Royal Commission report day 48 page 5
The Royal Commission evidence for 1/9/1881
(see also introduction to day 48)
'Sup Francis Augustus Hare giving evidence'
16322 Your first complaint is that Mr. Nicolson did not give you any information?— Yes.
16323 Now Mr. Nicolson, in question 900, replies:— “I spent over an hour in the presence of Mr. Sadleir and Mr. O'Connor, and I gave him during that time all the information I could think of; and turned from time to time to Mr. Sadleir, and asked him, “Is there anything else, Mr. Sadleir, you can suggest?”—and Mr. Sadleir from time to time would tell me if he had thought so, and remind me; but I presume it would be better to defer that till Mr. Hare has been examined.” Was Mr. Sadleir present when Mr. Nicolson was giving you the information?— He was.
16324 I see Mr. Sadleir estimates the time at about fifteen or twenty minutes?— Yes.
16325 Did Mr. Nicolson give you that information so far as he relates?— No, not beyond what I have said—giving me the accounts of the different agents, their aliases, and how they were to be written to. I do not remember one circumstance he told me about the Kellys .
16326 Did he appeal to Mr. Sadleir?— Yes.
16327 If there was anything else?— Yes, he did.
16328 Would it be your impression from his manner that he had exhausted his information?— He never commenced any.
16329 But he states he did?— I say he did not give me any information.
16330 Then did he turn round and appeal to Mr. Sadleir to know if there was anything that he ought to inform you of?— Yes, he did. I took that to be with reference to the accounts alone.
16331 Did Mr. Sadleir suggest anything else that he might tell you?— I do not recollect that he did. I think not.
16332 Was Mr. Sadleir acquainted with nearly everything that was going on in the North-Eastern district?— I should fancy he was.
16333 Was he, so far as you know, equally well informed as Mr. Nicolson?— He was, to a certain extent; but Mr. Nicolson, as I have said in my evidence, was in the habit of taking notes in his books on meeting his agents—these notes were taken with him to Melbourne.
16334 Except those private notes of his own, would Mr. Sadleir be equally well informed?— I do not know. I fancy Mr. Sadleir knew a great deal, but Mr. Nicolson must have known a lot more.
16335 Did Mr. Sadleir give you any information when you were up there that Mr. Nicolson omitted?— Yes, every bit of it. Mr. Sadleir gave me all the information that I could have possibly expected from him.
16336 Did Mr. Nicolson draw your attention to the files of papers as they were docketed and put up, and say that all the information was there?— He did.
16337 And you had Mr. Sadleir's assistance—loyal assistance—in giving all information?— Yes, certainly.
16338 Did you have any intercourse with the agent signing himself “Diseased Stock”?— I had; I wrote to him immediately Mr. Nicolson went away—under an alias.
16339 Did Mr. Nicolson introduce you to him?— No, but I introduced him to Mr. Nicolson—not man to man, but told Mr. Nicolson, when he relieved me on the first occasion about him. I had seen him three or four times or more myself. He came to see me at Benalla, and I had been to his selection to see him after that.
16340 You knew him before Mr. Nicolson knew him?— Yes.
16341 If there is a letter of Mr. Nicolson's about the “Diseased Stock” agent, giving you all the information he could, would that bear out your idea with reference to Mr. Nicolson not giving you any information and trying to prevent you getting it?— Certainly. I say he gave me no verbal information. I put the word “verbal” information.
16342 In your report you say, “The senior-constable in charge of Beechworth had received a telegram from Mr. Nicolson to pay off all the agents be had employed”?— That is a subsequent thing, not referring to this.
16343 Would you think that such a very serious charge against Mr. Nicolson, when he left a gentleman almost his own equal (Mr. Sadleir) in full possession of all the facts to give to you?— I stated it as I found it. I have made no reflections.....
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