Royal Commission report day 42 page 18
The Royal Commission evidence for 3/8/1881
(see also introduction to day 42)
Mr John Sherritt Jn giving evidence
14868 Are you sure of that?— Yes, he acknowledged it himself afterwards. I can bring witnesses to prove it,
14869 Did he acknowledge that he himself killed the beast?— Yes.
14870 Did he offer to pay for it?— He let me put the cattle in his paddock, and that I was to give him what I liked when I would take the cattle out. He said he had nothing to eat the grass.
14871 What then?— First he said the cow died, and then he acknowledged to killing her himself. He said, “You need net tell your father anything about it.”
14872 That is a very serious allegation to bring against him?— I would not say it unless I could bring witnesses to prove he said he killed the cow himself.
14873 More than one?— Yes,
14874 Respectable people?— Yes.
14875 That could be relied upon?— Yes.
14876 What did he do with it?—Kept a quarter himself, and sent a quarter to his father in law, and some more to his own people.
14877 Divided it amongst his own family?— Yes.
14878 You never gave him permission to take the cattle for the use of the grass?— No, never at all.
14879 Was there anything else?— He used to come to me, and he would try to “pump” me, to see if I was working for the police; and on one occasion I had my own suspicion of him He said, “Do you see any police about during the last week, Jack?” and I said, “Yes, I have; I saw three or four along the Eldorado road.” At the same time I had seen none; but it was not above two hours but Mrs. Byrne heard what I told him. That was how I knew that.
14880 How did you come to know that?— From my sister. I used to have correspondence. My sister used to go there for the police business.
14881 And Mrs. Byrne was able to say what you said to Wallace to your sister?— Yes.
14882 You were on friendly terms with the Byrnes —your sister?— She never used to go there. We would speak when we met; my sister never visited like.
14883 About your late brother Aaron —do you know that he was engaged for a long time by and had the confidence of the police, and supplied them with information?— Yes.
14884 Do you believe he acted honestly by the police in that position?— Yes, I am sure he did.
14885 Do you think, during the time he was giving information to the police, he was not also in correspondence with the outlaws?— No, he was not.
14886 Not by any agents or friends he had?— No. I was in correspondence with the outlaws myself.
14887 Directly with them?— Yes.
14888 Did you meet them at times?— Yes, I did.
14889 Where?— How I used to correspond with them I will tell first.
14890 You remember the murders of the police at the Wombat?— Yes; but at that time I had nothing at all to do with the police.
14891 When did you first, after that, have any interview with any of the outlaws—after the murders at the end of 1878?— I think the first interview I had with Byrne was on the Sandy Creek, at the Killewarra run. I never kept any date.
14892 That was about a twelve month afterwards by his printed lies. That was the first time you first saw them?— Yes.
14893 Were you then in the confidence of Byrne?— Yes. I was writing letters to him, and he to me. The letters I used to write to him used to go by my sister to Byrne, and one from Patsey Byrne to the outlaws.
14894 How long did you keep that up?— For a great length of time.
14895 For how long before their capture did you break off that means of correspondence?— I did not know it was broken off at all.....
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