The Argus at KellyGang 24/3/1881
The Police Commission had a long sitting yesterday. Captain Standish, who was the only witness examined, gave a long account of the police proceedings in the North-eastern district in connexion with the late Kelly gang of outlaws. In the course of it he cast severe reflections on Mr Nicolson, the present acting chief commissioner of police, and Sub-Inspector O'Connor, charging the former with inefficiency, and the latter with falsehood and misconduct. He was cross-examined both by Mr Nicolson and Mr O'Connor, and it was made painfully apparent during this part of the proceedings that the relations between the late chief commissioner of police and the two gentlemen named are of a most hostile character. Captain Standish ultimately expressed his wish to withdraw some remarks of his attacking Mr O'Connor's private character. The commission meet again at 11 am to-day.
THE POLICE COMMISSION
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23
Present - Messrs Longmore (chairman), Graves, Fincham, Hall, Anderson, and Gibb, MLA's, and Mr EJ Dixon.
A letter was read from the Chief Secretary's office, intimating that the Hon W M'Culloch, MLC, had resigned his seat on the commission.
Captain Standish , late chief commissioner of police, was the first witness called. He said he thought the better plan would be for him to write an exhaustive report on the whole subject, and then submit himself to cross-examination upon it. The commission, however, decided to begin taking evidence at once.
Captain Standish, being sworn, made the following verbal statement, in the course of which he was occasionally asked elucidatory questions by members of the commission: - I was appointed to the police force in September, 1858. With regard to the causes which led to the outbreak of the Kelly gang of bushrangers, the North-western district had for a number of years been the haunt of horse and cattle stealers, who gave the police force much trouble. In those days no such outrages were perpetrated as had occurred in the last two or three years, but there was a wholesale system of cattle- duffing. This culminated in the disturbance at Greta, when Constable Fitzpatrick went out there to serve a warrant on Dan Kelly for horse-stealing. When he got there and found Dan Kelly, he foolishly allowed his prisoner to stay and have his dinner. In the meantime Dan's brother Ned Kelly, Williamson, commonly called Brickey; and the Kelly's brother-in-law, Skillion, arrived with two or three other confederates and friends. A disturbance immediately took place between these men and Fitzpatrick, which resulted in Ned Kelly firing at Fitzpatrick, and shooting him through the wrist. Fitzpatrick fainted, and lay in a semi-comatose condition for some little time, when they cut the bullet out of his wrist and allowed him to go. He rode off, labouring under the idea that he was pursued by two of the gang, but I have ascertained that he was not so pursued. Some months afterwards I had a conversation with a prisoner in Pentridge, and he entirely corroborated every word of Fitzpatrick's evidence, gave me most useful information, and volunteered to assist me. [It may be here stated that, at a subsequent portion of the proceedings, Captain Standish applied to the commission to request the press to suppress the name of the prisoner just referred to, and of other persons who gave information to the police, and were referred to by the witness later on. The ground on which this application was made was that the lives and property of the persons who gave the information might be endangered if their names were divulged. The chairman made the request, and we comply with it. ] After that outrage steps were taken by Superintendent Sadleir to apprehend the Kelly brothers and two others not then known by name. His efforts having proved fruitless for many months, it was ultimately determined, with my approval, to start two search parties, well armed in pursuit of the Kellys. One started from Mansfield under charge of Sergeant Kennedy, and the other from Wangaratta under charge of Senior-constable Strahan. —, who gave me the information in Pentridge, was serving a sentence of six years for assisting in the outrage. The Government offered a reward of £100 for the apprehension of the Kellys. Late on the night of Sunday, October 27, 1878 I received a telegram from Mansfield, announcing that Constables Scanlan and Lonigan had been shot dead near Mansfield by the bushrangers. I communicated with the Chief Secretary early next morning, and took immediate steps to send up reinforcements and serviceable arms. We had a few Spencer repeating rifles in store, and Mr Berry urged me to spare no expense in arming the police force properly. For years the recognised weapon of the mounted police was only the revolver. I saw a considerable number of men off by the half past 1 p.m. train on the following day, and sent Mr Nicolson to the North-Eastern district to take charge of the operations. He was inspecting superintendent of country districts. Gave him authority to take any steps he thought necessary and incur any expenditure he thought necessary. This was immediately after I received the news. Also obtained authority from the Chief Secretary to purchase a number of breech-loading double-barrelled guns, to be sent up to the district as soon as possible. The original cause of this difficulty was the lawlessness of the district, in which the Kellys had been concerned for a number of years. Very great difficulties of various kinds beset the police. The Kellys had an enormous number of sympathisers in the district, and a great many respectable people there were in dread of their lives, and were afraid to give any information but their families, were endangered and their stock and property were liable to be stolen or destroyed. In addition, there is not the slightest doubt that a number of tradesmen in the district were so benefited by the increase of the police force there, with the consequent expenditure they were only too glad that this unpleasant business lasted so many months. A great many local papers, too, never lost an opportunity of attacking the police in the most unjustifiable manner, and on every possible occasion. Such attacks were calculated to do the police a great deal of harm, and prevent them receiving any material assistance from anybody. On 6th November, 1878, I proceeded to Benalla to confer with Mr Nicolson, arriving there about 8pm. While we were talking we received an urgent despatch from Mr Sadleir, then at Beechworth, that the Kellys had been at Sebastopol, and that he believed that they were there then.
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