Death at Dingo Creek –

DEATH FROM THIRST
ANOTHER SAD TALE FROM THE BOOK OF THE BUSH

On Saturday morning of last week, two Italians, named Bortolo and Joe Marinoni left Anaconda Copper Mine, where they were employed, with the intention of visiting a relative who was in the Malcolm Hospital.  The latter, also called Marinoni, was the victim of an accident at the mine recently and was very severely burned with copper slag. They started away at about 10 a.m. on bicycles, and as they had only 16 miles to travel did not carry any water with them.

Neither of them had travelled on the road previously, and it appears that after riding some distance they turned off on to an old road which runs from Bummer’s Creek to Dingo Creek. It is surmised that after following this road for several miles the men came to the conclusion that they were lost. The bicycle ridden by Bortolo Marinoni broke down, making matters a great deal worse for them, so, at about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the companion left him to look for water, arranging to return as soon as he found any. He was unsuccessful, and did not return, so they were in the bush all night, ultimately abandoning their bicycles.

In the morning, Joe Marinoni, struck a track which led to one of Messrs Horan Bros. camps, about eight miles southeast of Malcolm. He managed to struggle on for a distance of four miles, and reached the camp at about 10 o’clock on Sunday morning in a terribly exhausted condition, being nearly mad with thirst. Mr A. Gerte, employed by Messrs Horan Bros, was at the camp and did all he could for the unfortunate man, who was in such a state of collapse that he did not know what water was when offered him. Mr Gerte bathed his head and face, which revived him somewhat, and it was then difficult to prevent him drinking too much.

Some tea was made for him, and he was made comfortable in the camp. He was unable to explain anything, and seemed to be wandering in his mind considerably. The fact that he was only a recent arrival from Italy made it more difficult to ascertain anything from him, and the only information that could be gathered from his rambling statements was that he had ridden a bicycle from Anaconda. His condition appeared to be so serious that Mr J. Horan, who arrived shortly after the man came to the camp, decided to take him into the hospital, whilst Mr Gerte set out to look for the bicycle.

When nearly into Malcolm Joe Marinoni commenced to talk again, and said that he had a mate when he left Anaconda, who must either be at the hospital or in the bush. When Mr Horan heard this, he hurried in and informed the police as soon as he got Marinoni admitted to the hospital. Shortly afterwards, however, Mr Gerte arrived with the news that in searching for the bicycle he had found a man dead on the Bummer’s creek road. The body was only about a mile further on from where the track turned off to the camp. There was no bicycle anywhere in the vicinity of the body, so it is quite evident that it had been abandoned in the bush. The bicycle of the surviving man was discovered in the bush the next day.

An inquest was held on Monday touching the death of Bortolo Marinoni, before a jury consisting of Messrs Stapleton, Peter Hill and C. Woodman. Dr Healy gave evidence that death was due to exhaustion, and the jury recorded a verdict that the deceased perished in the bush from want of water, they added a flyer that they considered it would be advisable to have finger posts at all cross road and junctions, stating where such roads lead to and what distance, it was to water.

A much earlier photograph of Marinoni’s Grave (Centre)

MARINONI Bortolo – d 12 Jan 1902, 28yrs, In bush near Malcolm, Occ: Furnace Hand, Cause: Perished in bush for want of water, Father: Zaccaria MARINONI (Farmer), Mother: Fiora SAVODELLI, Registered by Palmiro MARINONI (Brother), Born: Rovetta, Italy, Had been in WA 1yr, Married to Nina MARINONI in Rosetta Italy at age 25yrs, Child: Ida 2yrs, (wife and child in Italy), Reg 2/1902 Mt Margaret, Buried Malcolm Cemetery.

Malcolm Cemetery, Centre grave of Bortolo Marinoni (Centre) – photo by K Coate