"Something Terrible Has Happened To Father" - Murder Most Fowl!

"Something Terrible Has Happened To Father"

When many hear the name "Horton" in Adelaide, their mind goes back to the man hung in Adelaide Gaol for killing his Wife, Florence Horton in Rundle Mall, outside Adelaide Arcade, but the name is associated with another murder case in South Australia, this time in Norwood.

Herbert Ernest Hall, aged 66, was found dead in his chicken yard in the back of his premises in Norwood. Mr Hall was the company director of the local cordial manufacturer, “Halls”.

On The 28th of January 1950, Mrs Jean Horton of Norwood was a happily married woman with two children.
She had married her husband, Philip Trythall Horton in 1944, who she described as a most affectionate man. Since his discharge from service during World War Two, the couple and their children, aged four and two and a half, had happily lived with her Father in his Charles Street, Norwood home.

Everyone in the family got along well with each other, but on that fateful evening of January 28th 1950, Jean Horton's world was turned upside down.

After returning home at about 8pm that night after visiting Philips parents, the husband and wife worked together to bathe their children and put them to bed, as they had always done together.

Jean retired to the living room to read magazines, while her husband and Father went outside. During the evening, her husband came inside several times, quietly moaning to himself, then leaving to return to the yard.
Philip came back inside about 9pm and said Jean's Father was attending to the brooding hens, and that he would like to speak to her in their bedroom, as he didn't want the children to hear what he had to say.
The couple entered the bedroom, Jean curious as to what Philip had to say, but unable to garner any details from his body language what it could be about, but she had a sinking feeling she knew he was about to utter some terrible news.

Philip said to Jean:
"Something terrible has happened to Father. I've covered him up I don't want you to see it. I was going to do something terrible to you and the children, but I don't remember what it was. I want you to help me."

Before he had finished speaking he knelt beside the bed and began to pray, unsure what to do, Jean left him there and went and phoned the Doctor, but before doing so, she first phoned a neighbour friend and told them of her Father laying in the chicken yard.
When she returned to her husband, he was laying upon the bed, and seemed to be dazed and somewhat confused...

When police arrived at the family home they found Mr Horton still in the family bedroom, asking for a drink of water. He was interrogated by officer Harvey at about 10pm that evening. Horton told the Officer “I have been in reasonable good health, but I have been pretty sick after I was demobilised from the army, I have had a few attacks of pyelitis (A kidney complaint) and I've been to Daws Road Hospital a few times”.

Officer Harvey noted Horton's quiet demeanour, his calm and apparently rational answers to questions, but noted he seemed “too normal” for someone who had just dealt such a cruel blow, there “Should be more abnormality” Harvey stated, “Horton was aware his Father-in-law was dead and what was alleged. Horton seemed casually interested in what had happened”.
Officer Harvey could not identify a motive for the murder.

Another officer went out to the chicken yard, where Mr Halls battered body had been found. The Police Officer assumed Mr Hall had been beaten in the back of the head with a large blunt object, at some point he had tried to walk towards the house and had been beaten again into unconsciousness. His body was dragged into the chicken yard, his feet were tied with rope, his hands were tied behind him, and his mouth was stuffed with a handkerchief.
At some point whilst being bound, he was again beaten, this time to death.
The feet of the dead man was then placed in a drum, a large packing crate, a piece of galvanised iron and some lengths of wood were then used to cover the body. (This was later recounted during the court case)

During the court case which ensued, Mrs Horton gave evidence. She remained calm in her seat but wept the whole time. She told of her gentle and loving husband, and how he was sometimes prone to terrible nightmares and, how on one occasion, Philip, her husband had told her, “I could take you by the throat! - If you had not broken the spell with a smile, something might have happened to you. You know how to handle me. It was luck and chance”

 DET. B. R. HARVEY (left) escorting Philip Trythall Horton,37,

 to the Coroner's Court today when an inquest was

 held into the death of Horton's

 father-in-law Herbert Ernest Hall,

 66, on January 28.

 Horton has been charged with the murder of Hall.  

Other witnesses during the court case were:
Dr J. M. McPhie, police medical officer, who said he saw Horton on January 28 about 11p.m.
The Doctor stated “ The body was that of Herbert Ernest Hall, a company director associated with G. Hall & Sons, cordial manufacturers of Norwood. At 2 a.m. on January 29, I took the body to the City Mortuary. Later the same morning Dr Wilhelm conducted a post-mortem.”

Plain clothes Constable A. C. Horsnell, acting Coroner's Constable, said about 10 a.m. On January 29 he went to the City Mortuary with the deceased's brother Frank Tinley Hall, of Hewitt avenue, Rose Park. Frank Hall identified his brother's body."Later in the day, I pointed out the same body to Dr Wilhelm,"the witness said

Dr Wilhelm was the next witness. He said on making the post-mortem, he found a blood-stained handkerchief had been used as a bandage across the mouth and lower face."A second bloodstained handkerchief was plugged in the mouth." he said. "One corner of that handkerchief protruded."The hands were securely tied by a woman's stocking, and the articles were firmly tied together with two woman's stockings. The body was dressed In grey flannel trousers and a blue sports shirt.
There was much blood staining on the shirt, singlet and trousers."

On the 22nd of March 1950, Philip Horton, 37, technical adviser to the Royal Auto-mobile Association of South Australia was found Not Guilty on the grounds of insanity – the jury did not leave the box.
He was ordered to be kept in strict custody at the hospital for criminal defectives, Parkside for the duration of the Governors Pleasure.

No motive was ever brought forth.

© 2014 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Grange House

Grange House

Found within the Penfolds Magill Estate, Grange House was constructed in 1845 by Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold after emigrating to Australia from England.

The couple moved to Adelaide with their young daughter and bought 500 acres of land at Magill Estate (originally named Mackgill)

The Penfolds built a stone cottage and named it “Grange” after Mary's hometown, the name would later become the name of Penfolds flagship red wine.

In 1870, Christopher's health failed and passed away at the age of 59, leaving Mary to take full control of the winery, which she did capably.

Mary retired from Winemaking in 1884 at the age of 68, she lived on in the Grange House until her death in 1896 aged 80 years old

In the 1980s staff began to report hearing a woman’s voice echoing across the vineyards, this, combined with a teacup with Mary's initials on it, that would freely move around the cottage by itself, led people to believe Mary Penfold had returned to the former home that she loved so dearly.

In 2011, Magill estate, and Grange House made the local news again when it was reported that alarm sensors started to go off with no reasonable explanation at the winery, staff began to report other phenomena, reminiscent of the haunting 30 years earlier.

Is it Mary Penfold returning to her much loved residence and vineyard, if so, why has she come back, is it because her winery has been sold to international buyers and she is displeased, or some other reason we are unaware off, whatever her reasons are, she seems benign and harmless in her haunting thus far.

© 2014 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

The Golden Rule: Axe Attack

 The Golden Rule Axe Attack

The Golden Rule Hotel once stood proudly in Pirie Street, about halfway between Hindmarsh square and East Terrace, on the corner of Pirie Street and Moger lane.
On a Friday night the 3rd of August 1906 The hotel licensee of The Golden Rule, Mr William C Dawes, contacted the Metropolitan Police station asking for assistance.

Constable Stuart was the first to arrive on the scene, and upon entering the Hotel was greeted with some colourful language, describing the murder of a man on the Hotel premises. The constable was ushered through the hotel to a bedroom a the rear of the premises, where he found John Hasset, aged 35 years old, lying on a bed.
Silting nearby the bed, never removing her eyes from her prostrate Husband sat Mrs Ada Hasset (Nee Edge).

It was obvious to the Constable that something nasty had happened to the man on the bed, he had a deep 2 inch cut across his cheekbone, and above his right eye on his forehead was a slash at least 3 inches long, which, even to the medically untrained eye of the Constable, had obviously broken through the skull into the brain.

Ada sat starring, Constable Stuart asked her what had happened, without looking at him she simply replied. “I did it with an axe.” then added,” It's in the shed at the back” and pointed the Constable in the direction to find it.
 Constable Stuart found the axe in the shed, totally covered in blood and gore, hair was stuck in the grooves of where the wooden handle went through the centre of the metal axe blade.
Constable Stuart arrested Mrs Hasset and removed her to the Police Watch-house, where on Monday morning she would be taken before the Magistrate.

John Hasset, who surprisingly wasn’t dead, was removed to the Adelaide Hospital by Constable Stuart and Constable Flynn, He was attended by Dr Magarey, who found Mr Hasset had suffered a compound fracture of the skull, and a broken jaw, both of which were inflicted by the heavy axe.
It was not hard for police to discover the motive for the attempted murder, with jealousy being the cause. Mrs Hasset had recently been incarcerated in the Gaol, of which she had just been released recently. When she returned home, she found her Husband had taken another woman in their marital bed.

They began to fight on a daily basis, and the staff of the hotel had long feared it would erupt into violence.
The couple had married just over a year prior and were married by a Catholic Priest in Mount Barker.
It was determined that Mrs Hasset came into the bedroom as her husband was sleeping, and began to strike him with the axe when she had finished unloading her fury, she calmly returned the axe to the shed at the back of the premises
The couple had been staying in the hotel for only four days prior to the attack, and both were very well known to Police already. Mrs Hasset just finishing her sentence, and Mr Hasset, a “square-jawed, Lynx -eyed man of the sturdy build" was well up on the list of known South Australian Burglars.

Mrs Hasset was also at an earlier date, trialled for trying to commit suicide and was known in the city watch-house for her violent outbursts, struggles to resist police and verbal outbursts most unladylike.
Mr Hasset died from his injuries on the Sunday afternoon, two days after his wounds were inflicted. Mrs Hassets charges were upgraded to murder, and she was brought to trial.



It was established during the trial by Detective Fraser who said “he had known the accused for several years. He had prepared a list of her record of convictions. There were 19 convictions against her for drunkenness, seven for using indecent language, four for wilful damage one for loitering, one for riotous behaviour, one for attempting to commit suicide, and one for assault. Most of the seven convictions for indecent language were coupled with the convictions for drunkenness. The record started in 1890, with committal to the Reformatory as an uncontrollable child. The first Police Court conviction was on July 14, 1892, and the last on June 21,1906. When the accused was sober she was
quiet and well behaved, as far as the witness had observed, but when under the influence of liquor she was very abusive, used foul language, and was of violent temper.”



Dr. Morris, medical officer at the Adelaide Gaol who was also present for the trial stated: “The accused had been under his notice since August 6 and on previous occasions. He had had conversations with her. She was quiet, coherent, rational, but of a despondent nature, with a tenancy to melancholy. He had seen nothing to indicate that she was otherwise than sane under ordinary conditions”
The Jury deliberated for an hour after all the evidence from Police, Barstaff and locals had been presented, and came to the verdict that Mrs Hasset was Guilty, with a Verdict of Insanity




His Honour said if the jury found that accused was insane at the time that she did the act charged, they would find a special verdict to that effect and acquit her. The verdict was, therefore, one of acquittal.A s provided under section 331 of the Criminal Law Consolidation Act, he directed that Ada Hassett is confined in the Adelaide Gaol until the pleasure of the Governor should be known.

© 2014 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Barton Vale House

Barton Vale House

Built between 1850 and 1852 by Edmund Bowman, Barton Vale house, an early Victorian, Gothic styles mansion is now owned by the Smith Family Group.
Bowman tried to build the house as cheaply as he could, but still maintain excellence in construction and style. He sourced local materials and builders and constructed one of Adelaide's most impressive buildings.
Unfortunately for Edmund, he didn’t get to enjoy his new home for too long as he passed away in 1866. His wife remarried and with her new husband refurbished the house in 1880.
On Tuesday, August 23rd 1881 the “South Australian Advertiser” published a detailed description of the house on page 5, after allowing architects and builders in to let them inspect the fine work of the house. The article is very descriptive of the interior at the time and describes such things as room size and décor, it is a most interesting read for history buffs.

In 1922 the Bowman family house and the estate was sold by order of the Supreme Court after the death of Hubert Bowman. The sale lasted a few days because of the sheer amount of goods inside the home.
The house itself was sold to The Salvation Army, who installed within its walls a “home for wayward girls”. During this era the house was known as “Barton Vale home” and many girls saw the insides of its walls for their misdemeanour’s.
 It was not uncommon for the home to make the news in this era as the wayward girls would often try and liberate themselves, once such incident involved a lot of violence and the police were called in, the story made page 4 of the “Register News” newspaper in Adelaide on July 17th 1930.

In 1947 the house was again sold, this time to the State Remand System, who renamed it, “Vaughan House” causing a little controversy as the Enfield council were not happy with the new choice of name.
Renaming the house did not exclude it from the mischief of its residents, there were breakouts, with two girls absconding for five days, dressed as boys before they were caught. On Tuesday, December 15th 1953 the police were called to Vaughan House after the girls had become disruptive, just before the police arrived they climbed onto the roof and began hurling abuse at the officers and locals who had come out of their houses to see what the ruckus was about, they managed to stay on the rooftop until almost sunrise the next day.

By the 1980s the house was no longer used and remained empty, it was a shell of its former self, with windows broken, vines growing uncontrolled over it, and graffiti sprayed through its rooms, the house was in an awful state. The State very nearly demolished the building, but it was fortunately saved after the Enfield Historical Society campaigned for a National trust listing and for its restoration.

The Advertiser  Tuesday 11 November 1947,

The South Australian Government allocated funding for the restoration with the view of using it as government offices. Work got underway in 1991, the tower, which had been removed in 1944 due to its extreme weight cracking the floors was replaced with a new tower made of fibreglass and lightweight steel, allowing the building to be seen as it once was. Halfway through the year, the majority of the work had been completed in the restoration, except the interior, the Government then decided they would not need offices and put the house and land up for sale.

The land was sold to a developer, Collaroy Developments, who subdivided the 5 acres included with the house and sold it off as a new housing estate, leaving the house standing on one acre of land.
In 1995, Peter and Marilyn Smith purchased the house and began restoring its interior unto its former glory, a lovingly painstaking task that has seen the home return to the splendour and grandeur of its past.

The Smith family use Barton Vale house, partly as their private home and partly as the headquarters for their various business enterprises, it is well kept and in loving hands.

The Advertiser Wednesday 5 October 1949,

The ghost stories that grew around this magnificent structure can mostly be attributed to the time when it was vacant and in a state of disrepair, as with most grand mansions that acquire a status of haunted, it would seem that past usage of the house was not forgotten by locals and urban legends amongst the youth about goings-on grew, as did the reputation of the old empty rotting mansion, spawning tales of ghost girls walking its staircase and a nasty matron telling boys to leave.

As far as I am aware, from the beginning of the restoration period in 1991 to now, no ghosts or other paranormal phenomena have been reported from builders over the years or the current owners. It would seem that the ghost stories associated with Barton Vale house are just that, stories, made to scare younger kids from going inside the old mansion, that have been passed down from older brothers and sisters through the years and grown into legends.

© 2014 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au