Transcription
Today we are looking at a case that took place at the very end of the 19th century. So sit back as we go to Australia.
In 1899, Australia was emerging from the economic depression of the early 1890s. Confidence was slowly returning and businesses were beginning to rebuild. Much of the economy was supported by farming, small industries, and the railway network, which connected rural towns to larger cities and allowed trade and commerce to revive.
One such rural town was Broadford, situated on Sunday Creek, about 70 km north of Melbourne. It served the surrounding farms, sawmills, and the nearby paper mill that produced strawboard. Among those who lived there was a bright, cheerful child named Olivia Rita Jones, but known to everyone as Rita. She was 8 years old and lived with her grandparents, Mr. Alfred and Mrs. Elizabeth Temple. She had been staying with them for quite a few years, so she was able to attend school more easily as her parents were living in Wong in New South Wales where her father worked as a mining manager.
Christmas 1899 had just passed and the town of Broadford was still quiet from the holiday celebrations. At 11:30 in the morning on Tuesday the 26th of December, Rita was sent out by her grandmother to buy fruit from a shop which was about half a mile from her home. Rita did as she was asked, walked to the shop and purchased the fruit. On her way back, she met a young girl named Sarah Brace near a shop that was owned by Mr. and Mrs. Clayton. The two girls walked together for a while, going past Do's butchers, and at the Creek Bridge, they said goodbye and went their separate ways.
By 2:00 p.m., Rita had not returned home, and her grandparents began to get worried. They went out in search of her, speaking with neighbors and towns people, and the growing sense of alarm began to spread through the community. Searches were carried out as people looked in sheds, abandoned properties, and the surrounding countryside. After a few hours without any sign of her, a young woman came forward, reporting that she had seen a young child matching Rita's description crossing the bridge. Fears quickly arose that the young girl might have fallen into Sunday Creek. So, it was decided to get the creek dragged to see if Rita had indeed fallen in. This continued late into Tuesday night and resumed early on Wednesday morning. Yet, despite the efforts of police and volunteers, no trace of the child was found.
It soon became apparent that in addition to Rita, a man named William Jones, who was no relation of hers, had also vanished. He was employed by Mr. E. Doaty, the local butcher, was new to the area and had only lived in Broadford for 2 weeks. This, combined with Rita's sudden disappearance, quickly drew suspicion. A thorough search of both his room and Mr. Doaty's premises was carried out, but nothing was discovered to explain his absence or link him to the missing child.
On Thursday the 28th of December, Constable James of Broadford's, Constable Wright of Taleruk and Constable Cory of Kilmore returned to search the butcher's premises and William Jones's lodgings more thoroughly. The place where he lived was formerly a hotel and contained about 30 rooms, but most of them were empty. The constables searched all of them, but nothing was found. They then went to the outbuildings of the butcher's, checking every corner and storage area for any sign of the missing girl or her belongings. The last place they inspected was an old run-down wooden building that had previously been used as a chicken shed. Looking through the wire netting, Constable Wright noticed that there was a pile of hay, and in one corner, the hay was unusually high. He pushed open the door and went inside. And as he moved the hay, he saw a sack, and inside it were the burnt remains of the little girl.
It appeared that the child had been murdered in the yard, then dragged to the boiling down copper. This was a large metal pot normally used for boiling animal remains to separate out fat from other usable parts. It was a deep, heavy vessel built to withstand high heat, and its presence added a grim aspect to the scene. A pile of charred rags showed that the murderer had tried to burn the body beneath the copper, but fearing discovery and finding the burning too slow, he'd removed the body, put it into a sack, and then hid it in the chicken shed. The bag of fruit the child had been carrying home was found nearby.
The butcher shop where the crime occurred, was in the center of town. The owner, Mr. Doaty, did not live on the premises, and only two employees worked there. One named Mr. Alfred Wilson, who had been away during the time of the murder and only returned that morning. The other was William Jones, who was described as being about 5'9" in tall with a fair complexion, light colored hair, a mustache, and long sideburns. Police returned to the butcher shop to see if there was anything they had missed and saw that William Jones had left a note on which he had just written, "Gone on the drink." Following this, Constable Wright and Cory along with a few civilians set out on horseback to search for him.
The terrible crime cast a deep gloom over the town, and business was almost entirely suspended. There was great sympathy for the child's relatives, and public anger was so intense towards the murderer that many believed that if anyone found him before the police reached him, he would likely be lynched. Detective Sergeant Whitney, accompanied by Constable Woods from the police station at Kilmore, conducted a further search of the butcher's premises. They believed that the child's head had been hit with a butcher's cleaver. And after inspection, Mr. Doaty said that one of his cleavers was missing from the shop. When they spoke to Albert Wilson, he told them that he had found a butcher's knife in William Jones's room. But at that time, he knew nothing of the missing girl or a murder. So, he took the knife back to the shop and cleaned it.
About 4:00 in the afternoon on Friday the 29th of December, a rumor started to spread that the suspect had been arrested in Wong and a large crowd gathered at the station expecting him to be brought back on the 4:10 train. This rumor proved to be false, but the size of the crowd showed just how strongly the community felt and how determined they were that the culprit should be brought to justice.
On Saturday the 30th of December, a post-mortem examination was carried out by Dr. Morton. He confirmed that the cause of death was suffocation and strangulation. And the following day, Sunday the 31st of December, an inquest began before Mr. Morrison, the district coroner. The inquest was told that Rita had been living with her grandparents, so she could attend school, as there was no school conveniently located where her parents lived in New South Wales. It was revealed that she had previously spoken to the suspect when she visited the butcher shop with her cousin a few days earlier and that he had asked her her name. A lady named Mrs. Clark recalled seeing a man light a fire behind the butcher shop on the 26th of December. She said that for some time he moved around the yard and that he was not someone that she'd ever seen before. Rita's grandmother, Mrs. Elizabeth Temple, tearfully identified the body and said that the small pieces of clothing had belonged to her granddaughter. She explained that around 11:30 on the 26th of December, she had given Rita a few coins and sent her off to buy some fruits. She said it was a simple errand that she had done many times before. Yet the little girl never came home.
Sarah Brace, who was 12 years old, told the inquest that she met Rita near Clayton's shop just before noon on the 26th of December, and together they walked past Doat's butchers and then towards the Creek Bridge before they went their separate ways. Sarah said that she noticed a man coming out of the butchers dressed in a blue coat. She recalled that he spoke to someone but didn't pay much attention and did not recognize him. At this point, the inquest was adjourned so more information could be gathered.
The funeral of 8-year-old Rita Jones took place the next day and was very well attended. The Sunday school children marched in procession to the cemetery and the coffin was carried by six of Rita's school companions who were all dressed in whites. The service conducted by Reverend Campbell was solemn and deeply moving with many present struggling to contain their emotions.
Rumors about William Jones continued. It was said that he had previously worked on a farm owned by Mr. Arthur Mason at Prospect Hill and it was believed that he was from Queensland. There were also reports that he had been seen between Beverage and Craigy Burn, though these sightings were never confirmed and the uncertainty only added to the growing unease in the area.
William Jones was arrested on Wednesday the 3rd of January 1900 in the town of Konton, some 40 miles from Broadford. He denied murdering the little girl and claimed that after reading in the newspaper that he was suspected of the crime, he had gone to the police station that morning to clear his name. According to him, no officer was on duty. So, he left and was later arrested in the town as he attempted to find a constable. He was taken to the Broadford Police Station under heavy escort and brought before the coroner, Mr. Harold Morrison, who ordered that he be remanded.
On the 19th of January, he was brought back to Broadford. As the inquest resumed, Mr. Gerner represented the prosecution while Mr. Kelly appeared for the defense. The inquest lasted all day and 33 witnesses gave evidence. Dr. Morton stated that he had performed the postmortem and in his opinion death was due to asphyxia, but because the body was so badly decomposed and burned, he could not say exactly how it occurred. He also said that he believed an assault had taken place before the murder.
A man named Thomas Arnold also gave testimony. He said that he saw Mr. Jones come out of Mr. Doat's shop at around 12:30 in the afternoon on the 26th of December, and he looked as though he was waiting for someone. Arabella Clark, who lived on the opposite side of the creek from the butcher's, said that on that fateful day, she saw a man go down to the paddock and drive a horse towards the hotel at around 8:00 a.m. She added that around 1:30 or 2:00 p.m., she saw the same man near the shed where the boiling down process took place, and she noticed that smoke was coming from the chimney. She said that after that, she saw the man go towards the hotel and return. And again, smoke started to come from the chimney. When asked what the man was wearing, she replied that he was wearing clothes similar to those described as belonging to Mr. Jones. She added that she had never previously seen the man and that he was the only person that she saw behind the butcher shop that day.
Another witness was a 10-year-old girl named Rose Jones, a cousin of Rita. She said that she remembered going to Do's butcher shop with Rita the Thursday before Christmas. She told the inquest that William Jones had served them and said to Rita that she was a nice little girl and smiled at her. A lady named Emma Wright was the next to give testimony. She said that she saw a man dressed like Mr. Jones near her home on the 26th of December. She claimed that a buggy passed by and a man stepped out and looked down. She said that she thought this quite strange, so asked him what he wanted, but he just walked away saying that he was looking for a horse.
For the defense, Mr. Kelly called several witnesses. One was Mrs. Ellen Allen, who stated that on the 26th of December, she left her home between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m. to look for her children who were out playing. She said that when she passed Do at his butcher's, she saw a young dark-haired man looking out of the window. She said that when he saw her, he was startled and stepped back. When asked if the man could have been William Jones, she replied that she was certain that the man she saw was not Mr. Jones.
After all the witnesses had given evidence, the jury retired to consider their verdict. They returned after 3/4 of an hour, stating that they believed that the prisoner, William Robert Jones, to be guilty of the murder of Rita Jones. He was then committed to trial at the criminal sessions in Melbourne.
Trial opened on Monday the 19th of February before Mr. Justice Hodges. Mr. Finles represented the prosecution and Mr. Brano Logan represented the defense. When asked how he pleaded, William Jones replied, "I am not guilty, sir." The prosecution called many of the same witnesses who had testified at the inquest the previous month. Through their evidence, they laid out a clear timeline for the child's final movements and a narrow period in which the crime must have occurred. They also focused on the fact that William Jones had abruptly abandoned both his employment and the town immediately after Rita Jones was murdered. An action they argued that was far from coincidence and strongly pointed to his guilt.
Although the prosecution presented a seemingly coherent chain of events, the defense insisted that much of it rested on assumption rather than proof. In his opening statements, Mr. O'Log reminded the jury of the serious responsibility that rested upon them in deciding the guilt or innocence of the prisoner. He told them that there was no direct evidence at all and said that everything presented by the prosecution was indirect and entirely circumstantial. He then reminded them that evidence of this kind was the most difficult a jury could be required to assess and it demanded very close attention. Looking at the jury, Mr. O'Log said that the first matter they should consider was the prisoner's conduct after he learned that he was accused of this terrible crime and reminded the court of the evidence given by Sergeant Beck who had taken William Jones into custody. Mr. O'Log stressed that William Jones had behaved exactly as an innocent man would. He'd gone to the police station himself having read in the newspaper that he was suspected of the murder. Then finding no constable on duty, he left only to be met by the sergeant who asked his name and immediately arrested him.
The defense counsel also stated the extraordinary liberties that had been taken by the police when asking witnesses to identify the prisoner. They told of how Mr. Jones had been placed in a cell and witnesses were then informed by the police that they had arrested a man who they believed to be the murderer. Mr. Jones was then marched in front of these potential witnesses so that they might persuade themselves that he was the man that they had seen on the 26th of December. He told the jury that identification obtained in such a manner was extremely unreliable and that the entire case rested upon nothing more than a collection of suspicions.
Mrs. Ellen Allen, who had given evidence at the inquest, again stated that the man she had seen looking out of the window at the butcher shop, had dark hair, a mustache, and was noticeably younger in appearance than the defendant, William Jones. She told the court that she was certain that Mr. Jones was not the man she saw. Several butchers from different parts of the country, who had previously employed William Jones, also gave evidence for the defense. They explained that he had a habit of leaving positions suddenly, especially when affected by drink.
Mr. Blacket, the government analyst, was the next witness. He told the court that he had examined Mr. Jones's clothing and found no blood stains or any other incriminating marks. He added that he had also examined the cleaver that was believed to have been used in the attack, and although he had found hairs upon it, he was unable to determine whether they were human.
William Jones testified in his own defense. He gave an account of his movements on the day in question and in the days that followed. He said that on the morning of the 26th of December, he had delivered meat to local hotels. Before returning to the butcher shop, he said that he remained there until his colleague Alfred Wilson arrived. Looking straight ahead at the judge, he said that he purchased some whiskey. So, after Mr. Wilson had left the shop, he drank some of it and went upstairs to sleep until about 10:00. When he awoke, he drank more whiskey and returned to Keen's hotel where he had made a meat delivery that morning. He claimed that following this, he again returned to the butcher's where he found one of the rear doors open. He said that he closed it and returned to Keen's hotel where he stayed until dusk, and after having more whiskey, he eventually returned to the butcher shop and went to bed.
When asked about his movements the following day, he said that he felt unwell in the morning, so gathered his belongings and left Broadford. He explained that he stopped at several hotels along the road seeking work but finding none and eventually secured a job on a farm. He said that while there he heard news of the murder and learned that he himself was a suspect. He said that upon hearing this he went to a police station the next morning with the intention of giving himself up and clearing his name. He maintained that he knew nothing about the murder and did not ever recall seeing the little girl, Rita Jones.
When both the prosecution and the defense had presented their cases and addressed the jury, the judge, Mr. Justice Hodges, summed up the case, and the jury eventually retired at 3:20 to consider the verdict. They returned at 4:15 and requested permission to visit the scene of the crime. Arrangements were then made for them to travel to Broadford the following morning.
The jury arrived by train and inspected the premises attached to the butcher shop where the murder had taken place. 10 of them went to the residence of Mrs. Clark while two members of the jury went to the boiling down shed so they could test whether it was possible to identify anyone at a distance. Mrs. Clark had stated in court that she was certain that on the 26th of December she had seen a man behind the butcher shop wearing the clothes described as belonging to William Jones. At the shed, the two men changed their coats. One of them walked over to the Broadoot Hotel and those who remained at Mrs. Clark's house watched and realized that they could easily recognize him and the coat that he was wearing. The jury also examined the butcher shop window in which Mrs. Allen had claimed to have seen a man. They then returned to Melbourne and to the criminal court where they considered the evidence.
Later, they returned and told the judge that they had reached a verdict. They said that they found the defendant, William Robert Jones, guilty of murder. When asked if he had anything to say, Mr. Jones looked straight ahead and said, "I am innocent. That's all I've got to say." Mr. Justice Hodges then sentenced him to death. The sentence was appealed, but with no new evidence. This appeal was rejected on Monday the 26th of March 1900.
William Robert Jones was taken to the gallows and when he was asked if he had any final words, he replied, "I forgive everyone. That is all I have to say." He was then hanged. He always claimed that he was innocent of the crime.
Hello everyone and thank you so much for listening. As usual, please leave any comments or feedback you may have and I hope to see you all again in the next brief case.