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Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission evidence
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== The Royal Commission evidence for 31/3/1881 ==
''''''
=== full text ===
(see also introduction to [[Royal Commission report 31/3/1881|day 6]] )
'''Francis Augustus [[Hare|Hare]] giving evidence'''
<span id="rc1320">[[#rc1320|1320]]</span> As far as you know?— No, I know everything. I know that Captain [[Standish|Standish]], Mr. [[O'Connor|O'Connor]], and myself lived together like brothers—we occupied a sitting-room together.
<span id="rc1321">[[#rc1321|1321]]</span> How can you speak for all like that?— Because Captain Standish was never up there afterwards.
<span id="rc1322">[[#rc1322|1322]]</span> Did you not mean to say since you left the district on the first occasion, instead of saying since the capture of the [[KellyGang|Kellys]]?— Yes, that is what I meant.
<span id="rc1323">[[#rc1323|1323]]</span> Concerning that, did not you and Captain Standish and Mr. O'Connor live in the same rooms at the hotel?— Yes.
<span id="rc1324">[[#rc1324|1324]]</span> Dine together—occupy the same apartment at the hotel?— Yes; lived by ourselves, I say. I thought as much of Mr. O’Connor as any man I ever met in my life. We were on terms of more than ordinary friendship.
<span id="rc1325">[[#rc1325|1325]]</span> Official?— No, private. I never cared for any man more than I did for Mr. O’Connor, and he for me. He made my house his home when he came down here, and so it remained until I left Benalla on the first occasion. I do not for a moment say that Captain Standish and Mr. O'Connor had not squabbles. We were all “chaffing” each other as we were living together. Some are more given to “chaff” than others. Captain Standish was sometimes rather nasty in his “chaff” to Mr. O’Connor, and Mr. O'Connor would not stand it.
<span id="rc1326">[[#rc1326|1326]]</span> Was that during the “friendly terms” you speak of?— Yes. And they used to have a row perhaps for half an hour, and then one would say he was sorry for it, and they would meet quite friendly next morning at breakfast. Between him and myself I do not think we had the slightest difference. Mr. O'Connor has rather a short temper, and Captain Standish used to say rather nasty things, and Mr. O'Connor would not stand it, but it was made up the next morning, and nothing came of it—and so it went on to the end of the time. As far as the official business was concerned, I am really at a loss to know how it can be said that Captain Standish did anything to prevent the Kellys being caught, through his apathy or anything else. Mr. O'Connor never, when we were on terms of friendship, said, “If Captain Standish had done so and so we would have got the Kellys.” He used to remark to me the indifferent manner in which Captain Standish behaved from time to time when the subject of the Kellys was mentioned.
<span id="rc1327">[[#rc1327|1327]]</span> What do you mean by indifferent—apathetic?— Yes, apathetic. He would change the subject to something else; and Mr. Sadleir has remarked the same.
<span id="rc1328">[[#rc1328|1328]]</span> Mr. O’Connor said you had several times remarked to him that Captain Standish was indifferent?— I do not deny Mr. O'Connor's statement. I dare say I may have said, “He does not take a great interest when you speak to him;” but when I have spoken to him he has always shown the utmost interest in the whole affair, and from Captain Standish down to the lowest constable I am sure that we had but one object in view during the seven months that I was up there. I do not exclude Mr. O'Connor at all. He never said a word to me at all about any chances we had thrown away, and he showed as much interest as I did
<span id="rc1329">[[#rc1329|1329]]</span> To make them amenable to justice?— Yes, just so, to catch the Kellys. It was his thought day and night—that is, Captain Standish's—and every constable's there; and to say now that the reason the Kellys were not captured was because of the squabbles between the officers, this I deny. As far as I was concerned, for the seven months, I declare there was no chance thrown away that I knew of; I never threw one away that I knew of, with my feeling on the subject then. I never received information without enquiring into it.
<span id="rc1330">[[#rc1330|1330]]</span> Were you aware of any difference between Mr. Nicolson and Captain Standish?— No, never, not up to that time.
<span id="rc1331">[[#rc1331|1331]]</span> Mr. Nicolson never said anything in your hearing?— He was not up there.
<span id="rc1332">[[#rc1332|1332]]</span> At any other time?— No.
<span id="rc1333">[[#rc1333|1333]]</span> Did Captain Standish take out a search party at any time?— Never. He came out to visit me when I was at the watch party one night; but I do not know that he did on any other occasion.
<span id="rc1334">[[#rc1334|1334]]</span> How did Captain Standish employ his time at Benalla?— He took charge of affairs, attended to all the correspondence and all the matters at head-quarters.
<span id="rc1335">[[#rc1335|1335]]</span> Was that a heavy responsibility?— It was a heavy responsibility. He had to decide between the different reports that came in—not by himself, but Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Sadleir and I assisted him.
<span id="rc1336">[[#rc1336|1336]]</span> You lived at the hotel at Benalla on one side of the river?— Yes.
<span id="rc1337">[[#rc1337|1337]]</span> Are the police there at the other end of the town?— Yes.
<span id="rc1338">[[#rc1338|1338]]</span> After you had breakfast, Captain Standish went to his business at the barracks every morning, and remained there all day?— Yes....
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[[Royal Commission report day 6 page 10|previous page]] / [[Royal Commission report day 6 page 12|next page]]
== The Royal Commission evidence for 31/3/1881 ==
''''''
=== full text ===
(see also introduction to [[Royal Commission report 31/3/1881|day 6]] )
'''Francis Augustus [[Hare|Hare]] giving evidence'''
<span id="rc1320">[[#rc1320|1320]]</span> As far as you know?— No, I know everything. I know that Captain [[Standish|Standish]], Mr. [[O'Connor|O'Connor]], and myself lived together like brothers—we occupied a sitting-room together.
<span id="rc1321">[[#rc1321|1321]]</span> How can you speak for all like that?— Because Captain Standish was never up there afterwards.
<span id="rc1322">[[#rc1322|1322]]</span> Did you not mean to say since you left the district on the first occasion, instead of saying since the capture of the [[KellyGang|Kellys]]?— Yes, that is what I meant.
<span id="rc1323">[[#rc1323|1323]]</span> Concerning that, did not you and Captain Standish and Mr. O'Connor live in the same rooms at the hotel?— Yes.
<span id="rc1324">[[#rc1324|1324]]</span> Dine together—occupy the same apartment at the hotel?— Yes; lived by ourselves, I say. I thought as much of Mr. O’Connor as any man I ever met in my life. We were on terms of more than ordinary friendship.
<span id="rc1325">[[#rc1325|1325]]</span> Official?— No, private. I never cared for any man more than I did for Mr. O’Connor, and he for me. He made my house his home when he came down here, and so it remained until I left Benalla on the first occasion. I do not for a moment say that Captain Standish and Mr. O'Connor had not squabbles. We were all “chaffing” each other as we were living together. Some are more given to “chaff” than others. Captain Standish was sometimes rather nasty in his “chaff” to Mr. O’Connor, and Mr. O'Connor would not stand it.
<span id="rc1326">[[#rc1326|1326]]</span> Was that during the “friendly terms” you speak of?— Yes. And they used to have a row perhaps for half an hour, and then one would say he was sorry for it, and they would meet quite friendly next morning at breakfast. Between him and myself I do not think we had the slightest difference. Mr. O'Connor has rather a short temper, and Captain Standish used to say rather nasty things, and Mr. O'Connor would not stand it, but it was made up the next morning, and nothing came of it—and so it went on to the end of the time. As far as the official business was concerned, I am really at a loss to know how it can be said that Captain Standish did anything to prevent the Kellys being caught, through his apathy or anything else. Mr. O'Connor never, when we were on terms of friendship, said, “If Captain Standish had done so and so we would have got the Kellys.” He used to remark to me the indifferent manner in which Captain Standish behaved from time to time when the subject of the Kellys was mentioned.
<span id="rc1327">[[#rc1327|1327]]</span> What do you mean by indifferent—apathetic?— Yes, apathetic. He would change the subject to something else; and Mr. Sadleir has remarked the same.
<span id="rc1328">[[#rc1328|1328]]</span> Mr. O’Connor said you had several times remarked to him that Captain Standish was indifferent?— I do not deny Mr. O'Connor's statement. I dare say I may have said, “He does not take a great interest when you speak to him;” but when I have spoken to him he has always shown the utmost interest in the whole affair, and from Captain Standish down to the lowest constable I am sure that we had but one object in view during the seven months that I was up there. I do not exclude Mr. O'Connor at all. He never said a word to me at all about any chances we had thrown away, and he showed as much interest as I did
<span id="rc1329">[[#rc1329|1329]]</span> To make them amenable to justice?— Yes, just so, to catch the Kellys. It was his thought day and night—that is, Captain Standish's—and every constable's there; and to say now that the reason the Kellys were not captured was because of the squabbles between the officers, this I deny. As far as I was concerned, for the seven months, I declare there was no chance thrown away that I knew of; I never threw one away that I knew of, with my feeling on the subject then. I never received information without enquiring into it.
<span id="rc1330">[[#rc1330|1330]]</span> Were you aware of any difference between Mr. Nicolson and Captain Standish?— No, never, not up to that time.
<span id="rc1331">[[#rc1331|1331]]</span> Mr. Nicolson never said anything in your hearing?— He was not up there.
<span id="rc1332">[[#rc1332|1332]]</span> At any other time?— No.
<span id="rc1333">[[#rc1333|1333]]</span> Did Captain Standish take out a search party at any time?— Never. He came out to visit me when I was at the watch party one night; but I do not know that he did on any other occasion.
<span id="rc1334">[[#rc1334|1334]]</span> How did Captain Standish employ his time at Benalla?— He took charge of affairs, attended to all the correspondence and all the matters at head-quarters.
<span id="rc1335">[[#rc1335|1335]]</span> Was that a heavy responsibility?— It was a heavy responsibility. He had to decide between the different reports that came in—not by himself, but Mr. O'Connor and Mr. Sadleir and I assisted him.
<span id="rc1336">[[#rc1336|1336]]</span> You lived at the hotel at Benalla on one side of the river?— Yes.
<span id="rc1337">[[#rc1337|1337]]</span> Are the police there at the other end of the town?— Yes.
<span id="rc1338">[[#rc1338|1338]]</span> After you had breakfast, Captain Standish went to his business at the barracks every morning, and remained there all day?— Yes....
=== Previous page / Next page ===
<br />
{{MicroficheCopy}}<br />
'''The [[Royal Commission evidence day 5 page 1|previous day]] / [[Royal Commission report day 7 page 1|next day]] . . . Royal Commission [[Royal Commission Index|index]]'''
[[Category:Royal Commission]] [[Category:January 1811]] [[Category:Royal Commission]] [[Category:Commisioner Standish]] [[Category:history]]
MediaWiki:Sidebar
{{^|Original page location \documents\RoyalCommission\RC810331_6_11_1320.html}}
