Bessie Park and George Mallyon - Gawler

Bessie Park and George Mallyon - Gawler

Bessie Parker lived just outside Gawler. She had fallen in love with George Mallyon, a local.

 19-year-old Bessie and her new friend George had fun together, and Bessie became pregnant. Bessie kept quiet about her pregnancy for as long as she possibly could, withholding the information from her parents. Nearing the time of birth, Bessie could no longer hide her pregnancy from her parents. Her parents became enraged that their unmarried daughter was pregnant, and kicked out of the family home.

 Heavily pregnant Bessie was forced to camp next to the Gawler river. George stayed with her. When the baby came into the world, it was George who assisted. No women were called, no doctors, just Bessie and George on the side of the Gawler River.

  George unfortunately was not a midwife, nor doctor, and the baby was born, but died soon after. (It is reported in the coroners report that the most likely reason for the death was the head of the child hitting the ground forcibly as it was born.)

After the baby had been born and died, George, ran to his house nearby to get

 a horse and a trap. When he returned Bessie had wrapped the body of her child in linen.

George loaded mother and child and drove them into Adelaide to the Destitute Asylum. It was here that George learned that it was a crime not to report the birth to the Gawler police; and not to report the death to the local coroner. An inquest was launched.

 Bessie on the other hand, was taken inside quickly and treated for the trauma to her body after giving birth.

 When the inquest was held (a good five days later) Bessie was considered not to be within her mental capacity to answer questions from the coroner.

The end result of the Coroners verdict: "The child had died through want of proper attention - no blame can be attached to anyone".

© 2013 Allen Tiller

Bibliography

'CORONER'S INQUEST.', South Australian Register, (12 February 1895), p. 3. 

'A SAD CASE.', The Express and Telegraph, (28 January 1895), p. 2.

'A SAD CASE.', South Australian Chronicle, (2 February 1895), p. 7.

Cold Cases: The Murder of Yasmin Sinodinos

Cold Cases: The Murder of Yasmin Sinodinos

Someone out there knows what happened in late 1991 to 27-year-old Mother, Yasmin Sinodinsos, but so far no-one has come forward with information. A murderer, or murderers, have walked free in our community since her body was found on a fire track at Ansty Hill on December 18^th 1991.

Yasmin was last seen on December 16^th, 1991, when she left a friends house very early in the morning. She left in a white sedan, from her friends Gilles-plains house, and was not seen alive again by her friends and family.

A day earlier she had been seen at the Holden Hill Police Station at about 2pm and was picked up by a person driving a silver sedan, it is still not known whom this person is.

On the 18^th of December, Yasmin's battered body was found at Ansty's hill. She had been severely beaten to death with a blunt object, washed, redressed and dumped in the recreation park. The police report Yasmin died of “severe head trauma”

This year, a twist occurred in the cold case, with an Adelaide Court charging Tim Pasanen with the murder after a DNA match was found linking him to the 1991 murder.

© 2013 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Ghosts of Kapunda - Duan Foik and the House of Ill-repute

Duan Foik and the House of Ill-repute

Kapunda 1882, a convicted thief, Mr Duan Foik, upon release from Adelaide Gaol, made his way to Kapunda on the last train from Adelaide.

The year before in November he had been sentenced to a prison term for assault and had served his time of two months, it would seem the entire time, plotting his revenge.
Upon his arrival in Kapunda, Mr Foik sought out a local house in “Pug-town”, a house known locally as one of “ill-repute” run by a Mrs Floyd.

The local constable, Mr McNamara, upon hearing of Mr Foik's return also went to Mrs Floyds, to arrest Mr Foik on a charge of theft, for stealing a watch on his way back from Adelaide. He arrested Mr Foik and shackled him in “twitches”, and began the walk back to the local police station, but somehow, Mr Foik, slipped free of the restraints and ran off into the night.
Constable McNamara pursued him, but another serious case in the main street of Kapunda, detained the constable for some time, as he was obliged to return to the police station, where he asked Lance-corporal Grant to accompany him to Pug town, as they neared the crossing, The two police officers heard scream of “Murder!” ring through the night air

When they got to Mrs Floyds, they saw the lady of the house lying on the ground, and Mr Foik lying on top of her. One of the girls of the house ran out and pulled Mr Foik from Mrs Floyd. The two officers quickly descended upon the man, only to find his throat cut, they called for someone to get a Doctor immediately.
Mrs Floyd, who was writhing in pain and nearing unconsciousness was found to have approximately 20 stab wounds all over her body, and she bled profusely.
Doctors Hamilton and Pentland arrived on the scene at 3am, they sent Foik, who's throat wound had partially severed his windpipe to the local hospital but felt Mrs Floyd could not at this stage be moved due to the seriousness of her wounds. The two doctors worked on her into the night, and when they felt she could be moved, she too was taken to the local hospital.
The police began their investigation immediately and soon put together a picture of what they thought had happened.

Mr Foik was already known to Mrs Floyd, it was, in fact, her son-in-law Mr Cocking, that Duan Foik had assaulted the year before, and been sentenced and gaoled for.

It was presumed that at some time between 1am and 2am, Mr Foik made his way into the house, and into Mrs Floyd's bedroom, where, with a simple pocket knife he kept upon his person, he began to stab her. The sheets were torn and there were pools of blood upon them and the bed.
It is thought, Mrs Floyd, fearing for her life, ran from the bedroom into the front yard screaming “Murder”, which in turn alerted the police officers to the situation. Before the police arrived, Mr Foik had come running out of the house and began stabbing Mary Anne Floyd again, numerous times, falling upon her, and thinking he had killed, cut his own throat hoping to die and not have to face court for his crime

Foik remained at the hospital under police guard, and on at least one occasion tried again to kill himself, eventually, he was remanded in Adelaide, and returned to Kapunda only for court hearings.
Mrs Mary Ann Floyd eventually recovered from her wounds, although for a long while it was touch and go.

Mr Duan Foik, a coloured man, aged 23 years old was sentenced to life imprisonment in Adelaide Gaol on Friday 4^th of August 1882

More about Kapunda coming soon!

© 2013 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

Ghosts of Kapunda

Ghosts of Kapunda

In 1876, Kapunda was a bustling town, full of miners, pubs, and settlers from across the world looking to earn a living or get rich. It was soon to be the town that saved the South Australian colony from disaster with its rich copper load, and then to become a town of horse and cattle sales...and in this day and age, it has earned the very misleading title of “Most Haunted Town in Australia”.

In 1876 the Kapunda Herald reported a story titled; “ Haunted Houses and Ghost Stories” on July 21^st.

A malicious ghost had been seen around the town, scaring women and children down by the local dam, (which is now Davidson Reserve, known locally as “The Duck Pond”).

The ghost appears to be a figure shrouded in white, some say he is Mr Richards, a man who drowned many years before whilst swimming in the dam.

Mrs W. Tuckfield witnessed the ghost for herself on a Saturday evening. She was coming into the main street of town, near the mill offices, and the ghost rose up out of the newly built culvert, crossed the road in a rush and disappeared into the plantation.

This sighting caused a great shock for Mrs Tuckfield. Mrs Tuckfields encounter was retold locally numerous times. Over the weeks that followed, many more women and children experienced the ghost near the town dam. This led to a reputation that the town was haunted, and attracted many curious visitors wanting to see the alleged ghost.

The Police, worried about the effect the ghost was having on the locals staked out the neighbourhood for a couple of nights, watching and waiting patiently for the reappearance of the ghost, but it seems ghosts do not manifest for the local boys in blue, as the ghost has been seen nor heard since...

practical joke, or a real ghost? No-one at the time was sure...

© 2013 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.co.au

The Ghost of Kitty Whyte

Brighton Beach The Ghost of Kitty Whyte

“Perfect service rendered, duties done

In charity, soft speech & stainless days:

These riches shall not fade away in life

Nor any death dispraise”

(From The Light of Asia by Sir E.Arnold)

In March 1926 Adelaide suffered its first shark attack fatality at Brighton Beach when a young lady, Kitty Whyte, went swimming off the pier and was attacked by a Great White shark.

Memorial to Mrs Whyte

Kathleen Whyte (nee Macully) was the daughter of an Anglican Priest in Brighton. She was holidaying in Brighton with her two young children, awaiting her husband to join them from Port Augusta.

Kitty, as she preferred to be called, was an energetic worker for the Glenelg and Brighton branch of the District Trained Nursing Society, and also taught young children swimming.

On the day of her death, she had just finished teaching her young swimming class, and had her two children with her, when she decided to enter the water again, within minutes.

Mr Harry Southcott, who happened to be seated upon the Jetty, heard loud screams and went to see what was wrong, He witnessed Kitty struggling in the water. Soon the whole ocean around her turned

red with her blood.
 Mr Southcott and another local Mr Trott jumped into a dinghy which happened to be sitting next to the jetty and made their way, 100 feet out into the water where Kitty was frantically struggling.

The two men dragged her into the boat, where she gave them a look of recognition and became unconscious. The two men got her to the shore, where a Doctor was called.

Kitty Whyte died on her way to the hospital from massive trauma and blood loss.

Barrier Miner
, Friday 19 March 1926, page 4

Dr Yeatman who examined Kitty's body found that no one could have helped Mrs Whyte stay alive. The shark had first grabbed her by the left ankle, then when she struggled, had snapped at her body, a wound made its way from her thigh to her buttock, tearing the flesh from her bone and severing the femoral artery and muscles.

Brighton Beach has remained a relatively safe beach since the death of Kitty Whyte in 1926, with few deaths recorded on its shores since then.

Since Kitty's death in 1926, the ghost of a young woman has been seen running along the shore, or at times, along the pier. Witness's claim they watch the young lady as she jumps into the water but she simply vanishes from sight before hitting the water!
 Could this be the ghost of beach-loving Kitty Whyte?

After her death in 1926, a drinking fountain near the jetty entrance was erected in Kitty's memory.

© 2013 Allen Tiller
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

A Haunting in the Stirling Community Theatre

A Haunting in the Stirling Community Theatre

On 20 October 1883, Dr Edward Stirling (Later Sir Edward Stirling) laid the foundation stone for the Stirling Institute Hall.
On 18 January 1884, the Hall was opened, even though it was not yet completed. A large “opening party” was held in Dr Stirling's Aldgate flower gardens.
It wasn't until Saturday, 8 May 1884 that a musical and literary evening was held at the hall, of which the hall would host many more, although somewhat sporadically, until 1972.

The building had two front rooms added in 1885. Further additions were completed in 1898. These included the stage area and two rooms upstairs. Downstairs, the two rooms were used as the Stirling Council offices and the town library. Two upstairs rooms were used by Council for meetings, Lodge on Friday nights, and Anglican church services on Sundays.

The Hall was well used by locals, with silent movies being played there, dances and Grand Balls to raising money for the local hospital. In 1962 the library closed and in 1978 the movie theatre ceased showing films.

The building was saved from demolition in 1972. An effort was made by local community groups to revamp the Hall, the name was changed to the Stirling Community Centre (later to become the Stirling Community Theatre). In 1972 the two resident groups were the Stirling Players and the Hills Musical Company.
The facilities of the location improved over the years and now the Theatre stands to the testament of its two main attractions, The Stirling Players and Hills Musical Company, if neither had attracted large crowds with their excellent reputations, this building would probably have been lost to development many years ago.

It is rumoured that the old council chambers are haunted by a former councillor who was caught having an affair with a colleagues wife. The husband, it is said, beat the adulterous colleague senseless and stuffed him into a large safe in the building, where he eventually suffocated and died.

As far as we have been able to ascertain so far, this is just a rumour, as of yet, we have found no verifiable facts about a man dying in a safe in the Council Chambers.



© 2013 Allen Tiller
www.eidolonparanormal.com.au

The Gandhi Ghost of Wasleys

The Gandhi Ghost of Wasleys

1953, Wasley's, a town on the Adelaide Plains, north of Gawler. A ghost was sighted walking the streets in obvious distress.

A witness stated:

"Eventually, the ghost entered the hall where the ball was being held...the crowd stared....and the ghost asked his friend for directions... home!?!"

So, what was really going on in Wasley's on that night?

 A well known Gawler business identity of the era was invited to a ball at Wasley's, and whether a practical joke or just a misunderstanding, believing the ball was a fancy dress occasion.

He drove to his friend's house and got ready, ripping off his clothes. He covered his head in one white sheet, and his body in another, and made his way to the dance hall.

Once inside, he sat in the middle of the ballroom floor and started a Gandhi impersonation...only to realise, as he looked up, that no-one else was in fancy dress.

He quickly stood and departed as the crowd's laughter erupted in his ears, and made his way outside and down the street – only to find, he didn’t know where he was and was lost in Wasley's...

20 minutes later, the 'ghost of Gandhi', now embarrassed and dishevelled re-entered the dance hall, to ask directions back to his freinds house so he could change into his normal attire.

© 2013 Allen Tiller

www.eidolonparanormal.com.au