Royal Commission report day 25 page 18
Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission Report
The Royal Commission evidence for 2/6/1881
(see also introduction to day 25)
[[../../people/peC/chomleyPsup.html|Sup Hussey Malone Chomle]] [[../../people/peC/chomleyPsup.html|y]] giving evidence
9904 They kept very quiet, no doubt?— And all I want to do now is to keep them quiet.
9905 Of your own knowledge you have no experience of Mr. O'Connor's qualifications?— No; I only saw him two or three times except in Collins street .
9906 Were the black trackers utilized in the matter of the stolen saw?— Yes.
9907 What did they do?— They got on the road near Greta, and lost the track.
9908 They were not of any service there, then?— No.
9909 I suppose no trackers could prove of service where there was great traffic on a road?— That is exactly what they ought to do. If there is a well beaten road, they can find the track as it goes off the road. That is where they want a man to teach them.
9910 When you went to black trackers in Queensland, did you make any enquiry as to their competency for tracking and doing this work?— Yes.
9911 Had you any knowledge, yourself, personally as to the business of black trackers —No, very little.
9912 Did you endeavor to find out whether the Queensland trackers would be efficient here when you were up in Queensland ?— Yes; I was told a good deal of what they could do, and the country is the same there as it is here very much.
9913 You formed the opinion that they required peculiar handling, and except with that, and a leader with the knowledge of their peculiarities, they would be inefficient?— Yes, when I came back the first thing I said to Captain Standish was, “I have brought you over five of the smartest boys in Queensland”; and I said, “I do not think they would be worth a damn unless you have them properly handled” — that was the first thing I told him.
9914 Are they not a little heavy?— Mr. Seymour, the Queensland Commissioner of Police, saw them, and said he had never seen finer men, and he would have liked them for himself.
9915 Did you make enquiries whether it is necessary for all those men to go in a body?— No, it is not necessary; I do not think so.
9916 Either one or two?— Two; I think those men ought to be scattered about, now.
9917 Is it not immediately putting them on the track the great thing?— Yes. If Mr. O'Connor gone up then, the first I would have got him to do would have been to separate them; but I wanted a man who understood them.
9918 You have told us what Mr. Sadleir said about that appointment; were you influenced in recommending Mr. O'Connor's appointment by anything you heard in Queensland, when there, with reference to his men?— No, more by the reports. I thought O'Connor's name and his black trackers would keep those people out; if O'Connor was the greatest duffer, I believed it was enough to have his name; and if it kept them quiet, that was all I wanted.
9919 With regard to your recommendation that a smart officer be sent into the district was Montfort sent on that?— Yes.
9920 You were ordered to prepare this report after twelve on Saturday, and be ready with it on Monday?— Yes.
9921 That was a short time for so important a report to be prepared in?— Yes.
9922 Montfort was sent up on this report?— Yes.
9923 When you wrote that report you apprehended there would be an outbreak?— Yes, so far as this, that if an outbreak did take place, and if I had not made the best preparations, I should be deservedly censured. I should lose my billet.
9924 From information now received do you consider that that fairly represents the state of the case?— I do.
9925 Have you taken the necessary precautions to obviate the occurrence?— I have done what I could. I have sent up extra men, and taken some of the men that were not very active, and put others in their places.
9926 Has your principal endeavor been to see that efficient men are sent?— Yes. I first of all selected mounted men from the different districts—young men, and sent them up; and I sent three or four foot police, to put them in different places; and I told Inspector Montfort if there were any men not efficient to send them down, and he is doing so, and I would send up others.
9927 Were most of those men there during the Kelly outbreak?— I think so. One man came down who broke his leg.
9928 Are the men armed with the Martini Henry carbine?— No, they have got twenty one repeating Spencers, that is in the North Eastern district, and they have thirty four Martini Henry rifles.
9929 Are those long rifles?— Yes, two Sniders and a Winchester , and three of the Martini Henry carbines, and they have 89 breech loading rifles.
9930 Are those Sniders?— I do not know, and they have all good revolvers.
9931 Would it not be advisable to have a uniform arm?— I think it would.
9932 Is there any reason why not?— Simply the cost.
9933 Are they not in the colony?— I do not know; I think the military have some.....
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