Murder in Western Australia

[joboy]

I find the newspaper reports to be most confusing ...... or maybe it's my adled old brain that cant see the wood from the trees.
.......................................................................................
From 'The West Australian' Wed March 1 1899
At 8.40 p.m. the jury retired. Returning at 9.30 p.m., they gave the following ver- dict :-" That the deceased Rosa Fox came to her death by a blow from an axe, de- livered by her husband, John Alexander Fox, and that the said John Alexander Fox was guilty of murder."

The Coroner said he fully concurred in the verdict. The jury were then dis- charged.
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[tropicalj]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3224446?searchTerm=fox john alexander&searchLimits=l-title=The+West+Australian+%28Perth%2C...%7Ctitleid%3A30


this article from 1899  confirms he was acquitted


Joby  you are looking at  the inguest into the death and  that jury  found  he had a case to answer and  he  was to stand trial for her murder.  but  with  the trial fo murder he was acquitted


when Rosa PERKINS dies her furneral death notice does not mention her father.  So  one might assume he has passed by  then (1938)  or not?

Jenn

[majm]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/3203166
 1 March 1899
The West Australian

The headline from that article reads

DALKEITH TRAGEDY.    CONCLUSION OF THE INQUEST FOX COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

You have read the newspaper article reporting on the inquest and its outcome (that the accused was committed for trial) .  That inquest was conducted before a judge and jury.

At that subsequent trial he was acquitted (Thanks Jenn for finding that).   There's also good coverage in those two articles from 1941

Cheers,  JM

[joboy]

Thank you Jenn and JM ........... can now see wood from trees.
Was anyone subsequently convicted of the murder? and more particularly how can I get more detail of thr Fox background?
Joe

[majm]

 

More particulars about his background .... The marriage cert would be a good starting point, and there's good information about him in the newspaper account that I linked earlier re his employment history in WA, and details of both families.   He was obviously alive in 1905 as he is named in the wedding announcement for Violet.

Do you know when he died?

OOps, edit to add
  re any other person convicted .... I haven't gone through trove looking at that.  Perhaps if you wrote to the Supreme Court of WA, they may have further archival material.


Cheers,  JM

[majm]

Esther Mary Freeman was widowed in August 1948
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/46925316 2 August 1948 The West Australian (although family members mentioned, no mention of John Fox)

Possibly this would be her
(Online index) Esther Mary Freeman, aged 83, death registered in WA, her parents shown as John and Rose D R L M O ( ) registered in 1973, Ref 3770/73 

JM

[tropicalj]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/27776922?searchTerm=esther mary fox&searchLimits=l-decade=192|||l-title=The+West+Australian+%28Perth%2C...%7Ctitleid%3A30|||l-year=1920

Esther MAry Fox's marriage notice in 1920  the father was still alive then

Jenn

[sparrett]

and that there was a younger brother (name unknown) of John
and Alexander who died of gunshot wounds by accident. JOBOY


Regarding your inquiry about the brother who had died accidentally of gunshot wounds.


http://www.rootschat.com/links/0dzc/

This link will describe the circumstaces written in the newspaper in 1894.

The chap's name was WILLIAM FOX


Sue

[majm]

Father remarried 

(JM Comment :  In that era, I have noticed that frequently a widower with young children remarries, thus there is someone to raise the children while he continues working)...

"John Fox, of Dalkeith, whose wife was the victim of the famous Dalkeith tragedy, when her head was chopped open with an axe, was married again on Saturday. Fox, it will be remembered, was charged with the murder of his wife, but was acquitted. On this occasion he married a Miss Elizabeth Irwin, of Kensington. The Rev. A. Bray officiated. He at first refused to marry the couple, and an altercation ensued between them in the street. Fox then interviewed the sheriff, who stated that Mr Bray was bound to marry the parties."

28 September 1899 Kalgoorlie Western Argus

EDIT TO ADD .... Online Index gives her name as Elizabeth Minnie IRVINE .... #1288

JM