Royal Commission report day 52 page 8
The Royal Commission evidence for 4/8/1881
(see also introduction to day 53)
[[../../people/peL_M/meehanThomasPc.html|Const Thomas Meehan]] giving evidence
17659 Were they saddled and ready for mounting?— That I could not say.
17660 Did you not take a fright at something imaginary?— No.
17661 What was there desperate in their appearance?— When McIntyre said Ned Kelly would come into Mansfield and roast him after taking his revolver.
17662 It was the image of something that frightened you?— It may be an image, but it was something more substantial than an image, I can assure you of that.
17663 You were under the impression that those men were a portion of the gang?— I had reasons to doubt about it, but still I had my ideas, and I believe they were correct. I would not say positively.
17664 What did you do all night with yourself; did you get as far away as you could from them?— I took it very quietly, I can assure you, under the circumstances; so much so, that when I came in I told Mr. Sadleir it. Then the Sebastopol affair was after that. Then things went on swimmingly.
17665 How far was it from where you left the horse that night to where you reached in the morning?— It would be about three miles.
17666 What were you doing all the night?— I have stated before I did not know the country; I went at the back of the ranges. They were different to what I thought they were. When I got into the bush it seemed different to me altogether.
17667 Do you mean to imply that you got “bushed”?— I did.
17668 In what way?— I was a stranger in that part of the country.
17669 Were you walking all the time?— I was walking till I got tired to get to the Broken River, that was my station.
17670 Did you not find any house when you were out that night?— No, there are no houses there.
17671 You know when you are dealing with a case of life and death — shooting three or four constables—it is hardly the thing to say you spent the whole night in going three miles. However, you got to the station in the morning?— I did.
17672 What further happened when you were sent out with the search party?— What I have stated about Mr. Sadleir. Then after that, I was sent to the Wombat, to Monk's place; I was there for some time. Then I was ordered back to my station again, at the Broken River. Then search parties were the order of the day at the time; they went out fourteen or fifteen at a time—things that I knew was a farce. I came into Benalla one time, there was a telegram sent up to Mansfield for the black tracker Spider and Constable Allwood to proceed to Benalla, take up Constable Meehan, at the Broken River. I went down with them to Benalla. There was no purpose for that, as far as I was cognizant. The next day we were ordered back to our stations. Captain Standish was in the yard at the time, and Mr. Nicolson was in the yard. Mr. Nicolson came over to me at the stable and read me a very wholesome lecture about how I could take a horse out of the stable. I did not do it according to his ideas, and I led the horse out of the stable, and it did not please Mr. Nicolson. This was the time when there was supposed to be no discipline at all. He must have me back into the stable again to take the bridle off the mare, and to lead her out according to his ideas. I had, of course, to submit. Then we went back to our stations. On another occasion, Constable Allwood and the black tracker again—Spider and myself came to Benalla. This was for the agricultural show. I got information in Benalla from Tom Reading, an ex-sergeant of police, and I believed him, about the Kellys being out on the Puzzle Range. He told me what to do, and how he got the information. I came into the office; Mr. Sadleir and Mr. Nicolson were in the office at the time. Mr. Sadleir never spoke to me on that occasion. I saluted Mr. Nicolson; it was not according to his ideas. Then he stood up from the table, and told me how I should salute him. I told him I was in the depot in 1873, and that I was in the ranges all the time since, and I saluted him to the best of my ability. Mind you, this was when I brought information. After he thought he had instructed me, he said, “Now, what do you want?” I told him I wanted nothing,. He said, “How much drink had you this morning?” I told him I had two brandies. He said, “Was the man drunk that gave you the intelligence, Meehan?” I said, “No, sir, he was not.” He said, “I shall make enquiries.”
17673 You have asked to be examined by the Commission?— Excuse me, there is something more I have got to say to the Commission.
17674 Did Mr. Nicolson, or any other officer tell you that discipline was relaxed at the time you brought out the horse out of the stable?— In the correspondence book it is there. ....
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