Mentally Ill Prisoners at St Helena. John Haslem. Contemporary views of Muckadilla. On Monday 20 October 1879, the mail coach was on the outskirts of Muckadilla, a settlement between Roma and Charleville, when a man approached on foot. He presented a double-barreled gun and yelled, “Stop, bail up.” The coach didn’t immediately stop, apparently toContinue reading ““Poor devils like myself.””
Tag Archives: Courts
The man who loved horses.
Highway Robbery at Kangaroo Point Samuel Fletcher loved horses. To be precise, he loved horses that weren’t his own. A horse was an expensive proposition – why pay for one? That was Samuel’s mindset back when he was a lad in Nottingham – he worked as a groom[i], and was surrounded by fine horses allContinue reading “The man who loved horses.”
The most famous murder trial you’ve never heard of.
The Indooroopilly Murder. Elizabeth Lansfield was 25, and life had been hard. She’d come out to Queensland with her husband William and their two little ones in 1875. William junior had died on the voyage. While still on board, she gave birth to Winefred, named after the ship the family travelled in. Her new babyContinue reading “The most famous murder trial you’ve never heard of.”
Death at Twelve-Mile Reach.
Before railways and paved roads, the best way to travel between Ipswich and Brisbane was by river. Steamers plied the river, carrying passengers and cargo at what would be to modern eyes, a rather stately pace. Class divides were inescapable. Steamers offered saloons for the better-off, and steerage for the working class. Formal dinners andContinue reading “Death at Twelve-Mile Reach.”
Consulting AI to Depict the Quiet Day in Ipswich.
AI image generators are fascinating things. I knew that I probably shouldn’t have. But sometimes the temptation is simply too much. I just had to go and play with image generation software to help tell the Ipswich Courthouse stories. The first story, that of the drunken man who sells his horse for too little, thenContinue reading “Consulting AI to Depict the Quiet Day in Ipswich.”
A Quiet Day at Ipswich.
The cases before the Magistrates, translated from the original Moreton Bay Courier,1850. IPSWICH. Tuesday, 23rd July. Two of the genus homo, named respectively Arnold and Tasker, the latter commonly called “Gooseberry,” appeared on warrant this morning, before our resident Magistrate, to answer the complaints of Mrs Deborah Grocott, alias Howell, or Howard, and her friendContinue reading “A Quiet Day at Ipswich.”
A Strange Man in a Strange Land.
Only he knew how his name really should have been recorded and pronounced. He was best known as Kimboo[i], and all we know of him comes from his interactions with European employers and the courts. He was born in China around 1820. He stood around 5 feet, 2 inches, and was described as neat, pleasant-lookingContinue reading “A Strange Man in a Strange Land.”
The First Circuit Court of Moreton Bay.
On this day – 10 February 1850 – Proclamation of the Circuit Court. From the introduction of free settlement in 1842 until the Gaol and Circuit Court opened for business in 1850, Moreton Bay had no place to hold trials or accommodate prisoners. There was only a Court of Petty Sessions, which was empowered toContinue reading “The First Circuit Court of Moreton Bay.”
A Lifetime of Crime.
The long career of Alfred Allwood. How did Alfred Allwood manage to spend most of his life in gaol, considering that his haul of stolen goods over 40 years amounted to less than £10, a pair of boots, a gold watch, and a cake? He wasn’t a very good thief, and on a couple ofContinue reading “A Lifetime of Crime.”
The Career of Tom the Devil.
There were quite a few gentlemen who rejoiced in the sobriquet “Tom the Devil” in the 19th century. Tom the Devil seemed to be like the Flying Pieman or Dread Pirate Roberts – once someone was finished with the appellation, another individual would take over in the role. The Original Devil. The original Tom theContinue reading “The Career of Tom the Devil.”
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