CARRUTHERS family file : Emily Coleman Cheeseman GOWARD - Summary of Inquest into death C1900 :: FamilyTreeCircles.com Genealogy
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CARRUTHERS family file : Emily Coleman Cheeseman GOWARD - Summary of Inquest into death C1900

Journal by allycat

Dear members, below is a rather gruesome report provided to me regarding connections to the CARRUTHERS family in my tree.

Summary of Inquest into the death of Emily Coleman Cheeseman Goward.

Deceased

Emily Coleman Cheeseman Goward (age45)
William Goward (age 15)
Emily Sarah Goward (known as Bub)
Edward James Snow (Ted)

"The whole of the principal evidence is given by a boy named Richard Watson about 9 years of age. He states that he remembers the night of 3 January 1900. He was staying at Gowards on that night, after going to bed he was roused by Snow, one of the deceased, who told him to go
with him and Emily Sarah Goward. He got up and in going out of the house he saw Mrs Goward lying on the floor and heard her groaning. He also saw Willie Goward lying down outside groaning.

Watson, the boy then went with Snow and Emily Sarah Goward to an adjacent paddock where the boy says Snow gave Emily Sarah Goward poison (strychnine) out of a bottle on a piece of cake. The girl
was apparently quite willing to take it and eat the cake. The deceased Snow also took some Strychnine. After a time the girl complained of pain and asked Snow to cut her throat which he did.

Snow then lay down alongside the girl after telling the boy Watson to take his coat to a selector's about a quarter of a mile away. This the boy did and reported the matter. The bodies of Snow and
the girl were afterwards found dead as described by Watson, and Mrs Goward and Willie were also found dead at the house. Mrs Goward had her head smashed with an axe and also had a gunshot wound to
in her breast.

Snow and the girl Emily Sarah Goward had apparently made up their minds to die together.

The evidence does not disclose any motive for the crime. It is evidently presumed that Mrs Goward and Willie Goward were murdered by Snow but there is no evidence on that point."




Notes from full witness statements

There was also a daughter Daisy, the boy says Mrs Goward went to bed with the baby Daisy, AGED 5 OR 6. As daisy is not listed as deceased, we could follow her up. Emily's husband was William James Goward-contractor. He was working away from home at the time. His witness statement says Snow was staying with them for a time and had been doing some work for him. He had known Snow for about 10 years. He describes snow as a good worker who seemed to like his daughter and got on well with all the family. He had not heard any arguments between Snow and his family. newspaper reports indicate Snow had been stepping out with Bub?

A Dr who examined the bodies noted that Emily Sarah Coleman showed no signs of pregnancy and appeared to be a virgin. Emily Sarah did seem to have cysts on ovaries, quite unusual in such a young girl.

Snow also had Arsenic in his pocket, as well as the strychnine. A further statement from Blacksmith said the gun had only been repaired that day.

The boy's full statement indicates that he tried to see Mrs Goward and Willie as he was led from the house but was told repeatedly to 'shut up' and 'come on'. The boy said before leaving the house
"Ted told Bub bring some strychnine and I saw bub go into the bedroom and bring a bottle which she gave to Ted".

Surnames: CARRUTHERS CHEESEMAN COLEMAN GOWARD SNOW WATSON
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by allycat Profile | Research | Contact | Subscribe | Block this user
on 2008-07-18 15:37:35

allycat , from sunny Queensland, Australia, has been a Family Tree Circles member since Mar 2006. is researching the following names: VOSS, DENNER, DINNER and 610 other(s).

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Comments

by fordy on 2009-01-24 22:06:21

Such a sad story, maybe Emily's cysts made her look pregnant and the mother had accused them and possibly because they had done nothing wrong they killed the mother and then took their own lives so they would be together forever. no one will ever know

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