Story of the KellyGang - the Royal Commission 31/3/1881
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Summary of the evidence
on day 6 of the hearings
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Question number
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Date
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Witness
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| 1235 - 1357 | 31/3/1881 | |
| 1238 -1357 | 31/6/1881 | Sup Hare |
| 1066 - 1103 1104 - 1234 |
29/3/1881 30/3/1881 |
See the following dates for Insp O'Connor's previous evidence |
| 1235 - 1237 11432 - 11540 11541 - 11543 11764 - 11865 11980 - 11996 |
31/3/1881 14/6/1881 15/6/1881 15/6/1881 16/6/1881 |
See these dates for other evidence given by Insp O'Connor |
| 1358 - 1464 1465 - 1592 1593 - 1632 12285 - 12289 13890 - 13901 16315 - 16656 |
1/4/1881 5/4/1881 6/4/1881 28/6/1881 21/7/1881 1/9/1881 |
See these dates for other evidence given by Sup Hare |
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Appendix
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Title
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| 3 | Superintendent Hare's report |
| 20 | Minutes of Proceedings at Meetings Held by the Royal Commission |
Summary of the evidence on day 6 of the hearings
31/3/1881, Insp O'Connor continued his evidence - some brief highlights
O'Connor continued his description of what happened at the Glenrowan siege and filled in gaps in his previous evidence.
31/3/1881, Superintendent Hare continued his evidence - some brief highlights
Sup Hare gave a quick run down of his career then explained his involvement in the hunt for the KellyGang. He became involved in the hunt from the time of the murders at Stringy Bark Creek.
"From the time Kennedy was shot up to the time of the Euroa bank robbery my time was fully taken up sending supplies of horses to the North-Eastern District. On the 26th of November 1878 Captain Standish sent for me, and told me that Mr. Nicolson had informed him that he had obtained reliable information that the KellyGang intended sticking up a bank in some part of the district, and that Mr. Nicolson had requested Captain Standish to tell me to take the necessary precautions at the stations in my district. I was all this time in Melbourne."
About twelve noon on the 12th December 1878 Hare received a telegram from Captain Standish directing me to report himself with horse and accoutrements at Euroa that night.
He then went through the details of the chase.
In January the sympathizers cause problems. They had been rounded up to appear in the Beechworth court, ' I had to go up, some five or six or seven times, to Beechworth every Friday afternoon, and remain there all Saturday-sometimes all Sunday, because I could not get away on Sunday-applying for a remand, and fighting for it.' Hare then went on to explan how this came about.
All the arrests had to be done at the same time. But still there were problems, there was one case of a man of the name of Ryan, of Lake Glenrowan. There are two brothers, very much alike. The police picked out one brother as being a great friend of the Kellys, and the two constables who went out to arrest this man saw what they thought to be the man, but it was really his brother, and when they found their mistake they let him go. He not knowing what was up; but, thinking there was something wrong, took a short cut, and they saw him galloping up to his brother.
A few days before the Jerilderie robbery Joe Byrne came and saw Aaron Sherritt and tried to get him to ride with the KellyGang. Sherritt then came to Benalla and had a long chat with Hare. He told Hare a lot about the plan to ride north.
On the night of 16/2/1879 rode from near El Dorardo to Mrs Byrne's place. The police party that was to join Hare Ward and Sherritt never turned up. On the way they saw the light from a camp of the KellyGang. This was one of Hare's great stories and he seems to have enjoyed telling it.
The next major event was the establishment of the first cave party to watch Mr Byrne's home.
How did the police organise their search parties?
What was it really like to be out with a search party in all weather?
Mr. O'Connor has mentioned some information about Cleary's house, that Captain Standish withheld the information from him. What happened?
How close did Hare and his party get to the KellyGang in the Warby Ranges?
Why were the rocks on top of the hills disturbed?
How did Standish, Hare and O'Connor get on when they lived together?
Who was 'apathetic.'?
'Did Captain Standish take out a search party at any time?'
'How did Captain Standish employ his time at Benalla?'
'Do you know really in your own mind why Captain Standish went up there (To Benalla to take charge of the hunt for the KellyGang) at all?'
What sort of games did the sympathizers play with the police?
'Could the policemen act on their own responsibility, and go and follow any traces when they got them; or had they to remain in till they got instructions giving permission to go out?'
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28-feb-10
This document gives you the text of the report about the KellyGang for this day. 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. We also apologise for any typographical errors. This document is subject to coypright.