Royal Commission report day 7 page 4
The Royal Commission evidence for 1/4/1881
(see also introduction to day 7)
Francis Augustus Hare giving evidence
1409 You were saying just now when you were relieved by Mr. Nicolson on this occasion you gave him all the information in your possession, as was your bounder duty, and what you were paid for by Government?— Yes, no doubt.
1410 One matter in Mr. Nicolson's evidence: you mentioned that you gave all the names of all the agents, and intimated to him what your course of proceeding was, and that amongst the list you gave the name of the agent whom you had employed, who wrote subsequently about the armour?— Yes.
1411 Mr. Nicolson said when he went on duty that he found the men unaccustomed to the use of arms. He has given the names of some men. Now you mentioned certain men you had with you, namely, Mays, and men from your own district, and other men: were those men left with Mr. Nicolson?— No; I think the majority of my own men returned to my district with me.
1412 That would be in accordance with orders?— Yes. We had to reduce the district, and I asked Captain Standish to let them go with me.
1413 Did Mays?— Yes, and Mills. Falkner did not leave.
1414 Did Phillips?— He was not in my party. Lawless left with me, and O'Lachlan left with me. I think that was all; and I think Falkner was the only one remaining.
1415 Mr. Nicolson gave the names of certain men, that were there when he returned to duty and relieved you, who he said were unaccustomed to the arms then given out to them—the Martini-Henry rifles and others; and he gave a list of men he had taught under his own supervision. Were any of those men in your party that you say were thoroughly accustomed to arms—was Kirkham?— Yes, I looked upon him so; he was for a short time (two or three months) in my party.
1419 Was Bell ?— No.
1420 Was Senior-Constable Irwin?— No.
1421 Was Mounted-Constable Graham in your party?— I do not know him.
1422 Was Hugger?— No.
1423 Was Arthur?— I think he was out on two or three occasions.
1424 Was this the Arthur who was at the capture?— Yes. He is one of the best shots in the colony. When he joined us and left the depot, the drill instructor wrote up a note when he came up to Benalla, and said, “If you want a good man, pick out Arthur; be is the grandest shot I have seen in the Depot
1425 Was Phillips with you?— No. He is the man specially referred to that had never fired a gun.
Mr. Nicolson . —I said he had never fired off a gun.
The Witness. —Phillips had been acting in town as orderly to the Chief Commissioner of Police. He was removed from that duty, and a vacancy having occurred in the Benalla district, he was sent up at once, and he had never been out on a search party up to the time I left; and had only been, I think, about a few weeks at Benalla.
Mr. Nicolson. —I beg to remark that it does not follow that the men mentioned as having been in the shooting class were meant by me as being unfit to shoot. I took all the men I could get.
The Witness. —I may state, in connection with that, that during the time I was at Benalla, when I came in with search parties, that I frequently let the men go out and fire for practice. I do not think I ever came in but the men went and had some practice, both with the double-barrelled guns and also with the other weapons that were served out to each. Every man shot with his own weapon, and my men especially I used always to let practise.
1426 Were your men all good horsemen?— Well, I do not quite understand the term.
1427 Good riders?— They were not all equal to the Kellys—three were. I believe those three men, if we had come across the Kellys, would have followed them, and overtaken them. Those three men were specially mounted for the purpose. The picked horses of the district were given them. They were Canny, Falkner, and Lawless. There was also Senior-Constable Johnson, who was out with me on one or two occasions, though I did not look upon him as one of my party. You could not get better riders in the whole of Australia for bush country, or more plucky men than those.....
Previous page / Next page
| ! | The text has been retyped from a microfiche copy of the original. We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged. |
The previous day / next day . . . Royal Commission index
