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Craig & Smith Inquest

Inquest into the death of Robert Jackson Craig & William Smith.

Inquest held before a coroner to establish the fact of death, the identity of the deceased, the circumstances surrounding the death and whether any charges should be laid relating to the death of: Robert Jackson Craig at Smithfield.
Item ID: PR348655, File No: 301, Year: 1877, (Previous System Identifier: JUS/N56; SRS36/5/56; A1 Item ID 348655), Queensland State Archives.

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CERTIFICATE OF PARTICULARS [1 of 2]

I hereby certify, that on the twenty-seventh day of December, 1877 I [W.M. Mowbray] held an Inquest of Death at Smithfield in the Police District of Cook and that the following particulars were then disclosed:-

Name of deceased: William Smith
Profession or calling: Licensed publican
Height, color of hair, peculiar clothing, and any other means of identity: Fully identified
Where found and when: Smithfield, 26th December, 1877
Date of death: 26th December, 1877
Supposed cause of death: Suicide by shooting himself with a revolver
Persons last seen in company of deceased and names of suspected persons: Robert Craig - No suspicion
Accused: None
Names, residences, and callings of Witnesses:

• William Cochrane, Storekeeper, Smithfield
• James H. Norris, Constable, Smithfield
• James Ferrier, Packer, Smithfield
• Michael McCormack, Constable, Smithfield

Suspicious circumstances: Murder by W. Smith fully proved.

[signed by coroner or justice] W.M. Mowbray, Magistrate, J.P.

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CERTIFICATE OF PARTICULARS [2 of 2]

I hereby certify, that on the twenty-seventh day of December, 1877 I [W.M. Mowbray] held an Inquest of Death at Smithfield in the Police District of Cook and that the following particulars were then disclosed:-

Name of deceased: Robert Jackson Craig
Profession or calling: Storekeeper
Height, color of hair, peculiar clothing, and any other means of identity: Fully identified
Where found and when: Smithfield, 26th December, 1877
Date of death: 26th December, 1877
Supposed cause of death: Shot with revolver by W. Smith
Persons last seen in company of deceased and names of suspected persons: William Smith
Accused: William Smith
Names, residences, and callings of Witnesses:

• William Cochrane, Storekeeper, Smithfield
• James H. Norris, Constable, Smithfield
• James Ferrier, Packer, Smithfield
• Michael McCormack, Constable, Smithfield

Suspicious circumstances: None.

[signed by coroner or justice] W.M. Mowbray, Magistrate, J.P.

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CROWN LAW OFFICES, BRISBANE, DECEMBER 1877.
Queensland, To wit:
At a Magisterial Inquiry held at the Police Office, Smithfield, in the Colony of Queensland this 27th day of December A.D. 1877, before William Matthew Mowbray Esq. J.P. touching the cause of death of Robert Craig and William Smith of Smithfield aforesaid.

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James H. Norris.

The deponent being duly sworn states:

I am a Constable stationed at Smithfield - I remember yesterday the 26th December. I was in Smithfield all day. I knew the deceased Robert Jackson Craig a Storekeeper and William Smith a Publican, both of Smithfield place. At about three O'clock in the afternoon, I heard several revolver shots. I think five. I immediately wont down the street towards Mr. Craig's Store. I saw Mr. Craig running across the street. He was running pretty quickly. I saw him immediately afterwards going in his own door and Mr. William Cockrane [sic] and several others near him - immediately afterwards, from something I heard I went over to Smiths publican house and on the opposite side of the street from Craig's Store I saw Smith lying on his back under the verandah, there was blood on his shirt - he stretched out his hands and said "Hell, anyone help me up" - another man and myself took him by the hands and raised him up to a sitting posture - a few minutes after he seemed to get very weak. He said "Oh I am done". He died in about 15 minutes in the place where he was lying the verandah. I examined his body and found the mark of a bullet about two inches under his right breast. There was only a small quantity of blood on his shirt. There were marks of powder on it too. A short time afterwards, a packer named James Ferrier gave me a revolver and said that was the ones Smith shot Mr. Craig and himself with. He said Smith threw it out of his hand when he shot himself and he found it lying on the ground beside him. I produce the revolver on receiving it. First I examined it and found five barrels had been recently discharged. I also examined the inside of the dining room at Smiths public house and found a bullet which appears to be one which fits the revolver produced. It was lying on the floor. I could find no marks of where it had been discharged. I found no bullet marks inside the place. There was only one wound on Smith's body. I did not examine Mr. Craig’s body. I took charge of Smith until he died. Ho was buried today. When I saw Smith was dead, I then went over and saw Mr. Craig was dead. William Smith was about 45 or 50 years of age. He has a wife here. He told me about ten days ago, he often was going to commit suicide while travelling through the bush. He was sober when he said this. Smith appeared to be under the influence of drink when I saw him immediately after he shot himself. I know of no motive he had for shooting Mr. Craig. I have heard he was in Mr. Craig's debt - he was in the habit of drinking a good deal. He did not get drunk but got a good deal excited while under the influence of drink.

James H. Norris,
Signed and sworn by the deponent this 27th day of December, 1877 before me:
W.M. Mowbray, Magistrate, J.P.

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James Ferrier.

The deponent being duly sworn states:

I am a packer and living in Smithfield at present. I was in Smithfield yesterday afternoon between two and three o'clock. I was standing at Coleman's store nearly opposite Smith's public house. I heard a noise inside Smith's home and heard talking and two shots fired. The first thing I saw was Craig running out of the front door of Smiths public house. He was holding his hand on his breast shouting out “Murder" and that he was done for. Smith ran out close behind him and fired two shots at him from a revolver. He then held his hand quickly towards his breast and shot himself. I heard the repeat and saw him fall and drop or throw the

revolver down. He then fell, I ran over and picked the revolver up and handed it to Constable Norris. The revolver produced is the one. I am sure Craig was wounded when I saw him first. He was holding his hand to his breast and calling out. The whole thing only took a few seconds from the time I heard the first two shots until I saw Smith shoot himself. I ran over as soon as I heard the live shots. He fell before got across the street. He said to me "Give us a drink of water old fellow". Someone gave him water he could not drink it. I afterwards saw both bodies dead. I knew they were the bodies of Robert Craig and William Smith. I saw Craig going into Smith's door just about a minute before I heard the shots. I saw no one else but Smith and Craig near the public house.

James Ferrier,
Taken and sworn at the Police Office Smithfield this 27^th day of December, 1877 before me:
W.M. Mowbray, Magistrate, J.P.

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William Cochrane.

The deponent being duly sworn states:

My name is William Cochrane. I am an assistant Storekeeper and live in Smithfield. I knew the deceased Robert Jackson Craig and William Smith. Mr. Craig was my brother-in-law. I remember yesterday afternoon about 25 minutes before three o'clock. I heard two shots fired. I was then behind the grocery counter in Mr. Craig's store. I heard Mr. Craig's voice call out murder twice. I ran from behind the counter into the street. I saw Mr. Craig running across the street from William Smith’s public house towards his store. He was holding his hand to his breast. I saw William Smith holding a revolver in his hand and standing under his own verandah. I went past Mr. Craig and ran towards Smith. Before I reached him I saw him turn the nuzzle of the revolver quickly towards himself and heard a shot go off and Smith fell immediately. I did not stay to look at him but turned back towards Mr. Craig. He was then under his store verandah. He was staggering. I caught hold of him and laid him just inside the doorway of his store. He died in a few seconds. He said "I am done Bill, I have it in me". This was as I was laying him down. I am not aware of any disagreement between them. Smith came into the store immediately before the occurrence and asked Mr. Craig to go over and he would settle with him. He owed an account to Mr. Craig and I understood him to mean that ho was going to pay him. Mr. Craig then went over to Smith's public home. They both went out together. I heard the shots a few seconds afterwards. Mr. Craig was 34 years of age, a native of Glasgow, Scotland. his family and friends live in Brisbane. Mr. Craig and Smith always appeared to be very good friends. I know of no motive. Smith was not sober before he came into the Store. I did not notice what state he was in when went out with Mr. Craig. I noticed he was under the influence of drink about three-quarters of an hour previously. After Mr. Craig's death, I noticed a small wound about three inches below the left breast - it had the appearance of a revolver bullet wound. It bled very little. It was the only wound I noticed. The two shots I heard were like shots from a revolver. I saw no one but Smith at the public house.

William Cochrane.
Taken and sworn at the Police Office Smithfield this 27^th day of December 1877 before me:
W.M. Mowbray, Magistrate, J.P.

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Michael McCormack.

The deponent being duly sworn states:

I am a Constable in the Queensland Police Force in charge of the Smithfield Station. I knew the deceased Robert Jackson Craig and William Smith. Yesterday afternoon about three o'clock I saw both dead. I examined the body of William Smith. It was lying inside in the dining roan. On the right breast a little below the nipple I saw a wound apparently a bullet wound. It was a small hole about ⅜ of an inch in diameter on the shirt and breast. There was a little blood. I found no other wounds on the body. There was a hole on the breast of the shirt corresponding with the wound on the body. The hole was marked with powder. I found nothing on the body except shirt and pair of trousers. I have no doubt but that the wound described was the cause of death. I then examined the body of Mr. Craig in Mr. Cochrane’s cottage. I found on the left breast about an inch from the centre of the chest and two inches below the left nipple a wound apparently a bullet wound. It was around about ⅜ of an inch in diameter and similar to the one in William Smith - on the back about one inch over the lowest part of the shoulder blade. I saw a small red spot about an ⅛ of an inch in diameter. The skin for ¼ of an inch all round it was dark. The skin was not pierced. it appeared to me that the bullet that had entered the breast had lodged there without passing through the skin. On the right side at the loin there was a red stripe like a bruise about four inches long and ½ an inch wide. It appeared to be as if a bullet had slightly grazed it. I found no other wounds on the body. There was a hole in the breast of the coat, shirt and singlet of deceased corresponding to the wound on left breast of the deceased. There was no other holes in any other part of the clothing. I have no doubt that the wound described near the left breast was the cause of death.  It appeared to be in the region of the heart.

Michael McCormack
Taken and sworn at the police office, Smithfield this 27th day of December, 1877 before me:
W.M. Mowbray, Magistrate, J.P.