Thomas Best was committed for trial for the Murder of Ellen Buckley in January 1867. Result of trial unknown. See note under Ellen “Suspicious death”.

PHW
Jul 2017

SUSPICIOUS DEATH.
An inquest was commenced before Dr. Blake at the White Swan Inn, on Christmas Day, on the body
of a woman named Ellen Buckly, who lived at Tangmangaroo. It was considered necessary to hold a
post mortem examination, and for that purpose the inquest was anjouned till ten o'clock the following
day, when Thomas Best deposed : Am a farmer at Tangmangaroo; know the deceased; her name was Ellen
Buckley ; on Saturday last she was lying on the sofa all day; she had been drinking; on Sunday she
complained of being ill and she wanted me to give her some liquor, but I would not ; she said she was
swelling; I was pressed afterwards, by a person Maurice Laughane, to give her some ; I gave her
about half a glass ; when she went away I went down to the orchard to pull some cherries, and when I
came back: she was sitting under the verandah; I told her it was time she was getting up to make tea,
as it was getting late ; she said she was so much swelled she could not get up, and when she did rise
the blood bursted from her ; she asked me to throw some water on her, which I did ; I then got her to rise
up on the chair, and she said "I'm done ;" those are the last words she spoke ; she died immediately
after that.

Daniel McGregor deposed : I am a labourer ; I was in Mr. Best's employ and left him on the 33rd;
I was only one day in his service ; I came on Saturday, and the accident happened on Sunday ; when
I left Best's place about seven in the evening I left Mrs. Buckley in the kitchen, and went from that to
the garden ; in about two minutes after I heard screams; I looked up towards the house and I saw
this man kicking her. I saw him kicking her under the verandah ; after the noise stopped ; I heard no
more screaming ; the second eldest girl came down for some water with the buckets, and I asked her
what was the matter with her mother ; she madeno answer —she could not ! the third eldest girl
came down for some water and I asked her the same question ; she said she did not know, as she had
been after the pigs ; on account of the girls giving me no answer I jumped over the fence and went up
to the house to see what was the matter ; I went into the kitchen ; as I was going I saw Mr Best in a
sitting position : when he saw me he said '' You are looking;" I said "l am;" I then rushed towards
the room and I got her in my arms, with that the girl called Sophia ran in, caught her mother by the
cheek, and kissed her, saying " Father, you have killed my mother :" he then rushed to the girl
and caught her by the hair of the head and ill treated her ; the woman died in my arms.
Sophia Jane Best, a girl thirteen years of age, after giving satisfactory answers as to the nature, of
an oath, was sworn, and deposed : I am daughter of Mr. Best and the deceased ; I remember on last
Sunday ; I do not know how my mother died ; I was at a neighbour's house ; she called me in as she was
lying on the bed and said give me your hand, I am going to die ; I went to the neighbour's house after
that. She said nothing more to me after that ; she was not drunk on that day or the day before ; she
was bad ; I did not hear my father or mother quarrelling on the Saturday or Sunday ; I came back
from the neighbour's place just as my mother was dying; the witness McGregor was just going into
the room as I got home ; I saw some blood on the floor; when I went into the room I kissed my
mother, and said to my father "You have killed my mother;" he beat me because, he said, I was
speaking an untruth ; it was because I saw some blood on the floor that I told my father he had killed
my mother.

Dr. O'Connor deposed : I am a duly qualified medical practioner ; made a post-mortem examination on
the body of deceased, Ellen Buckley, yesterday, the 25th instant; there was an abrasion on the
top of the nose; there were two small discolorations, one in front of the left thigh, about two inches below
the groin, and one on the other side of the same thigh, about the same-distance from the groin; there
was also one on the front of the right shiu; on open ing the body, the bowels and stomach were quite
empty; the woman had been suffering from diarrhoea; the liver was very much diseased ; on opening the
womb, I found a foetus about five or six months old ; there were signs of profuse hemorrhage having taken
place; the walls of the heart were very thin and quite flabby ; it was quite empty ; the lungs were sound,
and so was the brain ; I believe the woman died of uterine hemorrhage ; a kick leaving only a mark,
given in the stomach to a woman in her state it would have caused the hemorrhage ; I
do not think a kick could have been given without causing a discoloration.

Daniel McGregor, recalled by Mr. Hassett : The deceased, Mrs Buckley, had her clothes on as usual
when she was screaming, and when I saw her on the verandah.

Dr. O'Connor, recalled by Mr. Hassett : a woman having her full clothes on, and to be in a stooping
position, might receive a slight kick in the stomach or womb without leaving any marks of discoloration,
and yet cause hemorrhage.

This concluded the evidence, and the jury retired for a few minutes, and brought in the following
verdict :— " That the deceased, Ellen Buckley, died on the 23rd December, from hemorrhage, brought
on by kicks received from Thomas Best ; we there fore say he is guilty of murder." The Coroner then
committed him to stand his trial at the next Circuit Court to be held in Goulburn.

Prisoner applied for bail, but the Coroner told him he would have to apply to the judges for it.
The prisoner was then removed to the gaol.19214 — Yass Courier.

No marriage found.