Royal Commission report day 2 page 12
The Royal Commission evidence for 24/3/1881
(see also introduction to day 2 )
Assistant Commissioner Nicholson giving evidence
483 What date?- I forget the date. No doubt the letter is producible amongst the others; but it was previous to this. As a matter of form, this was sent on to the New South Wales police, as we were in close communication with them, giving them all this information. Great importance has been attached that that was the cause of Mr Sadleir's starting up to Albury that night. 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.
484 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?- Yes, that was the occasion.
485 Was that the occasion of -- giving you the information that Captain Standish referred to when you had all the horses saddled?- No, another occasion altogether. We reached the railway station, and at Benalla were just getting into the carriage, and the station was crowded. We saw Mr. Wyatt, P.M., in the crowd.
486 His station is at Benalla?- It is one place he visits.
487 Is that his head quarters?- I am not aware he has any head quarters. He visits almost any part of the district. Mr. Sadleir remarked to me, or we remarked together, his carrying something in his hand like a bouquet of flowers.
488 What train was that?- The last train at night, eight o'clock; it was quite dark, and Mr. Sadleir said, "I will go and see what is the matter." So he went up and spoke to him. Mr. Wyatt and Mr. Sadleir then joined me; this was just as the train was starting, or just about two or three minutes before, and he told us that at Faithfull's Creek, just as related yesterday-
489 Try and repeat it as closely as you can, because you can see a great deal depends on this evidence?- He told us that at Faithfull's Creek, opposite Faithfull's Creek station, a squatting station, it was observed from the train that a considerable portion of the telegraph wire had been broken down-in fact one or more of the posts had been broken; and he produced from the end of one of the posts an insulator, a group of insulators, two or three that he had in his hand; he might have had some wire; I do not recollect it, but have no doubt he will tell you himself about it. I sent Mr. Sadleir down to see the guards and the drivers of the train, with the view of asking if they had seen anything peculiar at Euroa, and also any of the passengers he knew. Mr. Wyatt merely said, as far as I can recollect, that his opinion was there was something wrong; Mr. Sadleir came back and stated that the railway officers that were on the train at Euroa had landed their passengers, and that they had the usual delay, and that everything was going on all right as usual at Euroa.
490 They had not observed it?- They had observed nothing unusual.
491 You do not recollect Mr. Wyatt saying more than that?- I have perfect confidence in what Mr. Wyatt will say about it. I do not remember any more that he said.
492 We understood from Captain Standish that you had received information that the bank was to be stuck up before this?- I had not.
493 Did Mr. Wyatt tell you on this occasion that Euroa had been stuck up?- No.
494 Captain Standish stated that Mr. Wyatt told you a bank was to be stuck up, and so on?- I do not know on what ground Captain Standish says that.
495 This is a portion of the statement made-[quoting the Newspaper report]:- "On arriving at the Benalla railway station, Mr. Wyatt met Messrs. Nicolson and Sadleir. That was on the evening of the 10th. They were then starting for the Murray, on the strength of some strange intelligence they had received from friends of the outlaws, that the outlaws were going to cross the river. Mr. Wyatt at once informed Mr. Nicolson of what he had seen, and told him there was no doubt the outlaws had been at Faithfull Creek or Euroa. Mr. Nicolson poob poobed that information, and not only started himself for Albury, but took Mr. Sadleir with him." In giving your evidence (because this is most important) you said that when Mr. Wyatt showed you this group of insulators that he said there was something wrong; did he connect with that wrong anything about the Kellys?- Yes. ..
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