List of executions at Fremantle Prison

The gallows, last used in 1964

Executions at Fremantle Prison in Fremantle, Western Australia, were carried out between 1889 and 1964. Other places of execution in Western Australia included the Roundhouse at Fremantle; the old and new Perth Gaols; on the island of Rottnest; at the sites of the capital offence, such as at Maddington and Norrilong, York; on the eastern end of The Causeway at Victoria Park; at Redcliffe; at Roebourne in the Pilbara; at Derby and Mount Dockerell (near Halls Creek) in the Kimberley; and at Albany and Geraldton. All executions were by hanging except that of Midgegooroo, carried out by firing squad at the old Perth Gaol in 1833.

43 men and one woman were hanged at Fremantle Prison. Condemned prisoners were vigilantly observed to prevent suicide attempts. On the day of execution, they were hanged by falling through an opening trap door with a noose around their neck, in front of witnesses. In the 19th century, the media gave comprehensive accounts of the executions, but in later years they became private matters, concealed within the prison walls. Capital punishment was abolished in Western Australia in 1984.

Included on the list below are all the executions carried out at Fremantle Prison.

History

Western Australia's first legal execution of a British colonist occurred in 1844, outside the Roundhouse at Fremantle. Fifteen-year-old John Gavin had been found guilty of the murder of George Pollard at South Dandalup, despite the circumstantial evidence and an absence of motive.[1]

As soon as Fremantle Prison came under local control in 1886, a refractory block with gallows was planned.[2]:46 It was completed in 1888,[3] and first used in 1889 to execute a convicted murderer, Jimmy Long, a Malayan.[2]:46[4] The gallows room remained a legal place of execution until 1984.[3] 43 men[5] and one woman were hanged in this period. Martha Rendell was the only woman to be hanged at the prison, in 1909. The last person to be hanged was serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke, executed in 1964.[2]:63

From the day of sentencing to death, prisoners were kept in a concrete-floored cell in New Division. They were vigilantly observed to prevent them escaping their sentence through suicide. With hangings taking place on Monday mornings, at 8:00 am, condemned prisoners were woken three hours earlier, and provided with a last meal, shower, and clean clothes. Afterwards, handcuffed, they were moved to a holding or "condemned cell" nearby the gallows, and allowed a couple of sips of brandy to calm their nerves.[2]:54–56

Shortly before 8:00 am, they were hooded, and led up to the execution chamber, which could hold as many as eleven witnesses. They were made to stand over the trap door, had a noose put around their neck, and were hanged by falling through the opening trap door. After medical examination, the deceased was removed for burial.[2]:54–56 Witnesses could become distressed during an executions, and even officers sometimes fainted. It was also difficult to find someone, usually independent of the prison, to employ as the executioner – they were often recruited from the eastern states in the 20th century.[5]:92

In the 19th century, the media gave comprehensive accounts of the executions. Harry Pres's final moments on 8 November 1889 were described by The West Australian as:[2]:56

At a sign from the sheriff, the executioner pulled back the lever, and with a sickening thud the man disappeared from view. The deceased was a small made man, and consequently a drop of about ten feet [3.0 m] was given him, and on looking below it was seen that death had been almost instantaneous, scarcely a movement being perceptible in the swaying figure, which in a few minutes became rigid and motionless as the rope ceased swaying to and fro.
— The West Australian, 9 November 1899[6]

Initially seen as a way to intimidate the population through the application of the law,[5]:93 executions carried out at Fremantle Prison became private matters, concealed within its walls.[5]:93 Capital punishment was abolished in Western Australia in 1984,[3] and by the 21st century few Australians yearned for it.[5]:95 Author and journalist Cyril Ayris wrote that:

One often hears it said of criminals: "hanging is too good for them" yet many who favour capital punishment would change their minds if they visited the execution chamber and familiarised themselves with the ritual of capital punishment. It is a macabre business, which in the author's view at least, can never be condoned
— Cyril Ayris, 2003 [first published 1995][2]:54

List

Executions at Fremantle Prison[2]:63[7]
Prisoner Execution date
Long, JimmyJimmy Long 2 March 1889[8]
Pres, HarryHarry Pres[2]:63
aka Pres, ArleArle Pres[7]		 8 November 1889
Chi, AhAh Chi 16 April 1891[9]
Chi, Sin ChoSin Cho Chi 29 April 1892[10]
Fong, ChewChew Fong 29 April 1892[11]
Quong, YongYong Quong[2]:63
aka Quong, YoungYoung Quong[7]		 29 April 1892[11]
Nye, LynLyn Nye[2]:63
aka Nyee, LyeeLyee Nyee[7]		 29 April 1892[11]
Goulam, MahometMahomet Goulam 2 May 1896[12]
Kahn, JummaJumma Kahn 31 March 1897[13]
Perez, PeterPeter Perez 19 July 1900
De La Cruz, PedroPedro De La Cruz 19 July 1900
Peters, SamuelSamuel Peters 9 September 1902[14][15]
Psichitsas, SteliosStelios Psichitsas[7] 15 April 1903
Maillat, FredFred Maillat[2]:63
aka Mailliat, FredrickFredrick Mailliat[7]		 21 April 1903
Rokka, SabroSabro Rokka[2]:63
aka Rocca (Rokka), SebaroSebaro Rocca (Rokka)[7]		 7 July 1903
Hook, AhAh Hook 11 January 1904
Mianoor, MahometMahomet Mianoor[2]:63
aka Mianoor, MohometMohomet Mianoor[7]		 4 May 1904
Hagan, CharlesCharles Hagan 14 December 1905
Espada, SimeonSimeon Espada 14 December 1905
Marquez, PabloPablo Marquez 14 December 1905
Sala, AntonioAntonio Sala 19 November 1906
De Kitchilan, AugustinAugustin De Kitchilan 23 October 1907[16]
Smith, HarryHarry Smith 23 March 1908
Oki, IwakichiIwakichi Oki 22 October 1908
Rendell, MarthaMartha Rendell 6 October 1909
Robustelli, PeterPeter Robustelli 9 February 1910
Smart, AlexanderAlexander Smart 7 March 1911
Smithson, DavidDavid Smithson 25 July 1911
Spargo, CharlesCharles Spargo 1 July 1913
Odgers, CharlesCharles Odgers 14 January 1914
Sacheri, AndreaAndrea Sacheri 12 April 1915
Matamin alias Rosland, FrankFrank Matamin alias Rosland 12 March 1923[17]
Rennie, RoystonRoyston Rennie 2 August 1926
Coulter, WilliamWilliam Coulter 25 October 1926
Treffene, PhillipPhillip Treffene[2]:63
aka Trefene, PhillipPhillip Trefene[7]		 25 October 1926
Milner, JohnJohn Milner 21 May 1928
Hulme, CliffordClifford Hulme 3 September 1928[18]
Fanto, AntonioAntonio Fanto 18 May 1931
Smith (Snowy Rowles) , John ThomasJohn Thomas Smith (Snowy Rowles) 13 June 1932
Tapei, KarolKarol Tapei[2]:63
aka Tapci, KarolKarol Tapci[7]		 23 June 1952
Thomas, RobertRobert Thomas 18 June 1960
Fallows, MervynMervyn Fallows 6 June 1961
Robinson, BrianBrian Robinson 20 January 1964
Cooke, Eric EdgarEric Edgar Cooke 26 October 1964

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Quarter sessions". The Inquirer. 10 April 1844. p. 2. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Ayris, Cyril (2003) [First published 1995]. Fremantle Prison: A Brief History. Cyril Ayris Freelance. ISBN 0 9581882 1 1.
  3. 1 2 3 Murray, Sandra (2009). "Fremantle Prison". In Gregory, Jenny; Gothard, Jan. Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia. University of Western Australia Press. pp. 391–2. ISBN 978-1-921401-15-2.
  4. ↑ "Execution in Fremantle Prison". The Western Mail. 9 March 1889. p. 8. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Bosworth, Michal (2004). Convict Fremantle: A Place of Promise and Punishment. University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 978-1-920694-33-3.
  6. ↑ "Execution in Fremantle Prison". The West Australian. Perth, WA. 9 November 1889. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2014 – via Trove (National Library of Australia).
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 The Department of Finance – Building Management and Works. "Capital Punishment". Fremantle Prison. Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 13 May 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2014. Additional archives: 23 October 2014..
  8. ↑ "Execution in Fremantle Prison". The West Australian. Perth WA. 4 March 1889. p. 3.
  9. ↑ "Execution of the Daliak Murderer". The Daily News. Perth, WA. 16 April 1891. p. 3. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  10. ↑ "The Murder of Fairhead by Sin Cho Chi". The Inquirer and Commercial News. Perth, WA. 30 April 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 "The Case against Yung Quonk, Chew Fong and Lee Nyee". The Inquirer and Commercial News. Perth, WA. 30 April 1892. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  12. ↑ "The Execution". The Daily News. Perth, WA. 2 May 1896. p. 5. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  13. ↑ "The Fremantle Tragedy". The Western Mail. Perth, WA. 2 April 1897. p. 18. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  14. ↑ "Execution of the Leederville Murderer". Albany Advertiser. 9 September 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  15. ↑ "The Leederville Murder - Trial of Samuel Peters". The West Australian. Perth, WA. 8 August 1902. p. 3. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  16. ↑ "The Waroona Murder". The west Australian. 24 October 1907. p. 7. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  17. ↑ "No Untoward Circumstance - Condemned Man Prepared to Die". Daily News. Perth, WA. 12 March 1923. p. 9. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  18. ↑ "Wubin Murder Case - Clifford Hulme Executed". Western Argus. Kalgoorlie, WA. 11 September 1928. p. 27. Retrieved 19 November 2015.

Further reading

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