Murder of Trooper Armstrong
At a recent meeting of the Katanning branch W A. Historical Society, Mr. I Synnott read some interesting papers on the murder by a native named Bobbinet of Trooper Armstrong at Tingerup Swamp in the year 1875. The incident was recounted in a copy of some official records supplied by the secretary of the Police Department, Mr C. Treadgold. These documents referred to the initial search for Bobbinet by Troopers Armstrong and Fahey (1), and their encounter with him at Tingerup Swamp when Trooper Armstrong was murdered, his subsequent capture by Constables John McGlade and Thomas Edwards at Yeriminup, the long search for native witnesses to the crime, and the murderer’s trial and conviction in the Perth Supreme Court.
Typical policeman/trooper of the day
A TRAGEDY OF THE 70’s.
MURDER OF TROOPER ARMSTRONG.
CAPTURE OF NATIVE KILLER.
The Beverley Times
18 February 1938
The Murder.
The actual story of the murder is told in the following extract from the “Inquirer” dated April 14, 1875, the crime being committed when Troopers Fahey (Trooper Fahey was later stationed at Eticup Station – Police Pools in Katanning – ed) and Armstrong were attempting to arrest Bobbinet for murder of a native at York, committed some months previously. Bobbinet, an aboriginal native, was charged with the wilful murder of Lance-Corporal Armstrong near Kojonup on the 13th of January last, under the circumstances detailed in the following evidence.
The Attorney General prosecuted.
The prisoner was not represented by counsel. In opening the case for the crown the Attorney General alluded in very complimentary terms to the bravery displayed by Police Constable Edwards, of Beverley, when arresting the prisoner, who fired upon him – the bullet passing through Edwards’ whiskers. The evidence adduced was as follows:
Michael Fahey, at present a farmer, was a Police Constable at Kojonup in January last. On the11th of that month he started, in company with Lance Corporal Armstrong, in pursuit of the prisoner, having a warrant for his apprehension. They reached a place called Tingerup, a sheep station belonging to Mr. Trimmer, early on the 14th and found a number of natives there close to a bulrush swamp in the neighbourhood of the shepherd’s hut. The constables had a native assistant with them at the time.
Armstrong arranged with Fahey that he should remain on the edge of the swamp to cut of the retreat of the natives, while Armstrong and the native assistant galloped on to the native camp, thinking to find the prisoner there. This plan was carried out, although Fahey objected to it, inasmuch as Armstrong did not know Bobbinet, whilst the witness did.
When they had gone, witness observed a native with a red handkerchief round his head enter the swamp, and, believing him to be Bobbinet, called to Armstrong to return, which he did, coming up in the direction of the position occupied by witness. When within about 30 yards from him he stopped his horse and was in the act of dismounting when witness heard the report of a gun. The report came from behind a tree near the swamp about 10 or 15 yards from Armstrong, who, when shot, staggered a few yards, groaned and fell down.
Witness, from where he stood, could not see anyone at the tree from behind which the shot was fired, and he immediately galloped into the swamp, where he met Armstrong’s native assistant, who called the attention of witness to a black fellow who was in the act of pointing a gun at him. The black fellow was partly concealed behind a tree, and witness could not see him so as to identify him; he was distant 50 or 60 yards.
Witness went up towards the tree and, pulling out a revolver, fired, but the cap snapped back and the black fellow slipped away into the bush. Witness then went up to Armstrong and found him lying on his back, alive. He expired about 10 minutes afterwards. There were gunshot wounds about his face and neck, and froth emanated from his nostrils. Witness then went to Mt. Barker, distant about 28 miles, to get assistance, Armstrong did not utter a word in the hearing of witness before he expired.
Jackey Brown, the native assistant employed by Armstrong, having been affirmed to speak the truth, give evidence to the same effect, He further stated that he saw the prisoner fire the gun at Armstrong from behind a tree. When he discharged it he (Bobbinet) was crouching down, and immediately he fired he dropped the gun (a single barrel) and picked up another gun (double barrelled) and pointed it at the constable (Fahey). Witness was positive as to the prisoner’s identity.
Donald McKellar, a shepherd living at Kojonup in the service of Mr. Trimmer, said there were several natives encamped near his hut on the 14th of January, among whom was the prisoner, who was occasionally employed by the witness as assistant shepherd. Witness was removing to another sheep station on the day referred to, and engaged some of the natives (the prisoner included) to assist him in carrying his traps, which among other articles’ included two guns, which were left for Bobbinet and another native to carry.
The witness started on his journey, leaving these two natives to follow. He had not proceeded far when he heard the report of a gun, and a suppressed scream, and looking round saw Bobbinet running away and a riderless horse. Witness then returned and came upon Armstrong alive on the ground. He attempted to speak but did not succeed. He died a few minutes afterwards. His face and breast were covered with shot wounds. Witness subsequently saw Bobbinet standing behind a tree and pointing a gun at Fahey but saw nothing more of him.
Beverley Harry, one of the natives entrusted by the previous witness to carry his guns, gave further evidence incriminating the prisoner. He and other natives, whose testimony was taken, alleged that they witnessed Bobbinet discharge the gun at Armstrong and were positive of his identity.
The prisoner, when asked to make his defence, merely expressed a wish to be sent to Rottnest for life. The jury, without hesitation, convicted him and the learned Judge pronounced sentence of death in the usual form.
The Murderer Captured
On January 18, 1875, Sub-Inspector William Finlay, of Albany, sent John McGlade, a man selected because of his knowledge of the natives and the habits of Bobbinet, to assist P.C. Edwards in the capture of the murderer. McGlade, wrote the inspector, was dressed in civilian clothes, and was not to be known as a police officer.
The next scene in the drama is furnished by P.C. Edwards’ report to headquarters after he set out to capture Bobbinet. He states: –
“I, with my two native assistants, Putar and Freddy met P.C. John McGlade at Mr. E. Quartermaine’s ‘Yowangup.’ We started in the direction of Ewlyamartup Lake at 1p.m. and to Mr. Graham’s back station (near Nampup), which is 40 miles east of Eticup. We learned nothing of the offender until the morning of the 20th inst., when a native told us that Bobbinet was camped with other members of his tribe about seven miles north of the Gordon River at Yeriminup, Mr. G. Warburton’s farm. We started for the scene at 3 am, and riding into the camp at daylight, saw a native run away. He carried two guns and took cover behind a large gum tree,
“I rode to the right of the tree and McGlade to the left, both of us galloping at a good pace. A shot rang out and I looked across to see if either of my assistants was hit. McGlade was still on horseback and our two native boys were further to the left – all uninjured. I looked towards the tree again and heard the report of another firearm. I saw smoke at the muzzle of the gun, and, at the same instant, felt a shot pass across my right cheek and heard several more strike the bushes close to my bead. I was then about 50 yards from the tree.
“I did not think it advisable to approach Bobbinet as he might have the third barrel ready to fire. As my native assistant Putar had a carbine I told him to open fire. He did so, the ball passing very close to Bobbinet. This frightened him and he began to cry. I called him to come out. He said he would, but that he was afraid I would shoot him. I told him I would not, and ordered him to leave his guns at the tree and walk out; at the same time, I put my revolver in the case. He put down his guns and walked out. I met him and secured him with the chain and handcuffs.
“I sent the natives for the guns, which were both of the single barrel type. Bobbinet had left the ammunition at the hut when he ran away. When we went back, his woman had gone away and taken the ammunition with her. We arrived at Parson’s Lake (west of Tenterden) with the prisoner and stayed there at night. Distance travelled to-day, 50 miles.
“February 21st, started at 6 a.m. and arrived at Mt. Barker, where we stayed till Monday. Left for Albany on the following day and handed the prisoner over to the lock-up keeper on arrival.
”Distance travelled while in search of Bobbinet from 29th of January to 22nd February, 577 miles.”
At the end of his report, P.C. Edwards commended the two natives, Freddy and Putar, for their good behaviour and mentioned the “straight forward manner and unflinching way” in which McGlade helped in the capture.
Capturers Rewarded.
A sequel to the capture and hanging of Bobbinet was a recommendation to the Hon. Colonial Secretary by the Superintendent of Police, M.S. Smith, that Constables Edwards and McGlade and the two natives, Putar and Freddy, be rewarded. The recommendation was brought before the Governor, who approved of the following rewards: P.C. Edwards, £12/10/; McGlade, £7/10/; Putar and Freddy, £3 each.
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Wansbrough (originally Tingerup Swamp – ed.) is a small nature reserve midway between Cranbrook and Tambellup on the Great Southern Highway, Lower Western Australia. It is a wetland swamp adjacent to the Gordon River which in part the highway and railway line track in this area. The swamp had been a fresh water and food source for traditional Aborigines of the locality for millenia. Wansbrough is also a railway siding sitting upon the Avon to Albany main line.
Prior to 1926 Wansbrough Siding was known as Tingerup Siding. in 1875 Tingerup was also known as Tinjarrah, a sheep run owned by Mr Arthur Trimmer whose homestead station was Pootenup, also a railway siding and now also a small nature reserve located nearby, closer the Great Southern Highway’s junction with Albany Highway. The introduction of pastoralism along the Gordon River from the 1850s damatically affected the lives of the Koreng and Willmen Aboriginal people.
Wansbrough, then known as Tingerup/Tinjarrah was the scene of the unfortunate death of Trooper Armstrong. Based at the proximate Kojonup Barracks, Lance-Corporal Armstrong died at the hands of Bobbinet, a traditional Aborigine wanted for the murder of another Aborigine at York. Armstrong was shot dead by Bobbinet in the bulrush swamp at Tingerup on January 14th, 1875, while trying to apprehend him.
Some weeks later Bobbinet was captured at Yeriminup, an important Aboriginal meeting ground to the west, near the village of Frankland River. He was tried at the supreme court in Perth in April that year, found guilty and hanged very soon after. He was penitent, well knowing the punishment for murder was death, a sentence practised by both cultures. Bobbinet’s full story isn’t told here, suffice to say he was terrified of the colonial justice system which tracked him down and sought to punish him for a tribal matter. Something he was justified to carry out in his own culture and therefore something many Aborigines of that era were confused and angered by.
Murder of Trooper Armstrong. Murder of Trooper Armstrong. Murder of Trooper Armstrong.