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NOTORIOUS NEGRO CONVICT

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ON THIS DAY – November 23, 1909

COBURG

THE NEGRO CONVICT.

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.

The negro convict, William King, who recently attacked a warder at Pentridge prison, and stabbed him several times with a knife, is to be charged with attempted murder. King is still very troublesome.

NOTORIOUS NEGRO CONVICT.

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.

The notorious negro convict William King who, on the 10th inst., attacked Warder A. Curtis at the Pentridge Gaol, is to be charged with attempted murder. King has since been kept in a strait jack, and webbed trousers, but is still very troublesome. Warder James Quirk, who went to Curtis’s assistance, is still ill from the effects of King’s violence.

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Death of “The Russian”

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ON THIS DAY …….. 15th of April 2003

Nik Radev, known as “The Russian”, was killed in Queen St Coburg on the 15th of April. The known drug dealer and standover man was shot seven times in the head and chest as he sat in his Mercedes-Benz coupé. Victoria Police told The Age that they believed his death was planned by a father and son drug manufacturing team, and a hitman suspected of four other murders carried out the killing in a red sedan. Andrew Veniamin met Radev on the day of the murder and unambiguously fitted the police description of the prime suspect, along with George and Carl Williams. Radev had been warned that he was a marked man but ignored the warnings refusing to believe his friends would turn on him. Damien Cossu and Alfonso Traglia were with Radev at the time of the murder but claimed they could not identify the gunman, and were subsequently named by police as ‘persons of interest.

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Fatal Railway Accident

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ON THIS DAY ……… 21st March 1913

Bert Gouller, aged 13 years, whose leg and arm were cut off through falling under a Coburg train at the Flinders-street station, died on this day in 1913.

 

 

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Murder of Teacher Alleged

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ON THIS DAY – March 20, 1931

FOUR YOUTHS ON TRIAL

At the conclusion of the evidence for the defence at the resumed trial of Allen Esdale Davis Ward (18), Ralph William Fuller (19), Richard Hanford Jackson (19), and Leslie Charles Lewis (17) on charges of murder, the Chief Justice Sir William Irvine, said he did not think there was evidence to substantiate the murder charge against either Lewis, Jackson or Fuller, but there was abundant evidence of manslaughter. His Honor said there was sufficient evidence against Ward for the charge of murder to go before the jury. The youths appeared in the Criminal Court on a charge of having at Coburg on March 20 murdered Arthur Nelson Head (16) school teacher, of Belgrave street, Coburg. After accused had given evidence the hearing was adjourned. The Crown alleges that Head, after leaving a church fete at the Presbyterian church, Sydney road, with three other youths, was attacked and assaulted by the four accused. Head died from his injuries the following day.

 

 

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Feeble Class Prisoners

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On This Day – 8th March 1907

Four prisoners, of the usual vagrant and feeble class, were received at the Geelong gaol on this day in 1907 from Pentridge, and the police escort took back two female prisoners to Coburg. Since the Penal authorities transferred the matron from the gaol, it has been necessary to engage an outside woman to attend to female prisoners until it is convenient to transfer them to Melbourne.

 

 

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Insane Mother

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ON THIS DAY – FEBRUARY 8, 1927

DONALD

Beatrice Ivy Adcock aged 18 years was charged with having murdered on this day in 1927, a male child at Donald. Accused pleaded not guilty. A verdict of not guilty was returned on the grounds of insanity at the time, and Adcock will be detained at the female prison at Coburg until her case is dealt with.

 

 

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The Yalca Murder

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On This Day – January 23, 1881

Robert Rohan, alias Smith, murderer of John Shea, at Yalca, near Shepparton, on the 23rd January 1881, was executed in Beechworth gaol on the 6th of June, by Upjohn, at 10am. The condemned man walked on to the scaffold in a calm, deliberate manner, chewing a piece of tobacco, and when asked by the sheriff whether he had anything to say, replied, “I have been convicted of the murder, and am prepared to hang for it.” The previous evening he said to the governor of the gaol and the Revs. Wm. Brown and Donnes, Wesleyan clergymen, “I have committed several crimes that I ought to have been hanged for, but I never committed this.” All being ready, the executioner pulled the bolt, and the convict was launched into eternity. Death was instantaneous. The prisoner, who was 24 years of age, had served several sentences both in Victoria and New South Wales, including one of 12 months in Beechworth gaol for larceny at Benalla in 1876, and another of two years and a half in Pentridge for robbery at Sandhurst in 1878, under the name of Ernest Smith, alias Rohan. The night before his execution he slept calmly, and ate a hearty breakfast and smoked a pipe next morning, and on being informed by the gaoler that his time had come, he answered, “All right, sir,” and appeared but little affected by the near approach of death.

 

 

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Execution of Thomas Johnson

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EXECUTED THIS DAY – January 23, 1939

PENTRIDGE PRISON

At the Pentridge Gaol, Coburg, on this day in 1939, Thomas William Johnson, aged 40 years, labourer, was hanged for the murder of Robert Gray, aged 73 years, and Adam Bunney, aged 61 years, at Dunolly on the 6th of October 1938. Johnson, who had refused the ministrations of any clergyman, was not attended by a chaplain as he was led to the scaffold, and when asked by the sheriff Mr. T. Kelly whether he had a statement to make before sentence of death was carried out he did not speak but indicated by gesture that he wished the execution to proceed.

 

 

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Escape from Pentridge Gaol

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On this day …….. 18th of January 1938

On this day in 1938, by scaling a tence and then the outer wall of Pentridge Gordon Orms (17) escaped from gaol this morning. Both obstacles were 12 ft. high. Warders refrained from firing because the youth ran in the direction of a settled area at Coburg. He out distanced his pursuers when they gave chase. Orms, who was on remand from the Children’s Court on a charge of larceny, had been placed in the hospital ward instead of the Children’s Welfare Depot, Royal Park, because of the infantile paralysis epidemic.

 

 

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The Coburg Murder

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ON THIS DAY – January 13, 1887

Mrs. Elizabeth Hampton, wife of Charles Hampton, a warden at Pentridge Gaol, in a fit of religious frenzy murdered her little girl in Coburg, and was found guilty on the ground of insanity and was sent to three years at Melbourne Gaol. In 1890, Elizabeth was considered in a fit condition to be entrusted to the care of her friends. The husband, however, refuses to accept the responsibility. She will therefore be removed from the gaol to the Lunatic Asylum until the Governor’s pleasure is known. The three daughters who were connected with the murder, the oldest Annie Eliza was found to be insane and sent to Kew Lunatic Asylum, Eleanor age 20, was sentenced to 12 months at Melbourne Gaol and discharged, Mary aged 19, who held her sisters head while her mother cut her throat from ear to ear was sentenced to 3 year at the Melbourne before being sent to a Lunatic Asylum. Elizabeth’s oldest son was also sent to a lunatic asylum, unrelated to the murder.

 

 

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ON THIS DAY – November 23, 1909

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COBURG

THE NEGRO CONVICT.

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.

The negro convict, William King, who recently attacked a warder at Pentridge prison, and stabbed him several times with a knife, is to be charged with attempted murder. King is still very troublesome.

NOTORIOUS NEGRO CONVICT.

CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED MURDER.

The notorious negro convict William King who, on the 10th inst., attacked Warder A. Curtis at the Pentridge Gaol, is to be charged with attempted murder. King has since been kept in a strait jack, and webbed trousers, but is still very troublesome. Warder James Quirk, who went to Curtis’s assistance, is still ill from the effects of King’s violence.

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Death of “The Russian”

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ON THIS DAY …….. 15th of April 2003

Nik Radev, known as “The Russian”, was killed in Queen St Coburg on the 15th of April. The known drug dealer and standover man was shot seven times in the head and chest as he sat in his Mercedes-Benz coupé. Victoria Police told The Age that they believed his death was planned by a father and son drug manufacturing team, and a hitman suspected of four other murders carried out the killing in a red sedan. Andrew Veniamin met Radev on the day of the murder and unambiguously fitted the police description of the prime suspect, along with George and Carl Williams. Radev had been warned that he was a marked man but ignored the warnings refusing to believe his friends would turn on him. Damien Cossu and Alfonso Traglia were with Radev at the time of the murder but claimed they could not identify the gunman, and were subsequently named by police as ‘persons of interest.

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