MURDERS, APPREHENSIONS & MORE ... TROVE TUESDAY 30 Jul 2019

SCALES OF JUSTICE

The scales of justice are not always balanced...

The following pages are from the NSW Government Gazette as stated. It's easy to judge, but I often wonder what the story is behind these appearances. What drove these people to commit the crimes they are charged with... were they actually guilty, did they continue to find themselves on the wrong side of the law... there is always a story behind the story...

Can you add anything to the stories of the people listed?

As always, please click to enlarge...

New South Wales Police Gazette and Weekly Record of Crime (Sydney : 1860 - 1930), Wednesday 2 March  National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article251643270

Just to illustrate that there is always more to a story, I chose a couple of names from the first page above.

Firstly, Julia Cullinan, who was charged with stealing a silver watch.. was she guilty or not? 

A small notice appeared in 

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser 7 Apr 1881







Also from the first page, was the name William Freeman... who had been murdered... this article gave far more details about the case... I have taken the liberty of using paragraphs for ease of reading...

The Riverine Herald (Echuca, Vic. : Moama, NSW : 1869 - 1954; 1998 - 2000), Tuesday 8 March 1881, page 3

MURDER BY A MADMAN AT

AGNES BANKS.

(HAWKESBURY CHRONICLE )

A horrible murder was committed at Agnes Banks, on Tuesday, the 22nd ult, by Robert Williams, brother-in-law of the victim, William Freeman, an old man with a large family, and much respected in the district. It appears that the murdered man was husking corn in the granary at his residence at Agnes Bank, which the murderer used as his bedroom. 

On Tuesday morning some altercation is supposed to have taken place between deceased and Williams, Mrs Freeman, wife of the murdered man, and sister of Robert Williams, hearing a noise up in the granary, went out to ascertain the cause, when she saw her husband lying with his head against a heap of unhusked corn. Blood was flowing from his head profusely. She saw Robert Williams walk away from where her husband was lying who was then in a dying state, and never spoke. A son of the deceased went to Richmond to inform the police. Dr Jockel was soon in attendance, but life was then extinct. 

On receipt of information Senior-constable McNeely and constable Miles started for the scene of the murder. They found Williams lying on the roadside about a mile from the granary where the affair took place. Mr. W. K Gibbons, J.P.,   kept a close watch on him until the police arrived. When arrested by the police the man had in his possession a large table-knife, very much worn, and long stick, Senior-constable McNeely secured Williams from behind, and Mr. Gibbons rendered what assistance he could. McNeely succeeded in taking the knife from his grasp, and threw it beyond his reach until he had secured his man. Alter being handcuffed he was taken by the police to where the deceased's body lay. McNeely asked Williams if he knew the deceased; he replied, " Is he dead ? He is not dead !" He was then charged with the wilful murder of William Freeman, to which he made no reply, and was taken to the Richmond lockup. 

In consequence of not being able to secure 12 men for a coroner's jury in the Penrith district, it was decided to hold a magisterial enquiry. This took place on the following day, Wednesday, before the coroner for the Penrith district, Dr. Jockel, surgeon, deposed to examining the body, and described the nature of the wounds inflicted. There were six wounds on the head externally, ranging from three-quarters of an inch to two inches ; two on the crown of the head, one on the left temple, and one behind the left ear. On removing the scalp it was found to be extensively fractured. One fracture extended across the top of the head, five inches in length, another on the back on the head four inches ; while the left temporal region of the skull was literally battered in. Several pieces of loose bone could be picked out, and. the brain seen underneath. The iron bar produced had on it recent marks of blood, apparently human, also human hair resembling the hair of the deceased. From the appearance and size of the wounds the bar was the instrument used by the murderer. There were no other external marks of violence on the body. 

In his (Dr. Jockel's) opinion the deceased must have been struck three times, and any of the blows would cause instant death. Mrs. Freeman deposed to finding the body in the loft. She first of all heard a scuffling in the kitchen under the loft. A granddaughter of Freeman's was in the loft at the time it took place, and witness thinking the noise too loud for a child to make, went to satisfy herself. Running to the place she met the child coming down the ladder exclaiming, " Uncle Robert is beating grandfather." She then went up the ladder. and found her husband as described! Williams made use of threatening language to her, and being afraid- she-ran off for her son, who immediately went to Richmond for Dr. Jockel and the police. The accused accounted for the knife in his possession by saying he had taken it from the child who was paring peaches with it. 

The prisoner was committed to take his trial at Darlinghurst on the 9th day of May next, for the wilful murder of William Freeman.

The Maitland Mercury & Hunter River General Advertiser 15 May 1881  
Court case 11 May 1881



It seems that this was the only verdict that could be reached.. 
a terribly sad case.




William Freeman   Probate NSW Govt. Gazette 25 Mar 1881

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