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 – James Lithgow – 26th January 1887-2

Police file – James Lithgow – 26th January 1887-2

Cossack
26th January 87

The Commissioner of Police
Perth

I have to report that since I arrived in Roebourne I have been making enquiries re Jas Lithgow statement.

I have seen the hostler at Thompson’s hotel Christopher Armstrong who has no recollection of seeing Lithgow or a horse being at Thompson’s stable at the time of the murder.

Mr Richard Wilson who is now and was at the time of the murder in charge of Thompson’s hotel remembers Jas Lithgow leaving Roebourne and return to his work in November 84 and returning to Roebourne on the 24 May 85. He further states that had Lithgow been in Roebourne at the time of the murders he would have seen him as he always puts his horse up at the stables and it would have been entered in his book.

I had a constable making enquiries from Mr Woolhouse as to the time and place when Lithgow and B. Longstaff was at the time of the murders too.

I have also made enquiries re. the portmanteau containing billhook and fire arms which Mr James Dearden informed Det. Gurney that Frank Hornig alias Erdsman had in his possession when staying at his hotel Perth.

From the enquiries I have made I cannot get the slightest information of any of these articles being seen since that time. The persons who I have spoken to about them think that if he had had such articles in his possession they would have been noticed especially while he was staying at Thompson’s hotel.

The prisoner Frank Hornig alias Erdsman has just arrived and will be conveyed to Roebourne this afternoon. I will try and do my best to get all the information from him to the Roebourne murder.

I have just received the attached telegram from M. Guilfoyle and from that I consider James Lithgow statement to [be] quite untrue and no reliance can be placed on his statement in any way.

[?] of the [?] in Hornig case left Derby by barque “Mary Blair” for Perth. [?], [?], Troy and the doctor is expected at Cossack by the S.S. Australind which is expected to arrived about the 1st Feb 87.

W.C. Lawrence
Sub Insp.