Showing posts with label Police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Police. Show all posts

Friday, December 14, 2018

100 years ago this week - Koo Wee Rup is overrun by hoodlums

100 years ago this week - this letter about crime in Koo Wee Rup was published in The Argus of December 24, 1918.


The Argus December 24, 1918


POLICE PROTECTION WANTED.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARGUS
For some time the residents of Koo Wee Rup have had to submit to a large number of robberies, petty thefts without any hope of retracing the stolen property or punishing the offender. Added to that the conduct of a number of hoodlums at public functions had become so unbearable that promoters of public entertainments were fearful of the consequences. The  local  hall is generally  in a state of siege from the onslaughts of these ruffians, who rush the doors and endeavour to break into the supper room, using the most horrible language around the doors, and frequently bombarding the roof with road metal. 
All this was thrashed out at a public meeting some weeks ago and a letter was forwarded  to the Chief Secretary asking for police protection at Koo Wee Rup.  Up to the present time no reply his been received. 
It is no uncommon sight to see a stand up fight in the main street.  On Saturday night a number of men surged for over an hour in the main thoroughfare and into the early hours of Sunday,  while the air was filled with profanity, oaths and curses to which peaceable citizens had to listen. 
On Sunday night another scene took place when the great Australian adjective was heard to advantage as a preface to loud allegations of untruthfulness.  There is a policeman stationed at Lang Lang on the extreme edge of the district who has to patrol or endeavour to keep the peace in a district about 50 square miles in extent. Needless to say his energy must necessarily be somewhat distributed until it reaches vanishing point. 
Yours &c
A VICTIM
Koo Wee Rup December 23.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

100 years ago this week - an escaped 'lunatic'

This is an account of the capture of an escaped patient from Mont Park Mental Hospital from the South Bourke and Mornington Journal of April 30, 1914.  The work Lunatic has now gone out of fashion to describe a person who is mentally ill. According to the Oxford Dictionary the word Lunatic comes from the Old French lunatique, from late Latin lunaticus, from Latin luna '‘ moon’ ' (from the belief that changes of the moon caused intermittent insanity).



South Bourke and Mornington Journal of April 30, 1914.

Trooper Maher, is Stephen Maher, listed in the 1914, 1919 and 1924 Electoral Rolls as living at Pakenham. His occupation is listed as Constable. His wife was  Bridget Catherine (nee Ryan).   There is an interesting account, below, of Constable Maher having his horse taken from him, sounds like it was a bureaucratic decision made without any consultation - so no change there in 100 years. 


Dandenong Advertiser of May 7 1914
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article88355315



South Bourke and Mornington Journal of  17 June 17, 1920,
http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article66198261

Stephen and Catherine had ten children, Rosaline (born 1886), Cathleen (1888), Florence Mary (1890), Olive Veronica (1893), Stephen Raymond (1894), John Thomas (1896), Thomas Francis(1899), Daniel Michael (1901) Leonard Joseph (1903) and Mary Monica (1905). Stephen died in 1931 aged 70 and Bridget died in 1939 aged 77