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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

Trial

The Murder Trial

Charles Warburton, Frederick Bevan and San Qui stood trial in the Supreme Court of Western Australia charged with the the murder of Thomas Anketell. The trial lasted for six days, from the 2nd July to the 7th July 1885, and generated a huge amount of interest and excitement within the community.

On Wednesday, 8th July 1885, the day after the trial, The Enquirer newspaper, devoted many columns to report a day by day account of the trial. Ghosts from the past are bought to life again with witness testimonies that have been recorded word for word.

The West Australian newspaper also gave an account each day during the course of the trial. In some respects whilst witness testimonies may not have been reported in such detail, The West Australian does cover parts of the trial and parts of witness testimonies that The Inquirer did not. I believe both accounts compliment each other.

Click on the links to read.

 The Inquirer Newspaper.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6

The West Australian Newspaper.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Editorial Comment

 

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This website was selected for preservation by the State Library of Western Australia. It is now listed in perpetuity on PANDORA, Australia’s website archive established by the National Library of Australia.

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