Evidence Type: Newspaper Report
10 November 1825
MURDER.
A murder of a most atrocious description was perpetrated a few days ago on a farm belonging to Capt. PIPER, sixteen miles beyond the South Creek. The man who is murdered was a very industrious well behaved man of the name of JACKSON. The alleged murdered, CURTIN and RYAN, laborers [sic] at or near the farm, have been committed on a Coroner’s Warrant after Inquest. The wife* of the unfortunate deceased is said to be implicated, and has been apprehended on suspicion. CURTIN it appears was the paramour of the wife, and JACKSON only the day previous to the murder had caused him to be served with a summons to appear before the Magistrate on a charge connected with his wife’s misconduct. The body was found at some distance from the house, in a shallow pond—one of the hands within six inches of the surface, and the body itself not more than two feet under water. Several contusions were on the head, the sides of which were almost pressed together. A large rope was also tied round the middle, and fastened to a stone, which however was not sufficiently heavy to make the body sink to the bottom. RYAN, on being charged with being concerned in the crime, confessed that CURTIN, after committing the murder, and removing the body into the water, had applied to him for assistance to conceal it better. Such circumstances appeared in evidence as to induce the Coroner’s Jury to commit him for being concerned before the fact. JACKSON at the time he was murdered was asleep, it being in the night time, and had two small children in bed with with him, the offspring of his late wife,** who died six months ago. He had not been long married to the present woman*; who is stated to be of profligate habits, and not long out of the Factory. We learn that strong suspicion was attached to her from her mode of inquiry after news from home. On seeing some one the day after the murder, who had come from her husband’s house, she seemed to intimate that she anticipated some dreadful intelligence — JACKSON was just about to receive his ticket of leave, and intended to proceed to Sydney on the day following the murder.
* ANN HARVEY per Almorah (3) (1824)
** ANN THOMAS per Broxbornebury (1814)
CITATION
Female Factory Online (femalefactoryonline.org), “Coronial Inquest: ANN HARVEY and JOSEPH JACKSON,” https://femalefactoryonline.org/law-reports/p18251110/, accessed [insert current date].
RELATED CONTENT
See Original
Burial Register: JOSEPH JACKSON
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