Royal Commission report day 39 page 6
The Royal Commission evidence for 22/7/1881
(see also introduction to day 39)
[[../../people/peS_T/steelePsgt.html|Sgt Arthur Loftus Maud Steele]] further examined
Sergeant Steele produced the Occurrence Book of the station, showing the names of the constables and officers at the Wangaratta station on the dates referred to in the evidence.
14061 By the Commission— You desire to make some statement, we believe, with reference to the statement of Constables Phillips and Arthur. Did you make any exclamation at any time about having shot Mrs. Jones?— I never mentioned to Arthur, either directly or indirectly, or in his hearing, to my knowledge, of having fired at Mrs. Jones.
14062 Did you mention it to anybody?— Not that I am aware of. I merely made a remark it was a wonder that Mrs. Reardon was not shot in escaping from the house, because they were firing all round; but it was some time after that I said that.
14063 We refer to certain alleged words at the very time. You positively deny that you made those remarks?— I never made such a remark, and Constables Arthur and Phillips were some yards from me, and Constable Healy was lying beside Arthur, about sixty or seventy yards below me, on much lower ground, when Mrs. Reardon came out. I might state it is a well-known fact that Mrs. Jones had escaped from the hotel an hour or more before I went on the ground at all.
14064 You knew that?— Yes.
14065 What time did you get on the ground?— When I looked at my watch, when I got up to the tree, it was three minutes past five in the morning.
14066 Was your watch correct?— I think so. I have no reason to think otherwise.
14067 Did you take any note of the time you left Wangaratta?— I came up here, and it was a quarter to four when I ran in here from the telegraph office, and went out, jumped on my horse, and galloped as hard as I could to the place.
14068 How far, say?— I believe it is between nine or ten miles, going by the road.
14069 You have seen that book with reference to the number of police, and the horses, &c., at Wangaratta. You remember the 4th November 1878 ?— Yes.
14070 When you were passing through?— Yes.
14071 Do you remember being told then about the Kellys having gone under the railway bridge?— Yes. I made enquiries when I came up, and I asked if there was a constable, and Constable Twoomey told me there were five or six men here.
14072 Do you state now from the book the number of men that were on this station?—[The witness examined the Occurrence Book of the station.]—Six men, with Inspector Brook Smith, were here at that time.
14073 When the special train was passing through with you?— Yes.
14074 Were any of those men gone with the special train?— They remained on this station. The only one that left the station was Twoomey, whom I sent up to Mr. Smith from the police station.
14075 Were you aware, at this time, that Mr. Sadleir had this information?— I told him about it at Benalla. It was l heard of it first at Benalla, and I mentioned it to Mr. Sadleir , and he said, “If you like, the line is at your disposal. You can stop for an hour or an hour and a half; and if you think there is anything in that, send word to Brook Smith , and you go on and search the country up there.” And I carried out those instructions. Two of the men at the station were foot constables; but, at the same time, I might mention that the foot constables during that time were mounted. There was Armstrong and also Constable Twoomey . Another thing I wanted to point out, with reference to taking upon myself to part from Mr. Nicolson and Mr. Sadleir , when we were out in the Warby Ranges . We were on some tracks, down about on the flat country, near a splitter's hut, and where there were some farms close by, and the blacks had been hunting up those tracks some time, but appeared to make nothing of it. It was then proposed by Inspector Smith and directed that good search should be made of a place called Hell Hole, a range between the Kangaroo Gap and Glenrowan. I, being acquainted with the country and knowing the spurs about there, led the way. My horse was faster, and I got a good way ahead of the others up this very steep spur; some of the men followed me. I heard the tramp of the horses coming, and I fully anticipated the whole of the party were coming up with me, following me up. We halted in a set-off on the Spur, where there was some water, and had a drink, and I camped for half an hour, finding a good number of the others of the party, with Mr. Sadleir and Mr. Nicolson, were not coming. I “coo-eed” and called for some time, and I did not know what had become of them. We came to the conclusion that they had taken the spur that branched off from this place into the gully, and that we would meet them on the table land above. I went round towards the head of this spur and “coo-eed,” and remained there for three-quarters of an hour, but evidently had lost them. I then took the men that were with me—I had thirteen or fourteen good men with me—and I searched the range, this place termed Hell Hole—it is better known as “Morgan's Look-out”—and the falls at either side, up to Brien's place, until sundown in the evening. I then started, and arrived at Wangaratta at eight at night. We were out from four in the morning until four or five, when we left here. That is the occasion on which it has been represented by Senior-Constable Johnson that I took upon myself to abandon the others and go away myself. It was nothing of the sort.....
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