Melinda Smith #19 William Walker, found dead in the river Swan, off Doughboy Point, in Freshwater Bay, early morning

Part of the original newspaper article in The Inquirer (Perth) Wed 19 April 1854, p3

William Walker, found dead in the river Swan, off Doughboy Point, in Freshwater Bay, early morning

(found poem: from The Inquirer (Perth) Wed 19 April 1854, p3

- compiled using Trove)

William Walker,

holder of a conditional pardon,

getting timber on board the 'Struan'

obtained a little money of the captain,

and went drinking,

and continued so

for nine or ten days.

On Friday morning last,

he had eaten nothing for 4 days,

refused food when offered it

sent with two other men

down the river to fetch up stone

nothing more of him until that morning,

about ten o'clock, when a man named Oakes

came and told he was drowned, and the body

was coming up the river

John Oakes, ticket-of-leave man, was quarrying stone at Freshwater Bay

Deceased, witness, and another man, Dowbeggin, the three

had about a bottle of rum together in some cold tea at 8 p.m.

(acknowledged they had another bottle of rum,

but of which decease drank most of, drinking it like water)

sitting by the fire

3 a.m. Saturday,

talking and laughing, when, all at once,

deceased jumped up, and declared he saw a policeman.

This was merely the shadow of a rock.

After sitting down for a little while, he jumped up,

and declared he saw a man go into the hut,

and running in there himself, he commenced

throwing things out.

After this, he declared he saw two ladies

on horseback, and although it was nothing

but the shadow of two gum trees,

he would not be persuaded otherwise, and ran about

as if chasing them, and at last said they were in the river,

and ran into the water, which was shallow at the spot,

and out again, once or twice.

The third time he ran in, and was splashing about,

witness turned his head to light his pipe,

when he looked towards the river again, he could not see deceased,

but only what he thought was a piece of rock.

called out his name, watched the place he saw him last, close by this rock,

with Dowbeggin,

ran down to the edge of the river,

(but did not go into the water to look)

could not see him.

deceased, when under the influence of liquor

was in the habit of running about in the water.

Deceased was capable of swimming two hundred yards.

At about five o'clock,

boat was hailed,

and when the men in it

came ashore, they ran

to the edge of the river, when they found

the fancied rock

was the head of the deceased himself,

in water about breast high,

lying floating on his stomach.

(witness said he did not go in the water, although it was shallow, to see if deceased had stepped into deeper, or had a fit, because he would not have been well for a month after)

(Dowbeggin did not run into the shallow water to look for deceased, because he was a perfect stranger to him, and subject to the cramp)

Dr. Ferguson examined the body

could find no marks on it;

death by drowning.

The jury expressed their opinion

" the death of William Walker,

holder of a conditional pardon,

was caused by drowning

when under the influence of liquor, and that

the conduct of Oakes and Dowbeggin was deserving of reproof;

Oakes particularly so,

had he, when he first lost sight of the deceased,

run into the shallow water

his life might have been saved."

The two were called in, suitably admonished by Mr Yule,

and the inquest broke up.

Report of a magisterial inquiry

held at the Lock-up, Perth, on Saturday afternoon last,

before T. N. Yule, Esq., and Lieut. Elliott, 99th Regiment,

and a respectable body of householders,

to inquire into the cause of the death

of

William Walker, found dead in the river Swan,

off Doughboy Point, in Freshwater Bay, early morning.

(c) Melinda Smith 2016

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