Police department, with the capture of Power on that occasion?— I never knew.
3392 Did it ever occur to you?— I never heard of it, and I never heard it mooted until this Commission sat.
3393 And you were the superintendent's clerk?— yes.
3394 And saw the correspondence?— No, I never saw the scratch of a pen about it. To recur to that matter, I was instructed about the middle of May, the 20th, by Mr. Hare one day, that I was to go up to Wangaratta to look after Power. I knew nothing whatever about its being his intention to go up or to send me further than that, I knowing the country, the Chief Commissioner decided I should be sent up to assist in catching Power. I was not aware that any information had come in to justify any extraordinary effort. I went up with that understanding; I got no information. My horse was sent up to me, and I think it was on the 24th of May I got a telegram from Mr. Hare— “Meet me at Kilfera station,” or “Me and Mr. Nicolson on Sunday next.” My horse arrived on the Saturday, and on the Sunday I went to Kilfera and met them there. That was the first knowledge I had of their having any definite idea of where Power was at all. That was on the 29th of May and he was captured on the 5th of June. We started on Thursday, the 2nd of June, from Kilfera station. 3395 You had a pretty accurate knowledge of the North-Eastern district generally?— A portion of it.
3396 Wangaratta, Greta, all that known as the Kelly country?— Yes.
3397 Can you give the Commission your idea as to the time, and means, and money spent over the capture of the Kellys—whether it could not have been arranged better than it was, from your knowledge of the district?— I have no idea of what was done. I was not up there; I was in Melbourne at the time it happened, and during the currency of the pursuit I was here, and not till last July, after they were taken, did I go up, so I could not give any definite opinion on the subject, because I know it was a very arduous task in various ways.
3398 What made it so?— The extent of country over which they ran, the amount of assistance and help they could get at all points. That necessitated an equal dispersion of the police, and an equal amount of watchfulness on the part of the police; so that no person knew where something would not occur, therefore it required a large number of men spread over the country.
3399 Would the character of the Kellys have anything to do with it?— Undoubtedly.
3400 That they could creep out and get provisions and so on?— Yes, that is involved in my answer.
3401 Are there many men in the force capable of coping with outlaws in a country like that— bushmen in fact, good shots, and so on?— They may be good shots, but the thing is to find the outlaws; it is not how to shoot them, catching them is the difficulty.
3402 Would it not be possible for the policemen not to want to find any four men so well armed?— That might occur.
3403 Did that occur, do you think?— No, it did not, from my knowledge of the men.
3404 Do you believe they would go anywhere to face them?— Yes.
3405 Do you believe there is a single coward in the force who would not face them?— Yes, I believe there is.
3406 Have you formed any opinion as to the shooting of Sherritt?— I have read the original depositions, and seen the ground-plan of the house where they were.
3407 What is your opinion of that?— Well, it is a difficult question to answer.....
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