This is the second snapshot of biographies from the Leonora Cemetery. As in the previous post it covers from 1902 to early 1911. In this time there were 12 suicides:-
Suicide was quite a common thing in the early days on the goldfields. Men, and a few women, who find themselves in a state of complete despair. The one female suicide in this list, Isabella Maud McCallum, has most unusual circumstances.
COGLEY Thomas, d 16 Dec 1902, Leonora Lawlers Road, near Diorite, Occ:- Labourer, 30yrs, Suicide by hanging, Coroners Inquest held at Leonora, 20th Dec 1902, born Victoria, in WA for 5 years, buried Leonora Cemetery.
West Australian 18 December 1902
DOYLE Bernard, d 17 Dec 1903, Gwalia Street, Leonora, Occ:- Brewers Traveller, 26yrs, Drowning while is a state of temporary insanity, Verdict of the Coroner, Father:- Dennis DOYLE (Farmer) Mother:- Unknown, Born Ireland, 6 ½ yrs in WA, Married to Tilly JONES at age 22 ½ yrs. at Coolgardie WA. buried Leonora Cemetery. Roman Catholic Section See:- http://bit.ly/2imcmoK
Kalgoorlie Miner 19 December 1903
EACOTT Samuel Henry, d 5 Jun 1908, Challenge Hotel, Tower Street, Leonora, Occ:- Prospector, Cause Syncope, Heart Failure from taking poison self administerted, Father:- Joseph Henry EACOTT (Contractor) Mother:- Ann Pike WESTACOTT, born Glenlyon VIC, In Vic 22yrs, IN WA 12 years, Brother:- Henry EACOTT
FERRY George John, d 1 Jan 1910, Mt Clifford, Leonora, Occ:- Miner, 29yrs, Cause:- Gunshot wound, self inflicted not known if accident or suicide, Verdict of Coroner, Father:- James FERRY (Farmer) Mother:- Mary BARBER, born NSW, In NSW 19yrs in WA 10yrs, Buried Leonora Cemetery.
HARDING William, d 11 August 1908, in bush near Leonora township, c40yrs Occ:- unknown, Cause:- Resulting in a wound on the throat self inflicted whilst in a state of unsound mind, Verdict of the Coroner, buried Leonora Cemetery.
NOTE: A possible reason may be the death of his infant son in May of this same year.
Western Argus 18 Aug 1908
MCCALLUM Isabella Maud, d 12 Jun 1907, Desdemona GM, Arendelle, 34yrs, Married woman, Cause:- Dose of cyanide while temporarily insane, Order of the Coroner, Father:- Phillip Charles (Contractor) Mother: Agnes McLEAN, born Kyneton VIC, In Vic 22 yrs, In WA 12 yrs, Married 1st to Edward HOPPER in Yarraville VIC at age 17yrs, 2nd to Alexander McCALLUM in Kalgoorlie, WA at age 30 years, No children. buried Leonora Cemetery. (Death Registered in N Coolg 31/1907)
Death At Desdemona
MCKITTRICK (Death certificate has MCKINRICK) Hugh, d 13 May 1903, Grand Hotel Leonora, 37 yrs, Occ:- Hotel Manager, Cause:- Bullet wound in chest, self inflicted while in a state of temporary insanity, Verdict of Coroner, born Ireland, Married in Reefton New Zealand, children 2 girls, buried Leonora Cemetery. Full story:-
A Hotel Manager Shoots Himself – Leonora, May 13
Shortly before noon to-day, Hugh McKittrick, manager of Maher’s Grand Hotel, committed suicide by shooting himself through the heart with a revolver. It is not known what induced the deceased to take his own life. McKittrick has left a widow and four children in New Zealand. An inquest in connection with the death was opened this afternoon, and adjourned to next Monday.
MORRIS George, d 16 Mar 1906, King of the Hills GM, Diorite, Occ:- Miner 44 yrs, Cause:- Injuries self inflicted while temporarily insane, Father:- James MORRIS (Contractor) Mother:- Bridget Mary DOOLY, born Marybrough, VIC, 30yrs in VIC, 13 yrs in WA, Single, buried Leonora Cemetery.
Kalgoorlie Miner 23 Mar 1906
PERRY Robert, d 25 Jun 1903, Laver Street, Leonora, Occ:- Miner, 40 yrs, suicide by taking potassium cyanide while temporarily insane, Coroners Verdict, buried Leonora Cemetery.
Malcolm Chronicle and Leonora Advertiser 26 June 1903
POLLOCK James, d 7 Nov 1901, 39yrs, at Tower St, Leonora, Occ: Miner, Cause: Suicide dynamite in mouth, Father: Robert POLLOCK (Carter), Mother: Elizabeth MARLIN, Buried: Leonora Cemetery, Born: Glasgow Scotland, In QLD 15yrs, In WA 9yrs, Married to Susan HALLINAN in Melbourne VIC at age 29yrs, Children: Lizzie 9, James 9, George Leo 4, Benedict 2, Reg 54/1901 Mt Margaret.
POST SCRIPT: Mt. Leonora Miner 9 November 1901, page 2
DEATH OF JAMES POLLOCK.
It is not often that one hears of a jury’s verdict at an inquiry into the cause of a person’s death critised as has been the verdict on the death of James Pollock, of Leonora. The jurymen are all well-respected townspeople, but, with the general public, we certainly think they erred in arriving at the verdict that ”James Pollock met his death by placing a plug of dynamite in his mouth and exploding same.” In our opinion there was no evidence to induce the above verdict. No one saw him place the dyna mite in his mouth, and there are many who maintain that he had a habit of biting the cap on to the fuse.
The cross-examination was intended to show that deceased had sufficient domestic trouble to induce him to commit suicide, but had more time been given in which to collect evidence, four of our most reliable residents could have given evidence to the effect that deceased on the day of his death intended leaving Leonora on a prospecting tour, and on his return purposed visiting Scotland. Public opinion differs with the opinion of the jury, inasmuch as it is claimed by the public that there was no absolute proof that the dynamite was placed by deceased in his mouth ; that, seeing the de ceased was sitting down there are other possible ways in which his head could have been blown off, even if the dynamite were detached from the fuse; and that there being a reasonable doubt as to the actual manner in which the explosion occurred, the doubt should have gone in favour of deceased, and the terrible stigma removed from his wife and children.
SMAIL Malcolm Knox, d 1 Jun 1910, District Hospital, Leonora, Occ:- Engineer, 32yrs, Cause:- Shock from poisoning with sulphuric acid self administered and taken whilst temporarily insane Father:- William SMAIL (Solicitor) Mother:- KNOX Christian Name not known, born Berwick on Tweed, North England, In WA 8yrs, Married to Mary PASCOE at age 28yrs in Kalgoorlie WA, Child:- Dorothy 3yrs. Buried Leonora Cemetery.
Leonora Miner 4 June 1910
VALKENBURG William Peter, d 6 Sep 1910 Rear of Leonora District Hospital Office, Leonora, Occ:- Secretary of the Leonora Hospital, 55yrs, Cause:- Revolver shot self-inflicted whilst temporarily insane. Verdict of the Coroner, Born Ireland, married but details unknown. Buried Leonora Cemetery
Age Melbourne, Vic.14 September 1910
WILLIAMSON John, d 23 Feb 1907, Public Hospital, Leonora, Occ:- Labourer, 23 yrs, Cause:- Bullet Wound (Suicide), Father:- James WILLIAMSON (Farmer) Mother:- Mary BEARD, born SA, In SA 19yrs, In WA 4 yrs, buried Leonora Cemetery
Western Argus 26 February 1907
Moya Sharp
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I’ve just read through the newspaper articles, WOW! what a terrible list of human tragedy. I can only imagine how tough the living conditions were back then and the terrible isolation must have too much for bear for so many. May they all rest in peace.