Bunbury
19th November 1890

The Commissioner of Police
Perth

Sir,

I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yours of date the 15th inst.

You would remember that the reason of the abrupt termination of my visit to Roebourne was your telegram to me and I must again remind you that that telegram was a break of the arrangement made as to correspondence.

I wired you from Roebourne that I would not take any further steps till I heard from you to which I received no reply consequently I came back.

Notwithstanding the way I was hampered I thoroughly believe I would have succeeded in unravelling the mystery and when you come to consider the time that had elapsed since the commission of the crime you wi8ll acknowledge that I had difficulties to contend with not to be overcome in a short space of time. A report was about in Roebourne that I had come there over the Roebourne murder case. I believe but I cannot say for certain that that report emanated from Colonel Angelo’s son who is in the Union Bank up there. This report I had completely overcome and was getting information when your telegram revived the matter and stopped enquiry.

Again you must admit that in matters of this kind the party making enquiries must be allowed to use his own discretion and once on the spot can judge better how to proceed than one who is not there.

Now you tell me that you cannot discuss the matter further with me until you have a detailed report to virtually saying that you decline to pay me after committing a breach of the agreement yourself by your own action. It is not fair to me to ask for this information until my expenses are paid so that some one else may reap the benefit and I be at the loss of the money due to me.

As soon as the money due to me is paid to Mr Hayward as requested in my last [letter] I will forward you a detailed report.

It is to say the least of it very annoying to be baulked in all enquiry and then to be refused payment by the party with whom the fault lies.

I have the honour to be
Sir
Your obedient servant

Geo J. Malcolm Stevens

********************

Bunbury
27th November 1890

The Commissioner of Police
Perth

Sir,

Herewith I enclose you the letter which I wrote to you on the 19th inst and posted on the 20th but which was returned to me by the mail arriving here on the 25th inst.

Will you kindly attend to this matter at once as I want to have it settled so that I can seek for some employment somewhere and I cannot afford to waste any time.

I have the honour to be
Sir
Your obedient servant
Geo J. Malcolm Stevens