Roebourne Bank Murders

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

Police file – General – 25th April 1888

Police file – General – 25th April 1888

The Commissioner of Police

Confidential

Roebourne
25th Apr 88

Sir,

I have so far as I have been able enquired into the impressions here with regard to the perpetrators of the murders of Messrs Anketell and Burrup.

No consistent theory has come to my knowledge.

The opinion that Mr Roderick McRae was concerned in it is very prevalent among the lower classes but I have not been able to find any sufficient reason for suspicion attaching to him.

His manner has been very strange since the occurrences. He is now seldom sober and I am told at times will burst into tears without any apparent reason.

The better class of people here place no credence in this suspicion, assign for a reason, a certain article which appeared shortly after the murders in the Herald and further say that the reason of his peculiar manner is caused from the knowledge that he rests under a cloud of suspicion.

The rumour that Mr Alex McRae was in Roebourne on the night of the occurrence is prevalent, but who saw him I have not been able to learn.

I have handed the anonymous letter on the subject to Sergeant Kennedy so that he may at any rate try to ascertain the writer if possible.

Almost every one is ready to discuss this subject so that I had an opportunity of ascertaining the view of several persons of different classes.

Yours obediently,
R.C. Hare
Insp.

I may mention that a man named Slicet[?] has attracted attention owing to certain words that he dropped when under the influence of liquor. I have not however any reason to think they were more than drunken ravings.

Frank Hornig executed some months ago for the murder of one Johnston appears to have been specially energetic in directing the police at the time and I with most others think that he was deeply[?] if not solely implicated in it. He was in the habit of leaning through the window through which Burrup appears to have been struck, conversing with Burrup. His presence even at a late hour near the Bank would (he know) not have attracted attention.

RCH