by Linda Venn
Click here for a list of key characters in this story
Continuing Edmonds’ evidence in his defence, Tuesday 5th January 1932
Following the first visit to the scene of the hold-up, Detective O’Driscoll had a conversation with Edmonds, saying that Edmonds “had not given sufficient explanation to clear himself and he would have to go to Rollingstone, which witness did, remaining there until the following afternoon before going to the scene a second time.” (Cairns Post, Wednesday 6th January 1932, p.3.)
Constable O’Brien had said: “’We’re a pretty lucky lot and we’ll take a ticket in Tatts.’ Witness (Edmonds) agreed and O’Brien said: ‘We’ll call it the Hit and Miss Syndicate’ and witness said: ‘Call it what you like.’’’ (Cairns Post, Wednesday 6th January 1932, p.3.)
Edmonds continued to assert his innocence and recounted the police conversation he had overheard “when they returned to the scene of the hold-up about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, he heard Gooch say: ‘We have nothing on this bird. The only thing to do is to identify him and stand by it. We’ll put a hat and coat on him and dress him up and let O’Brien identify him.’” Edmonds overheard the same “conversations among the police, who were taking shifts in watching witness. He heard them say they had ‘nothing on that bird’ and the only thing was for O’Brien to stick to his identification.”
(Telegraph, Brisbane, Wednesday 6th January 1932, p. 9)
“Detective Gooch asked him to don the hat and coat found in the witness’s hut, and on doing so, Gooch asked of Constable O’Brien, ‘What do you think of it?’ and he replied, ‘No mistake, I think that’s the man, and coat, too’”. (Daily Standard, Wednesday 6th January 1932, p.2.)
The Brisbane Courier reported that Edmonds denied the hat was his. Also reported was Edmonds’ recounting of how “Gooch told him to walk in the direction the bushranger ran. The witness immediately retorted: ‘How do I know which way he ran?’ Witness walked 10 or 15 yards besides Gooch, who asked O’Brien: ‘What do you think of it?’” (Brisbane Courier, Wednesday 6th January 1932, p. 14)
Once again, significant local interest in the case meant that the Townsville Daily Bulletin gave the most detailed coverage. We pick up the Bulletin’s report of Edmonds’ evidence from the time of the second afternoon’s visit to the scene of the crime.
The police commenced talking amongst themselves in various groups, and he (Edmonds) heard Detective Gooch say to Constable O’Brien they had nothing on him and the only thing to do was for Constable O’Brien to identify him.
Sometime after he put the hat and coat on, and denied the hat belonged to him. The hat was too big for him, coming down over his ears.
They then asked him to stand behind the ambush, and also asked him to walk the way the bandit ran away, whereupon he stated he did not know in which direction the bandit went in.
As he walked back towards the road, Detective Gooch asked Constable O’Brien what he thought of it, and Constable O’Brien replied there was no mistake and considered it was the man and the coat. He told Constable O’Brien he was making a mistake, but he disagreed with defendant, and if he were, it was an honest mistake, and he would be the sorriest man in the world. He had a duty to perform. Defendant told him he could always come to his camp.
Detective Senior Sergeant O’Driscoll told defendant that he had not given him sufficient proof, and asked him to accompany him to Rollingstone, which he did, staying there until the following afternoon.
Before arriving at the scene of the hold-up on the second occasion, Constable O’Brien said they were a pretty lucky lot and they would take a ticket In Tatts’. To which he (Edmonds) agreed, Constable O’Brien saying they would call it the Hit and Miss syndicate. Defendant told Constable O’Brien he was a lucky man, and the bandit was either a bad shot, or else did not want to shoot him.
At Rollingstone, he overheard a conversation in which they (the police) said they had nothing on defendant, and the only thing would be for Constable O’Brien to keep to his identification. Neither Killoran or Stewart identified him at Rollingstone.
He (Edmonds) was subsequently brought to Townsville and arrested. He had nothing to do with the hold-up, neither was he in the vicinity at 10.45 that morning. He had not ridden the chestnut mare in that locality on the previous day.
It was a deliberate lie by Gooch that defendant stated in the train that he (Edmonds) was out mustering on the day of the hold-up with two girls. It was an untruth also he referred to two other girls. At the watchhouse, Detective Gooch told defendant he had interviewed some girls at Mutarnee who had denied being out mustering with defendant Detective Gooch added they were the only two girls at Mutarnee that rode about.
At the hotel at Rollingstone, Detective Gooch said that the fact alone that defendant said the bandit was a bad shot or did not want to shoot Constable O’Brien was sufficient proof.
The Court then adjourned for lunch.”
(Townsville Daily Bulletin, Wednesday 6th January 1932, p. 7)
Edmonds evidence took two hours to deliver. He “concluded saying he had nothing to do with the hold-up, nor was he in the vicinity at the time.” (Daily Standard, Wednesday 6th January 1932, p.2.)