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Roebourne Bank Murders

Roebourne Bank Murders

The 1885 murders of William Anketell and Henry Burrup at the Union Bank Roebourne and the ensuing investigation and controversy.

  • Home
  • Summary of Events
  • Witness accounts of murder scene
    • by F.C. Broadhurst
    • by W.M. Thomas
  • Police File
  • Depositions
  • The murder trial
  • Newspaper Articles
    • The West Australian
    • The Fremantle Herald
    • The Argus
    • The Enquirer
    • The Eastern Districts Chronicle
  • Motive and musings
    • Prejudice and rumours
    • The Motive
    • The psychology behind the murders
    • My Musings
    • Who did it?
  • Roebourne in 1885
  • Roebourne maps and photos
    • Western Australia
    • 1885 Roebourne Town Map
    • Early Maps of Roebourne Townsite
    • Roebourne and Surrounding Country
    • Early photos of Roebourne
  • Biographies
    • Thomas Anketell
    • Henry Thomas Wood Burrup
    • Frederick Bevan
    • Charles Warburton
    • James Lithgow
    • The Pontt Brothers – William and Augustus
    • Caroline Platt
  • Memoir Extracts
  • Can you help with these names?
  • Bibliography
  • Acknowledgements

Deposition – Isabel McRae

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The Depositions

Deposition of Isabel McRae

The examination of Isabel McRae
School Teacher of Roebourne
taken on oath this 18th
day of March in the year of Our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and 85 at Roebourne
in the Colony aforesaid, before the undersigned, one
of Her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the said Colony in the presence and
hearing of Frederick Bevan, Charles Warburton, William Holmes Gilroy and San Qui who
are charged this day before me for that they the said F. Bevan. C. Warburton
W.H. Gilroy and San Qui at Roebourne on

This deponent Isabel McRae on her oath
saith as follows:- I was sleeping at my brother’s house just opposite the Union Bank on the night of the 12th January last. On the morning of the 13th about 20 minutes to 7 I went into the front verandah and saw Mr Anketell lying on his front verandah. It was unusual to see him there so late in the morning and I thought he looked strange. I went in and told my sister and she got some glasses. We looked through them and I saw that Mr Anketell had blood about him. What we could see of him was covered in blood. I ran over to my brother Roderick’s house and as he was out I sent a messenger for him. I was sleeping that night in a room that opens on the front verandah by a French window. (pointed out on plan) I heard no noise during the night. The house I was in is close to the road and nearly opposite the Bank as shown in the plan.

Isabel McRae

Before me
E.H. Lawrence J.P

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