Analysis: What happened at the Glen Innes races
The small but vocal minority who claim that Fred Ward was not shot at Kentucky Creek on 25 May 1870 use as their strongest piece of evidence the alleged sighting of Fred at the Glen Innes races on 28 May 1870, three days after the shooting. The Fact Sheet on the Death of Thunderbolt reports:[1]
Note, however, the lack of source references in the above claim. The only evidence seems to be that "I have been told that the report was seen in the police archives in Sydney as recently as 1998".
So what are the facts. All surviving New South Wales government records for the pre-Federation period are lodged with State Records of New South Wales, the record repository for the State's records. Moreover, they have been lodged with State Records for decades. If such a report existed, it would be found within the State Records archives, not the Police Archives, as both the State Records archivists and the Police archivists themselves attest. Rather than "the police not permitting me to view it", they have more likely said, repeatedly, that they don't have any old records.
In fact, it was within the records held by what is now called State Records that Thunderbolt historian Bob Cummins indicates that he found the report. Bob himself told me that he saw this report when he "octopussed" through records while researching at the Mitchell Library many years previously.[2] The records held by the then Archives Office of NSW were accessible at the Mitchell Library until 1980, when the Archives Office moved to its own premises. Clearly this report was located more than three decades ago. It has almost certainly not been located in the aftermath as Cummins said that he "buried it" but noted its location.[2] The skilled archivists employed by State Records have undertaken an extensive search but have not been able to find the report. I asked Cummins on multiple occasions if he would provide me with its location so l could make the document public but he has chosen not to do so.
Since we can't access the report itself, let's assess its likely merits.
According to the Fact Sheet author (see above), the report says that on 28 May, three days after the Kentucky Creek shooting, two policemen were at the Glen Innes races and saw Thunderbolt's horse Combo there. They lay in wait until they saw the rider, who they personally identified as Thunderbolt. They followed him but could not keep up with him, and lodged their report in the aftermath.
What are the facts?
There were no races held at Glen Innes that weekend.[3] Nor were there any races held at Guyra that weekend. In fact there were no races held north of Newcastle in the week following Thunderbolt's death.[3]
Bob Cummins himself says that the sighting was at the Glen Innes races, so what can we determine about these races? Newspaper reports reveal that they were an annual event held in the last week of March each year, not May.[3] In 1870, the races were held on Wednesday 30 March and Thursday 31 March.[4]
Could Thunderbolt have been spotted at the Glen Innes races in March 1870? Yes indeed. On the night of 31 March 1870, he bailed up the mail near Deepwater, which lies 25 miles north of Glen Innes (see below):[5]
So what are the facts. All surviving New South Wales government records for the pre-Federation period are lodged with State Records of New South Wales, the record repository for the State's records. Moreover, they have been lodged with State Records for decades. If such a report existed, it would be found within the State Records archives, not the Police Archives, as both the State Records archivists and the Police archivists themselves attest. Rather than "the police not permitting me to view it", they have more likely said, repeatedly, that they don't have any old records.
In fact, it was within the records held by what is now called State Records that Thunderbolt historian Bob Cummins indicates that he found the report. Bob himself told me that he saw this report when he "octopussed" through records while researching at the Mitchell Library many years previously.[2] The records held by the then Archives Office of NSW were accessible at the Mitchell Library until 1980, when the Archives Office moved to its own premises. Clearly this report was located more than three decades ago. It has almost certainly not been located in the aftermath as Cummins said that he "buried it" but noted its location.[2] The skilled archivists employed by State Records have undertaken an extensive search but have not been able to find the report. I asked Cummins on multiple occasions if he would provide me with its location so l could make the document public but he has chosen not to do so.
Since we can't access the report itself, let's assess its likely merits.
According to the Fact Sheet author (see above), the report says that on 28 May, three days after the Kentucky Creek shooting, two policemen were at the Glen Innes races and saw Thunderbolt's horse Combo there. They lay in wait until they saw the rider, who they personally identified as Thunderbolt. They followed him but could not keep up with him, and lodged their report in the aftermath.
What are the facts?
There were no races held at Glen Innes that weekend.[3] Nor were there any races held at Guyra that weekend. In fact there were no races held north of Newcastle in the week following Thunderbolt's death.[3]
Bob Cummins himself says that the sighting was at the Glen Innes races, so what can we determine about these races? Newspaper reports reveal that they were an annual event held in the last week of March each year, not May.[3] In 1870, the races were held on Wednesday 30 March and Thursday 31 March.[4]
Could Thunderbolt have been spotted at the Glen Innes races in March 1870? Yes indeed. On the night of 31 March 1870, he bailed up the mail near Deepwater, which lies 25 miles north of Glen Innes (see below):[5]
So what does this tell us? That there is no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Fred Ward was seen alive in the aftermath of the Kentucky Creek shooting, and that if he was indeed spotted at the Glen Innes races, it was two months prior to his death, not three days afterwards.
Sources:
[1] Fact Sheet on the Death of Thunderbolt by Barry Sinclair - sighted 19 Jun 2011 [http://users.tpg.com.au/users/barrymor/Family%20Facts%20on%20the%20Death%20of%20Thunderbolt.html]
[2] Email from Bob Cummins to Carol Baxter dated 19 Nov 2010
[3] Search for yourself using the Trove Online Newspapers
[4] Sydney Morning Herald 31 March 1870 p.5 and 1 April 1870 p.5
[5] Maitland Mercury 12 Apr 1870 from Armidale Newspapers dated 2 Apr 1870 (reporting a robbery committed on the night of Thursday 31 March)
[1] Fact Sheet on the Death of Thunderbolt by Barry Sinclair - sighted 19 Jun 2011 [http://users.tpg.com.au/users/barrymor/Family%20Facts%20on%20the%20Death%20of%20Thunderbolt.html]
[2] Email from Bob Cummins to Carol Baxter dated 19 Nov 2010
[3] Search for yourself using the Trove Online Newspapers
[4] Sydney Morning Herald 31 March 1870 p.5 and 1 April 1870 p.5
[5] Maitland Mercury 12 Apr 1870 from Armidale Newspapers dated 2 Apr 1870 (reporting a robbery committed on the night of Thursday 31 March)