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Colonial Times (Hobart, Tas. : 1828-1857) (about)
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Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article8789698
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THE SMITH STREET TRAGEDY
INQUEST ON THE MURDERED
WOMAN.
ON Tuesday the inquest on the body of Sarah Alice Hawkins, alias Lambert, who was mur- dered in Smith-street on Saturday last, was held at the Gordon Castle, Argyle-street, be- fore A. B, Jones, Esq, Coroner.
Jurv:-Messrs. John Morgan, (foreman),
Thomas Gordon, John Lumb, Joseph Exall, Elisha Hunt, John Wilson, and Henry Charles Billing.
The Coroner, having briefly charged the jury and the body having been duly viewed, the following witnesses were examined.
Janet Johnson being sworn deposed :- I am the wife of John Johnson, and live in Smith- street, I have known deceased about 12 weeks,
on Saturday forenoon last she breakfasted with me; after breakfast she tidied up the place, and the man (Owen Clarke) came up to the door, and said to her, " I've caught you now," the man came in, and said, will you have any- thing to drink Alice, she replied "no," the man said, " oh I do have something Alice," she replied--" well if I do have anything it shall be some gin and pepermint," the man threw down a shilling which I took up and went to fetch the drink, deceased called out to me, and said -'* more peppermint than gin." I then went away and had not gone far when I heard a cry of murder. I then ran [back] and saw the man lying dead upon my floor. I believe the body of the man I have this day seen at the Hospital to be that of the man who came into my house on Saturday. When I looked round on hear- ing the cry murder, and saw the deceased lying on her right side, on the foot-path near Mr. Fox's house, in George-.street; Mr. Fox was near her, lifting her up,--when I saw the man lying on the floor of my house, I ran and called Mr. Fox, and said, " there is a man lying mur- dered on my floor. I know nothing more ; my husband and I did not sleep in our house that night. I did not hear the report of a pistol ; there might have been a report, had seen the man once before, he was a stranger to me ; I saw the man last Saturday week, he came to my door, and said--" does Alice live here ?'* I said, " no person lives here, but me and my husband ;" he then left. A man lived with de- ceased, I believe him to be her husband. Mi- chael Noon is the man who lived with deceased I had not seen Noon on Saturday last, before what I have described happened. I helped de- ceased on Saturday to move her things from her place, to another place ; that was before she came into my place to breakfast. I did not go up to deceased, when I saw her lying on the ground. I saw her afterwards, she was lying on a sofa in Mr. Fox's house. I only saw her face, it looked the colour of death ; I saw no blood in the house, but I saw blood on the ground where she was picked up. Deceased
said nothing to me.
By the Foreman :- I saw deceased fall to the ground when I looked round on hearing the
cry of murder. I have had conversations with deceased, she never said anything to me about
any man.
By a Juryman :- Alice did not tell me the reason why she was moving. I sent for Moon at deceased's request. I know deceased had a
gold watoh and rings ; I do not know how long she had them in her possssion. I never had a conversation with deceased about the man ; I never told Alice that a man had called to see her ; I never heard Alice say to the man, " don't hurt me ;" I never told any person that
deceased said so. When George Fox came up after I saw the man lying on my floor, I said, " It is better the door be shut, till the Police-
man comes ;" I never told any person to lock the door, for the man had money on him.
George Fox sworn : - I reside in George- street, I knew deceased by sight, but did not know her name ; on Saturday morning last I removed her goods from a house in Welling- ton-street into a house in Williamson-street, Mrs. Johnson and deceased both helped me to remove the goods ; about half-past one o'clock on Saturday afternoon I was in my house when I heard a noise like the bursting open of a door, I ran out of my back -door, but saw nothing, on going to the front of my house there I saw deceased lying on the footpath with a knife by her side, the knife now produced is like the one I saw lying by deceased, I said " For God sake, what's the matter woman," she said " Mr. Fox, there it is," pointing to the knife ; I then lifted her into a sitting position, she looked at me and said " Do you think I shall die," I replied '. Oh ! no, I hope not my girl ;" A man named Cantwell then went and fetched Dr. Eckford, who advised her to be removed into my house ; she was then taken into my house, and laid on my sofa ; I then went away and when I came back she had been placed on my bed where she remained until the next morning about six o'clock, when she was re- moved to the hospital by the police, she was then dead ; I went out on Saturday evening about seven o'clock, and when I came back at about ten the same evening she was dead ; at the time I was holding the woman up Mrs. Johnson ran down to me and said there was a man dead in her skilling ; I said " What, man ?" she said " Oh ! the man, Oh ! the man, he has blowed his brains out ;" she did not tell me who the man was; after deceased had been placed on my sofa I went into the skilling, and there I saw a man lying on the floor dead, to the best of my belief I have this day seen the same body lying dead at the hospital ; I had often seen the same man hanging about my premises, I saw him on Saturday morning last leaning over the fence looking at a garden adjoining the skilling Mrs. Johnson lives in ; the man was a stranger to me ; I have seen him at different times about my premises dur- ing the last seven or eight days previous to Saturday ; Mrs. Johnson said no more than I
have stated.
By a Juryman-I never saw the man in com- pany with deceased, I do not know what rea- son he had for loitering about my premises, I do not know why deceased removed
At this stage of the proceedings the inquest was adjourned to 3 o'clock.
On re-assembling of the Jury--
John Rothwell deposed-I saw deceased for the first time on Saturday last about 2-30 p.m., she was then lying in the house occupied by Mr. Fox, in George-street ; I went into the house in consequence of hearing a report thnt a woman had been stabbed ; she was lying on the sofa with a wound in her body ; I saw her several times before she died ; all I heard her say was that her name was Sarah Alice Haw- kins, per " Aurora," and that she was 23 years of age ; I went to the spot from hearing the report of fire-arms, I was then in my own house directly opposite to the skilling where Mrs Johnson lives, I immediately went into the skilling, and there saw the body of a man lying on the floor and bleeding from the head, I saw Dr. Eckford pick up a pistol which was lying near the body, which I have seen this day at the hospital ; afterwards I picked up in the skilling the knife sheath which I now Eroduce, I then went to the front of Mr. Fox's
house in George-street, and found on the ground this bowie knife (knife produced, four inches of the blade being stained with blood), the blood with which it is now marked was then quite fresh on it, I saw no blood on the ground where I found the knife, the distance from the skilling door to the spot were I picked up the knife is about 100 feet, I saw Mrs. Johnson in her skilling, and she requested me to lock the door saying " he has got money on him," I did look the door until a constable came when I gave the key to him.
Dr. Eckford deposed to seeing deceased on Saturday last, she was suffering intense pain from three wounds in the body ; deceased said to witness " Clarke has done this because I would not go and live with him, is he alive ?" Witness told deceased that Clarke was dead ; the wounds had been inflicted with a sharp in- strument like the knife produced ; on making a post mortem examination of the body witness found that two of the false ribs on the left
side had been divided, and the knife had passed down into and divided one of the kidneys ; death was the result of internal hemorrhage arising from two wounds in the left side, which were about 7 inches deep ; the stays which de- ceased wore and which were stained with blood were then produced, and Dr. Eckford pointed out the cuts in them through which the knife had passed ; in removing deceased's clothes witness found a gold watch and a chain (produced) which he handed to Mr. Fox, she had also seven gold rings on her fingers, and ear-rings in her ears (rings and ear-rings pro- duced), she had also some documents in her pocket ; the man Noon got them, he took pos- session of them ; when witness examined the pockets of deceased to see if they contained anything of value she told him not to touch
them.
Ann Maria Griffiths sworn-- I am a widow, and reside at Victoria Cottage, in George- street ; I was with deceased from the time she was taken into Fox's house until a short time before she died ; she said to me " Owen Clarke has done this because I would not go and live with him and leave Mick ;" she would say nothing further ; I first saw deceased running down the lane, and as she was falling down near Fox's house I Saw her pull something from her left side and throw it away ; I did not know u hat it was then, but on going down I saw the knife now produced lying on the ground where the thing fell which deceased had thrown away ; deceased said " I give my watch and all I possess unto Mick ;' she would not allow any person to go to her pockets, ex- cept Mick ; I saw Mrs. Johnson come running down the yard to Fox's, she said " Oh ! my God, what has he done ; I told him not to touch her till I carne back, I won't be long ;" that was just after deceased had been carried into Fox's ; Mrs. Johnson said she had been to get some gin and beer ; Mrs. Johnson was in liquor at the time.
By a Jury-- I saw Michael Noon come into the room where deceased was lying, he took some keys and papers from her pocket.
Johanna Dowson deposed -- I am a widow and live in Lansdowne Crescent ; I saw the body of a man lying dead in H.M. General Hospital this day ; it is the body of my eldest son, Owen Clarke ; he was born in the year
1815 on Colonel Davey's farm at the Coal
River.
Ann Philpotts sworn.-- I am the wife of James Philpotts and reside with my husband at Green Ponds ; I knew a woman who lived at Green Ponds as Mrs. Greeves ; that was about 18 months or two years ago ; I knew a man who lived at Green Ponds named Owe(i Clarke ; Mrs. Greeves used at one time to live with Owen Clarke ; about a week since I came to Hobart Town by the coach with Owen Clarke ; when in Hobart Town I went to see the woman Mrs. Greeves ; I did not ask her to return and live with Clarke; -my hus- band was not with me ; Owen Clarke was at our house at Green Ponds on Friday night last; he borrowed an iron spoon from my husband ; he did not say what he wanted the iron spoon for ; we found the spoon the next morning in Clark's own place ; it seemed to us as if he had been melting lead, and we ima- gined he had been making bullets ; Clarke said, "if she deceives me any more I will kill her ;" I advised him not to do it-; I knew whom he meant by her ; he had set off three times before to go to Hobart Town on Wed- nesday, but I and my husband stopped him ; I cannot say who Clarke meant by her
By the Foreman -- I was in company with deceased and Clarke at a public house in Ar- gyle-street ; about a week ago she promised him she would go back to him again and live with him ; afterwards she told me she would not go back, and she told me she was comfort- able enough ; I then said, " Alice, well, if you are comfortable I would not go back ;" I do not know whether Clarke gave deceased any money to go back ; I never heard any money
mentioned.
By a Juryman.-- I went to see deceased when I came to Hobart Town at the request of Owen Clarke, to ask her to come again and
live with him.
James Philpotts sworn.-- I am a carpenter and live at Green Ponds ; I remember a wo- man living at Green Ponds named Sarah Alice Hawkins with a min named George West alias Phillips, as his wife; I know that was her name, for she signed it to a receipt she gave me for a table ; she left Gibbs and went to live with Owen Clarke ; she lived with him when his stack took fire ; after he was appre- hended she sold most of his things and then left the place, and I think went to Gibbs again, and after stopping with him a few weeks went to Hobart Town with a Mr. Penny, a plasterer ; that was on the last day of the last Green Ponds races ; I saw her last Thursday in Hobart Town, and my wife and I had break- fast with her, and she came down the town with us ; I parted with her opposite the Green Ponds coach office ; I came down the town because Owen Clarke wished my wife to ask the deceased to come back and live with him again ; on Friday night last I lent Clark an iron spoon ; he said, ' I might go to town in the morning ;" when I got off the coach on Friday night Clarke asked if she were come ? I said no; he replied, " if she deceives me any more I will shoot her ;"' I persuaded him all along to have nothing to do with her ; he had often said he would shoot her, and when he talked about shooting her I always laughed at him ; I thought he was joking ; Clarke got some money the week before last from the in-
surance company.
Michael Noon sworn.-- I am a plasterer and live in Williamson-street ; deceased his lived with me as my wife for the last four months ; I left deceased at home on Saturday morning about a quarter past seven o'clock ; I then went to my work at the new Government House ; I did not leave my work until be- tween one and two o'clock, when I was told that deceased had been stabbed ; when I saw deceased I said, " Do you know me.? ' She replied yes, and shook her head ; I asked her who had done it ? She said, " Owen Clarke." I found in the pocket of deceased's dress the butcher's book and rent book ; deceased had the watch and chain and the rings, and the ear rings now produced, when she came to live with me ; I was present when she died.
Detective McGuire produced the clothes, watch, and rings of the deceased.
The jury having called the attention of the jury to the main points of the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against Owen Clarke.
INQUEST ON THE MURDERER
Wednesday, 29th July.
.Yesterday an inquest was held at the "Gordon Castle," Argyle-street, before A. B. Jones, Esq., Coroner, to inquire into the death of
Owen Clark.
Jury- -Messrs Joseph Exalt (foreman), Rob.
Wood, John O'Donnell, John Wiseman, Henry Oliver, Wm Fletcher, and Charles Cooper
The Coroner having briefly charged the Jury, and the body having been duly viewed, the following witmsses were examined---
Janet Johnson deposed that deceased came to her house in Smith-street on Saturday last, saw no pistols or knife in his possession, never said to him " do not hurt her till I come back," never told any one that he had
said so.
By the foreman-- I know Mrs. Philpott, I saw her in Alice's house last Monday week, I do not know that Mrs. Philpott came down to try and persuade Alice to go back and live with Clarke, I did not go into George Fox's to ask what o'clock it was a short time before the man came into my place.
By a juryman-- When Clarke came into my house on Saturday I never spoke to him, I
did not ask him what he wanted.
George Fox gave similar testimony to that given on the previous day
By the foreman-- Mrs. Johnson came into my house to ask what time it was about half an hour before I heard the noise and went out to see what was the matter, she was
sober.
By a-juryman-- I never saw Mrs. Johnson and Owen Clarke together.
John Rothwell recapitulated the evidence he gave the previous day.
Johanna Dowson identified the body as that of her eldest son Owen Clarke ; nearly six years had elapsed since witness last saw the deceased Owen Clarke alive : he was at that
time perfectly sane, he was married a long time ago, his wife died in Port Phillip, she bore him 4 children-- two boys and two girls, one ot the boys died, witness was at his funeral, know nothing of a woman who had lived with him and by whom he had any
children.
Dr. Eckford deposed to seeing the body of deceased on Saturday in a skilling in Smith- street with a pistol shot wound in his head, witness produced a pistol which he picked up between deceased legs, was of opinion that de- ceased died from pistol shot in his head and from the position in which the body was be- lieved the wound to have been inflicted by deceased whilst standing, and as he was stag- gering and fell the pistol dropped by his legs, on stripping the body to day found some per- cussion caps, which dropped from his pocket, and which would fit the pistol now produced.
James Philpott recapitulated the testimony he had given at the inquest on Sarah Alice Hawkins. When Clarke came to witness for the iron spoon he did not seem any way flur- ried or strange in his manner, nor in any way different from what he was usually ; he was given to joking and passing queer re- marks ; on being told on Saturday morning
' that Clarke was not in his place, witness went
in and found an iron spoon on the hearth, and some lead which had been run, and a small pistol bullet mould lying on a chair by the hearth ; never saw pistols in Clarke's posses- sion ; witness believed he had seen the knife produced in the window of Mr. West's shop at Green Ponds ; there was only one knife in the window ; it was between seven and eight o'clock in the morning that witness went into
Clarke's place.
Detective McGuire sworn : On Saturday last I searched the body of the deceased, who was lying dead in a skilling occupied by Janet Johnson in Smith-street ; he was dressed in a dark blue pea jacket and dark trowsers ; this straw hat [produced] lay beside the body ; I took from his right hand trowsers pocket two pistol balls and a quantity of percussion caps ; from his left hand trowsers pocket I took this pistol loaded to the muzzle and capped ; also five £1 notes, 5s in silver, and 5 pennies ; in the left hand jaoket pocket I found this canis- ter containing a quantity of gunpowder ; I now produce all these articles, having had them in my possession ever since; the pistol I found in the pocket is a fellow to that one produced by Dr. Eckford ; the caps and bullets fit the pistólo ; from the appearance of deceased's boots and trowsers I believe be had been tra- velling ; I have ascertained that he got on the
mail on Saturday morning at Constitution Hill and got off at New Town.
The jury returned a verdict of felo-de-se.