Suicide, Cyanide and Scones –

Murchison Advocate 27 February 1904, page 3 Suicide and Attempted Murder. A SENSATIONAL AFFAIR At Boulder this morning, Alexander Solomon, aged 40yrs, a notorious character and well known to the police, was arrested on suspicion of the attempted murder of a young fellow named Thomas Frank Rassmussen who was the proprietor of a Gold treatment […]

Gold and Ghosts –

The murder-suicide tragedy of Nurse Elizabeth Gold and Kenneth Snodgrass, is a tale quite widely known about but I have not before told the story on the Outback Family History Blog. In Coolgardie in the 1890’s, Elizabeth Gold, Kenneth Snodgrass, and Charles Gold were living in Coolgardie. As with many tragedies, the interest lies within […]

With Murderous Intent:

In the early Goldfields days, life was harsh and death came often to families. Not just to the old and very young, but often those in the prime of life would be taken suddenly. The main causes of death were diseases such as typhoid and accidents both at work and in the home. The child […]

Dastardly and Diabolical Deed at Day Dawn

Evening Mail – Fremantle 23 March 1908, page 1 No one will deny that Harry Goninon Smith, who at 8 o’clock this morning paid, on the scaffold at the Fremantle Prison, the last penalty for the supreme crime in the criminal calendar, was the murderer of the man, William John Clinton at Day Dawn. No […]

A Murderous Assault at Burbanks-

Kalgoorlie Miner 24 March 1900 Attempted Murder at Coolgardie. A SENSATIONAL STORY. IMPRISONMENT IN A SHAFT. One of the most sensational stories that has ever been told in the annals of the Perth Criminal Court was that which was related by Mr Burnside, the Crown solicitor, in the Criminal Court on Wednesday, before Justice Stone, […]