The Argus at KellyGang 10/8/1881 (2)
At the sitting of the Police Commission yesterday, Mr Graves, Commissioner of Customs, tendered a number of letters he had received in connexion with the Kelly affair, and was examined at some length as to his own knowledge of the police tactics in the pursuit of the gang. John Sherritt's cross examination was concluded, and some farther evidence on points of minor importance was given by Detective Ward and Senior-constable Mullane. The board then adjourned until Tuesday week.
THE POLICE COMMISSION
Wednesday, Aug. 10
Present – Messrs Longmore (chairman), Fincham, Dixon , Gibbs, and Hall.
John Sherritt was recalled, and his cross- examination was concluded.
Mr Graves , Commissioner of Customs, and late member of the board, was summoned to produce certain letters he had received in connexion with the Kelly business, and amongst the documents he tendered to the board was the following letter:-
“ Melbourne , April 10, 1880 . – J H Graves, Esq - Dear Sir, – In laying before you the following statement relative to the police force and the Kelly gang, I trust you will excuse the liberty I have taken, but I hope to justify my action by the following facts. As you are aware, the outlaws have now been at large over 18 months, and the question arises in one's mind – Are they ever to be captured? Well, I will endeavour to the best of my ability to explain; the cause of their being still at large, from the time of the police murders at Mansfield up to the present, has been but a complete failure of the Police department. I will begin my narrative at the Euroa Bank robbery. How the outlaws eluded the police there can only be accounted for in one way, and that was negligence of duty by Mr Nicolson, who was then in charge of the search party there. There should be an inquiry instituted about this particular case. Why the members of the force were delayed at Euroa for hours after the out-laws were gone is a serious matter, and ought in justice to every member of the force to be cleared up. That a serious blunder was committed there can be no doubt, and it is the only reason the chief commissioner had for ordering him to Melbourne on a pretext of having bad eyes.
Another case similar happened shortly afterwards at Beechworth, when valuable information reached the constable in charge that the outlaws were in the vicinity. The constables, five or six in number, decided to proceed at once, and when everything was complete and ready to start an officer dropped in, and ordered them to remain in barracks, and went for orders, which they were obliged to obey. The consequence of this delay was, that when all the usual red tape routine was gone through, they surrounded the hut, in three days after the information reached Beechworth. The Kelly gang hid decamped the day previous. There is something very singular in this case. When this particular hut was surrounded there was almost as many officers present as constables. The question arises – Were these constables delayed for the purpose of collecting all the officers in the district to be present at the great charge of Sebastopol , as it is now termed? Had these six constables been allowed to proceed at once with the in- former, the Kelly gang would now be a thing of the past, as it has been proven beyond a doubt since that the outlaws were there 24 hours after the information reached Beechworth. This is two instances in which if proper and prompt stops had been taken the gallows would have had its victims. Mr Nicolson has resumed his old position in charge, and what he has done to-wards capturing the outlaws I am not in a position to say.
There has been a secret party of police in charge of Detective Ward at Beechworth for the last four months, watching Mrs Burn's house. This party of police were going to succeed at once. The gang, who were always supposed to be visiting Mrs Burn, were to be sold by Aaron Sherritt, who is engaged at a very high salary by the police department. And it is well known that Sherritt did assist these outlaws when they first turned out, and will assist them again, and I would not be the least surprised but what he carries all the information about the police movements to the Kellys, yet this is the man that A C police places his confidence in. The party is now withdrawn, on account of the outlaws' friends knowing what the police were up to. And it seems to me that the party was nothing more nor less than a complete farce, as the Burn's and Sherritt's families are great friends, and both know as much as the police about this secret party. In fact, Detective Ward has expressed himself on several occasions to some of his friends in Beechworth previous to the party going out, that he knew there was nothing in it, but he must do something to curry favour with Nicolson. And at the proper time evidence will be brought forward to prove my statement true.
At the present time there are men in the district who had been picked out for their smartness and activity, and they are not allowed outside barracks, for fear of them hearing anything about the murderers. There are also stationed in the district six black trackers from Queensland . The Government finds them in good clothing, and also a constable and sub-inspector to look after them. To me it seems monstrous that a sub-inspector is required to look after six black trackers at £50 per month, also horses to sport his figure on. At the lowest estimate the trackers cost the country about £150 a month without horses, and in their first attempt at tracking two men escaped from Lancefield to Sandhurst on foot. That does not speak much for their abilities as black trackers, and I may state that those members of the force who have had an opportunity of judging of their capabilities are of opinion that they will be the cause of the outlaws escaping on the next attempt at sticking-up a bank, as no one was allowed to go in pursuit of the robbers at Lancefield for fear of obliterating the track. The same thing will occur again.
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