0:00

Tired. Of ads barging into your favorite

0:02

news broadcasts. Good. News ad

0:04

free listening on Amazon. Music is

0:06

included with your prime membership. Just.

0:09

Had the amazon.com/ad Free news podcast

0:11

to catch up on the latest

0:13

episodes. Without. The ads. And.

0:15

Without into a guy shows every suffers some shows me how that.

0:20

This podcast is proudly sponsored by

0:22

ancestry.com Toda You! from birth, death

0:24

and marriage indexes to military records,

0:26

passenger list and Police gazette. ancestry.com

0:29

Dot A You helps may find

0:31

a lot of the personal details

0:33

that bring to life the people

0:35

you hear about in each episode

0:37

of Forgotten Australia. And by joining

0:39

these genealogical dots you could bring

0:41

your family history alive to. For

0:43

more information go to Ancestry Dot

0:46

Com Dot A You because they

0:48

could be more to your story.

0:51

Forgotten. Australia is written and produced by

0:53

me Michael Adams in the Blue Mountains of

0:56

New South Wales on land traditionally on by

0:58

the dog and gun and got People. I.

1:00

Pay my respects to aboriginal elders

1:03

past and present. This.

1:05

Podcast episode contains descriptions of

1:07

murder and violence. Mister Discretion

1:10

is advised. It

1:15

Saturday the third of December, eighteen,

1:17

Ninety Two and at the Exhibition

1:19

Building in Prince Alford Park in

1:21

Sydney, a doc prediction of death

1:23

and disaster is about to be

1:25

made. Not.

1:27

That you'd project such a prediction at

1:29

this time and place. That's.

1:32

Because it to sunny seen of fun and

1:34

color. This. Is the opening

1:36

day of the German Fair which

1:38

celebrates the Teutonic people and culture.

1:41

The. Gathered crowds a Loving the

1:43

Brass bands, The Merry Go Round,

1:46

The Punch and Judy Pantomime, The

1:48

Shooting Gallery, and others Sideshow entertainment's.

1:51

But the most striking attractions are

1:53

the fourteen stores inside the exhibition

1:56

building. Each. Of these bears

1:58

the name of a German city. Dealing

2:00

with it's heraldry of might, eagle

2:03

and ferocious black bear impresses upon

2:05

everyone's the power and glory as

2:07

a unified German reich. With.

2:10

Christmas just a few weeks away.

2:12

Frankfurt offers a grand display of

2:14

German gingerbread in the shape of

2:16

St. Nicholas. Dresden.

2:18

Off as a splendid array of

2:20

dolls, Baden showcases charming traditional toys

2:22

and say go as clem around

2:24

Cologne to try their luck on

2:27

the spinning prize. We'll. Each

2:30

of these doors attended by local

2:32

women dressed in colorful peasant costumes.

2:35

Among them is a tall, slender

2:37

and raven haired beauty in her

2:39

mid twenties. Well known

2:41

in Sydney society, she has great

2:43

talent as a pianist and as

2:46

a musical composer. Goodness.

2:48

Even her name brings to mind

2:50

grace, beauty and harmony. May

2:53

some a bell. And

2:55

today on this bill of a summer's

2:57

day miss any May Somerville to give

3:00

her full name and title is hard

3:02

to miss. Just. As you will

3:04

be over the next few days of the fair.

3:07

That's because my isn't wearing

3:09

traditional German garb. Instead, she's

3:11

presenting herself as a Romani

3:14

soothsayer. Turbans, silver trinkets,

3:16

crystal ball, that sort of thing.

3:18

Crossover palm with a penny and

3:21

may will read your palm. divine.

3:23

The lines forecast your fortunes. It's

3:25

all a bit of fun and

3:27

to raise funds for German charities.

3:31

But. During the fare. As the

3:33

story will soon appear in the newspapers, My.

3:35

Summer Bills prognostications take a

3:38

decidedly seems to turn. This.

3:42

Happens when she has a customer

3:44

named the T Shirt Francis Cavanaugh.

3:47

Funny. As she's known is also

3:49

in her mid twenties and she lives

3:51

locally and sorry hills. When.

3:53

May takes Fannies hand may

3:55

tell so that she sees

3:58

sudden and early days. Funny

4:02

is absolutely and

4:04

understandably horrified. Realizing

4:08

what she's done made a

4:10

soothsayer tries to suits fanny

4:12

look she says holding out

4:14

her own hand my palms

4:16

lines i just like yours.

4:19

The. Lines also off us. Disastrous

4:21

indications for me. This

4:23

strange intense encounter does have

4:25

a witness to be described

4:28

in the newspapers as a

4:30

well known lady journalist. This

4:32

respected right a child's both

4:34

funny and my for indulging

4:37

in such fortunetelling foolishness. Seeing

4:40

funny is still ruffled. The woman

4:42

journalist reassures who this way. If

4:45

any, hand lines are like maze,

4:48

Stingy has absolutely nothing to worry

4:50

about. That's because my

4:52

summer both leaves a charmed life.

4:55

The lady journalists is my is so

4:57

lucky she draw a squatter out of

5:00

the lottery. What? She means bodies

5:02

is that nice? A sort of girl

5:04

who could fluke the ultimate prize for

5:06

a woman of her class and her

5:09

time that is a rich young husband.

5:11

It's true, Made. Does leave

5:14

a fortunate laws. A student of

5:16

the renowned musical teacher Madame Telamon,

5:18

my has already published a hit

5:21

song. And as things will

5:23

turn out, within a few months, she

5:25

will be engaged to the son of

5:27

a wealthy pastoralist. Beautiful.

5:29

Talented lucky in love My some

5:32

A Bill has it all. Maybe

5:35

even a touch of the second

5:37

size. That's. Because with

5:40

a made in Salinas or

5:42

in seriousness maze palmistry prediction

5:44

is right. Dead.

5:46

right? Sudden

5:49

and early days. Does loon

5:51

says any? Kevin are. Yet

5:53

that very same sudden the and

5:55

early days is also to shut

5:57

us may some of those seemingly.

6:00

The Live. While.

6:02

These strangers now united only

6:04

by the strange incidents at

6:06

the Germans they enlist. In

6:09

a year these sites will

6:11

be again intertwined. Intertwined,

6:13

In a bloody catastrophes and acted with

6:16

a swinging acts in a dark and

6:18

branch of the City Bank of Sydney.

6:22

Or Michael Adams and this is

6:24

part one of the Forgotten Stride

6:26

episodes The City Bank Acts Murders.

6:29

Part. To will be released soon but

6:31

you can hear the story turns out

6:33

right now if you are Patriot on

6:35

or Apple supporter. Being. Supported

6:38

cost as little as a cup of coffee

6:40

a month. And it gives you

6:42

early ad free access to all episodes

6:44

and you'll also get a show shout

6:46

outs and bonus episodes. So.

6:49

A big thank you to Timothy

6:51

Thornton and Bill Saunders has recently

6:53

become patriot supporters. Remember.

6:56

If you've become an Apple, support us

6:58

and you'd like a shoutout. Drop me

7:00

a line at Forgotten Australia Podcast at

7:02

G mile.com. You. Can also use

7:04

that email address to send me a

7:07

question for the upcoming David Hunt Book

7:09

Club episode. So. If you'd

7:11

like to know something about David

7:13

Hands research and writing process or

7:15

his good trilogy, send a Christian

7:18

to that email address or record

7:20

your question as a voice message

7:22

via Speak pot.com Forward/forgotten Australia. Apple.

7:25

Patriot and Speak Pot links are

7:27

also in you show. Notes: Although

7:32

it happened nearly a century ago

7:34

before most people now living were

7:36

born, we nevertheless have a strong

7:38

cultural memory of the Great Depression

7:40

of the Nineteen thirties. Our

7:43

parents, grandparents, or great grandparents

7:45

might have even told us

7:47

about their experiences. at

7:49

the very least it's a world

7:51

with familiar with from novels like

7:53

kati tenants the battle is from

7:56

haunting photographs and newsreel footage and

7:58

from subsequent movies and television show

8:00

that depicted the hardships. But

8:03

an earlier disaster in Australian

8:05

and global economic history is

8:07

barely known. This is the

8:09

depression of the early 1890s. In

8:13

the preceding decade, Australia had

8:15

experienced a massive property boom

8:17

and this had been fueled

8:19

by wild speculation. In

8:22

this period, banks handed out loans

8:24

left, right and center. When

8:26

the property market tanked, there was no

8:28

backup and there were no bailouts. Bankruptcies

8:31

and business failures followed.

8:34

As the economy went into

8:36

freefall, banks closed their doors

8:38

across the colonies and people

8:40

were thrown into poverty and

8:42

into desperation. This was the

8:44

decade before Federation, so

8:46

there was no central government and

8:48

no coordinated economic policy or relief

8:50

measures. How bad was

8:53

it? My friend Dr.

8:55

Peter Dokkity, who was taught economics at

8:57

the University of Technology in Sydney for

8:59

more than 20 years, assures me that

9:01

the depression of the 1890s

9:04

was actually far worse than the Great

9:06

Depression of 40 years later. It's

9:09

mostly forgotten now because of how long ago

9:11

it took place. Everyone who

9:13

experienced it has long since died.

9:15

Also, the depression of

9:17

the early 1890s wrought

9:19

its destruction before there was a

9:21

popular culture to enshrine it in

9:24

moving pictures, recorded stories and songs

9:26

and locally published popular novels. Despite

9:29

its obscurity for us, its effects

9:31

were very real for many Australians,

9:34

including those we're going to hear about

9:36

in this episode. In

9:40

1893, John Phillips, known as

9:42

Jack, was a valued veteran

9:44

officer of the Citibank of

9:46

Sydney. He was 33

9:48

years old and he'd worked for this

9:50

institution for half of his life. The

9:53

Citibank of Sydney had been founded in 1863 and it had

9:56

gone from strength to strength. When

10:00

economic storm of the Eighty Ninety

10:02

smashed many of it's competitors, Citibank

10:05

was sound and sturdy enough to

10:07

keep it's branches opens and it's

10:09

workforce employed. Jack. Phillips

10:11

had a job when many men did not.

10:14

But what seemed like good fortune

10:16

was anything but. According

10:21

to records it ancestry.com.a youth. Jack

10:23

Phillips was born in July eighteen,

10:26

sixteen km Us on the New

10:28

South Wales South Coast. He

10:30

was the first child born to Thomas

10:32

and Christina Philips. Despite. Being

10:34

an ordinary Irish immigrant farmer who

10:37

lived in a quiet part of

10:39

the country, Thomas Phillips was destined

10:41

to feature twice in Colonial newspapers.

10:43

The. First time, as in January eighteen, sixty

10:46

one when he son Jack was just

10:48

six months old. Thomas.

10:50

Was cold to sit on the jury at

10:52

the inquest into the murder of a ten

10:54

week old baby. This tiny

10:56

victim had been shot to pieces with a

10:58

reaping hook by her deranged on he. The

11:02

grisly remains were on display during

11:04

the inquest at a local hotel

11:06

as the grieving mother testified about

11:08

how his sister had slaughtered the

11:11

charge and declared. I'm the

11:13

butcher. It was

11:15

the stuff of nightmares, and it had

11:17

to be incredibly disturbing for all the

11:19

jurors. But especially so Sir Thomas Phillips

11:22

as a new father. We.

11:24

Don't know if he later told his

11:27

son Jack about his experiences on that

11:29

jury. Perhaps Thomas kept it

11:31

from him to spare the boys feelings?

11:34

But the next time Thomas Phillips name

11:36

was in the newspapers, Jax would know

11:38

all about it because he'd also been

11:40

central to the tragic event in question.

11:44

On. The first Monday of January Eighteen

11:46

seventy five. Thomas in Jack went

11:48

fishing. By. The in jack

11:50

was fourteen. he'd grown

11:52

into a fine young lad known for

11:55

his good conduct modest character and his

11:57

attention to his school and domestic duties

12:01

Around 10 in the morning, Thomas and

12:03

Jack were at Bombo Point, a mile

12:05

and a half north of Cuyama. Here,

12:08

farmland ended in bluffs above the

12:10

dark sea. Father

12:12

and son settled on a spot that wasn't

12:14

too high up, just four or five feet

12:17

above the waves. They were

12:19

swinging their lead-weighted lines around their heads

12:21

to send their baited hooks far out

12:23

from shore. Jack would

12:25

say he believed that as his dad

12:28

was doing this, he'd miscalculated and smack,

12:30

his heavy sinker had struck him hard

12:32

in the skull. The

12:35

impact was enough that Thomas overbalanced and

12:37

fell from the little cliff. Jack

12:40

grabbed for his dad, but his fingers

12:42

closed only around his father's hat. Thomas

12:45

Phillips plunged into the dark waters below, and

12:48

he didn't resurface. Young

12:50

Jack was frantic, but he didn't jump in.

12:53

Instead, he ran and he raised the

12:55

alarm. The district's police,

12:58

sailors and local farmers all sprang

13:00

into action. But despite

13:02

their best efforts, which included dragging

13:04

the waters, no trace of Thomas

13:07

was ever found. An

13:09

Associated Press reporter helpfully explained,

13:12

quote, the place abounds

13:14

with sharks. This

13:16

tragedy made news all across the

13:18

colonies. Young

13:21

Jack was haunted by his father's death,

13:23

and no doubt he replayed those

13:26

terrible moments over and over. If

13:29

he'd acted a split second sooner, could he have

13:31

gotten a hold of his father and saved him?

13:34

If he'd been bolder, could he have dived

13:36

into the water and rescued his dad? Of

13:39

course, weighing against these what-ifs

13:41

were sombre realities. It's

13:44

likely Thomas had been stunned or knocked

13:46

out by the self-inflicted blow. He

13:48

may have hit his head on a rock when he hit the

13:50

water. So Jack's dad may

13:52

have been unconscious or even dead when

13:54

he disappeared beneath the waves. It'd

13:57

certainly explain why he didn't resurface

14:00

try to save himself. If

14:02

Jack had been able to get into the water, his

14:05

father may have already been dead. At

14:07

the very least he would have been dead weight. If

14:10

Jack had been able to grab him, there was

14:13

no way back up the bluff and the waves

14:15

were treacherous. So, had Jack

14:17

dived in, he likely would have been

14:19

dashed against the rocks and also ended

14:21

up as shark food. Survivors

14:24

guilt was to be expected, but

14:26

Jack might have been suffering more than that.

14:29

Months later, a man who'd known him at

14:31

this time would tell a story to the

14:33

barrier miner at Broken Hill. And

14:35

what he said was reported this way, quote,

14:38

It was believed that the lad, in twirling

14:41

a line around his head, preparatory to casting

14:43

it into the sea, struck his father on

14:45

the skull with the lead and sinker. He

14:47

made a grab at his father as the

14:50

latter was falling and caught his hat. The

14:53

fatality had a great effect on the lad. Had

14:56

Jack accidentally killed his own father.

14:59

Whatever had happened at Bombo Point, Jack had

15:01

to live with it. But

15:04

it would seem he never fully got over

15:06

the tragedy. Jack would

15:08

be described as having grown into a timid

15:10

man who had a bad case of the

15:12

nerves. So what would

15:14

he do if he ever faced another

15:16

split second life or death moment? Especially

15:19

one that involved himself and the protection of

15:22

a family member. Sadly, in

15:24

this case, time was to tell.

15:28

But before it did, Bombo Point,

15:31

site of the tragedy, would transform

15:33

the fortunes and landscapes of both

15:35

Caima and Sydney. Bombo

15:38

Point was soon quarried for its basalt

15:40

and blue metal. These

15:42

materials shipped to Sydney and used

15:44

respectively in the construction of the

15:46

city's steam tramways and its roadways.

15:50

As a result, Caima's economy

15:52

boomed. In those good

15:54

times, people needed banks they could trust.

15:57

And banks needed trustworthy young men. Jack

16:00

Phillips. Jack

16:03

started working at the Citibank of Sydney's Cuyama

16:05

branch in June of 1877. He

16:09

was then a month shy of his 17th

16:11

birthday. Jack lived a

16:13

quiet life as a civic-minded teetotaler.

16:17

After nearly five years at the

16:19

Cuyama branch, Jack's qualities and talents

16:21

saw him promoted to the Citibank's

16:23

headquarters in Sydney. In

16:26

January 1882, Jack was farewelled at

16:28

a Cuyama dinner attended by three

16:30

dozen friends and colleagues. There

16:33

were plenty of speeches and toasts that

16:35

praised the young man's personal and professional

16:37

qualities. The manager of

16:39

the Citibank's Cuyama branch said that

16:41

he'd never worked with a fellow officer

16:44

of such an amiable and agreeable disposition

16:46

as Jack Phillips. Reading

16:49

between the lines of that speech, which

16:51

was reported in detail in the local

16:53

newspapers, was to get the impression that

16:55

Jack was a chap who'd go along

16:57

to get along. This

16:59

idea was reinforced when Justice of the

17:02

Peace, Mr James Collie, got up to

17:04

speak. Telling the gathering

17:06

that he'd known Jack since he was a boy, Mr

17:09

Collie said he'd like to offer the lad

17:11

just one word of advice. And

17:13

that word was no. Jack,

17:16

Mr Collie said, had to learn how

17:18

to say no. He

17:21

had to know when to say no

17:23

emphatically and learning to do so required

17:26

courage and manliness. Mr

17:28

Collie seemed to recognise that this

17:30

young man, for all of his

17:32

great qualities, lacked the ability to

17:34

stand up for himself. At

17:37

the Sydney head office, Jack Phillips

17:39

got more responsibility. He

17:41

worked as an assistant to the Citibank's secretary

17:44

and for a time he had charge of

17:46

the shareholders list. Jack

17:48

was then transferred to the Oxford Street

17:50

branch in Paddington, where he worked as

17:52

an accountant. During the

17:55

mid to late 1880s, Jack was

17:57

briefly posted out to the country

17:59

to car-call. 150

18:01

miles west of Sydney past Bathurst.

18:04

Sheltered in a valley beside the

18:07

Birbling Bella Bueller River, Karkor had

18:09

first been colonised by white people

18:11

in 1821 and the

18:13

town had briefly boomed during the Gold Rush of the

18:16

1850s. Since then

18:18

Karkor had settled into a placid place

18:20

that was as pretty as a picture.

18:24

Around this time the Sydney Mail would

18:26

describe it this way, quote, Karkor

18:29

is a pleasant little town lying at

18:31

the foot of the hills in the

18:33

Western District and has ever been regarded

18:35

as one of the most comfortable settlements

18:38

in a particularly fortunate district. There is

18:40

a great abundance of cultivation and there

18:42

are several well-to-do pastoralists in the vicinity

18:44

of the town which has always enjoyed

18:46

the reputation as being one of the

18:49

quietest and most law-abiding in the colony.

18:52

While it was quiet and peaceful Karkor

18:54

did have at least one lawless claim

18:57

to fame. This event

18:59

which had involved brave bank employees

19:01

had made Australian criminal history. In

19:03

1863 bold Bush Ranger

19:07

Ben Hall and his gang had been operating

19:09

in the area. In

19:11

July of that year two of

19:13

these outlaws John Gilbert and John

19:15

O'Meally stuck up the Karkor branch

19:17

of the commercial bank. This

19:19

was the first attempt at a daylight

19:21

bank robbery in the Australian colonies but

19:23

it didn't go well for the bad

19:25

guys. The bank's plucky

19:27

manager and a brave teller refused

19:30

to play along and thwarted the

19:32

gun-toting robbers who were forced to

19:34

beat a hasty empty-handed retreat. Jack

19:38

Phillips's temporary Karkor posting was

19:40

far less exciting. He

19:43

was there as an accountant. The

19:45

days of the Bush Rangers were long

19:47

gone. Karkor had earned its placid reputation

19:49

and Jack took a shine to the

19:52

little town. Yet his

19:54

Citibank superiors soon shuffled him

19:56

back to Sydney. It

19:58

was there in August 18. The Ninety Seven

20:01

that Jack married twenty three year

20:03

old any stoddart. Any

20:05

had older siblings, but she was

20:07

closest to her younger sister, Susan,

20:09

and about seventeen. Any

20:12

and Susan were also very close

20:14

to signing Cavanaugh then around eighteen.

20:17

Thirties mother had been childhood friends with

20:19

their mother says goes had all grown

20:22

up together. Jack.

20:24

In any. had their first child

20:27

in May I say ninety one,

20:29

a baby daughter they named Gladys.

20:31

Around this time, Jack was posted

20:33

to curb ah ago so the young

20:36

family packed up for that south coast

20:38

town. After sitting there

20:40

for about a year, Jack was nixed

20:42

given a choice of positions. The.

20:45

And any in the baby's could return

20:47

to Sydney with to take up a

20:49

role as the caso y straight branch.

20:51

Or. He could go back to

20:53

car. Cool way he'd take over as

20:55

branch manager. Jeff. Chose to

20:58

go to car pool. Is

21:00

or perhaps to be a big feast in a

21:02

small pond? Managerial. Experience even

21:04

if it was in a backwater like

21:06

car. Cool was an important run on

21:08

the career ladder. But. Other

21:11

sectors would have played into his decision. He

21:14

knew cock whole, He knew it was a

21:16

nice little place and he liked the people.

21:18

He. Was also making his decision in

21:21

I say Ninety Two when the

21:23

banking crisis and economic collapse was

21:25

causing a lot of misery. Particularly

21:28

in the cities around the colonies.

21:31

So. Why not write out the

21:33

tough times in a pretty little village

21:35

when nothing much happened? And.

21:37

As a bonus, the car cool

21:39

posting included use of the fine

21:41

managerial residents that was attached to

21:44

the City Bank building Their. John.

21:47

And any move to the town around

21:49

September. Eighteen Ninety Two. she

21:51

soon so pregnant again and this second

21:53

child daughter dorothy would be born in

21:56

the middle of the next year Tired

22:02

of ads barging into your favorite news

22:04

podcasts? Good news. Ad-free

22:07

listening on Amazon Music is included with

22:09

your Prime membership. Just head

22:11

to amazon.com/ad-free news podcast to catch

22:14

up on the latest episodes without

22:16

the ads. Some shows may have

22:18

ads. The

22:23

Citibank building was an attractive brick

22:25

edifice built into the slope on

22:27

the western side of Bella Bueller

22:30

Street, Carcours, Main Thoroughfare. The

22:32

bank's offices occupied one side of the

22:34

ground floor. The other part

22:37

was given over to the private residents. A

22:39

hallway entrance led into a dining

22:41

room and upstairs to the first

22:44

floor bedrooms. The rear

22:46

downstairs section of the building held the

22:48

kitchen and quarters for the servant girl

22:50

Agnes McVicar, who was to help Annie

22:52

with the children and the domestic chores.

22:56

Jack and Annie's closest neighbor lived next

22:58

door. This was Joseph

23:00

Derwin, the Citibank's accountant and

23:02

thus Jack's right-hand man. Behind

23:06

Jack and Annie lived Reverend Mr. Clark,

23:08

who kept his horses in a stable

23:10

adjoining their backyard. Everything

23:13

in Carcours was merely a stone's throw from

23:15

Jack and Annie's front door. A

23:18

minute up the hill and they'd be at

23:20

St Paul's Anglican Church with its tower and

23:22

steeple. A hop skip and

23:25

a jump down Bella Bueller Street and they'd

23:27

be at the Post and Telegraph Office, the

23:29

Royal Hotel or the fine terraces of the

23:31

Great Western Warehouse. On

23:34

the corner, opposite the river, where

23:36

the Main Street met Isley Street,

23:38

stood Carcours' most impressive building, the

23:40

courthouse. This Italianate

23:43

beauty, complete with clock tower, was

23:45

the work of colonial architect James

23:47

Barnett, who'd also designed many of

23:49

Sydney's most impressive buildings. Outside

23:52

the courthouse was Carcours Police Station

23:54

and its lock-up. Carcours

23:58

was a fine town and 33

24:00

year old Jack Phillips was a fine man

24:02

about town. He was important

24:05

because he handled many of the town's banking

24:07

services. People relied on him.

24:10

But Jack's job also made him the

24:12

bearer of bad news during these times

24:14

of economic trouble. He

24:16

was the man who had to chase debts and

24:18

had to foreclose on assets if they couldn't be

24:21

paid. This of course could

24:23

lead to disappointment and disgruntledment.

24:26

But Jack Phillips was just doing his job.

24:29

Most folks recognised this and he was

24:31

popular. Jack was regarded

24:33

as civic minded and as a pillar of

24:35

the community. Thus, Jack was

24:38

elected as Treasurer of the Car

24:40

Corps Hospital and as Treasurer of

24:42

the town's Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral

24:45

Association. But then, only

24:48

a year after that arrived and

24:50

settled in, Jack's Citibank bosses did

24:52

another management reshuffle. This

24:54

one was a bit like musical chairs. See,

24:57

the manager's job over at Bathurst

25:00

had become vacant. So it

25:02

was to be filled by the manager from

25:04

Caima. The Caima job would

25:06

then be taken by the present manager from

25:08

Young. This was where Jack

25:10

came in. He was now to go to

25:12

Young to be the manager there. It

25:15

was a bother to have to relocate yet again.

25:18

But taking the job at Young was another

25:20

step up the seniority ladder. Everything

25:23

was settled. At

25:26

this time, Jack and Annie's little daughter Gladys

25:28

was staying in Sydney with Annie's mum. During

25:31

this holiday, Gladys had spent a lot

25:33

of time with her aunt Susan and

25:35

with Susan's best friend Fanny Cavanaugh. The

25:38

little girl had become particularly close to Fanny.

25:42

Susan and Fanny had planned to bring Gladys back

25:44

to Jack and Annie at their new place in

25:46

Young. Then, a health

25:48

hiccup complicated that game of musical

25:50

chairs even more. See,

25:53

the wife of the outgoing manager at Young had

25:55

taken ill and she'd been told by her doctor

25:57

that she'd need to stay in bed for a

25:59

long time. for a month or so. So

26:02

she'd have to remain in the Citibank

26:04

residence in Young, even though her husband

26:06

was about to take up his new

26:08

position in Kaima. The

26:10

knock-on effect was that Jack would still

26:12

move to Young and take up the

26:15

manager's role, but he'd stay in a

26:17

hotel temporarily. Annie and the children would

26:19

remain in the Karkor Citibank residence until they

26:21

could join him. Incoming

26:23

Karkor branch manager, Mr Healy, would

26:26

then temporarily stay in a Karkor

26:28

hotel. It was

26:30

all a bit of a palava, but

26:33

this was how the Citibank wanted things done. Jack

26:36

was now scheduled to leave for Young on Saturday,

26:38

the 23rd of September 1893.

26:40

Annie had advised

26:43

Susan and Fanny about this change

26:45

of plans. But she, Annie,

26:48

also had an idea. Why

26:50

didn't Susan and Fanny come up to Karkor to

26:53

keep her company? They could bring

26:55

Gladys with them. Then they could all

26:57

go to Young. Susan

26:59

liked the idea. Fanny

27:01

wasn't so keen. Just

27:04

as her recent encounter with May

27:06

Somerville at the German Fair was

27:08

soon to make the newspapers, it

27:10

would also be widely reported that

27:13

Fanny Cavanaugh had had a bad

27:15

feeling, a presentiment, about going to

27:17

Karkor. Yet her father,

27:19

to whom she was exceptionally close, said

27:21

that she should go, that it

27:23

would be good for her. Fanny had

27:25

been hearing such things all of her life.

27:28

As a child, she'd been terribly sick

27:30

with rheumatic fever. Fanny

27:32

had then, and later, been sent to

27:35

the Blue Mountains to take the air

27:37

for her health. Lately,

27:39

Fanny had been unwell again, and

27:42

her doctor agreed with her father. Karkor,

27:44

at nearly two and a half thousand

27:46

feet above sea level, had good air,

27:48

and it would help her get better.

27:51

So Fanny agreed. Susan

27:54

and Fanny planned to get the train west on

27:56

the morning of Saturday 23rd September. This service would

28:00

get them to nearby Blaney around

28:02

about 7 o'clock that night. In

28:05

order to pick them up and to

28:07

see Gladys, Jack Phillips delayed his departure

28:09

for young until Monday morning. Now

28:12

everything really was settled. On

28:15

the Thursday night, the 21st of September,

28:18

Jack's farewell dinner was held at

28:20

Karkor's Victoria Hotel. 40 of the

28:23

town's most prominent citizens gathered to toast

28:25

the man they'd come to regard as

28:27

a friend. The mayor

28:29

chaired the celebration and read from

28:31

a beautifully illuminated and framed address

28:33

that was presented as a goodbye

28:35

gift to Jack. The

28:37

parchment read, quote, Dear

28:39

sir, it is with feelings of regret we

28:42

have heard that your connection with us is

28:44

to be severed by your removal to young.

28:47

Those of us who had business

28:49

transactions with you must acknowledge your

28:51

unvarying courtesy, your willingness to oblige,

28:54

yet at the same time your

28:56

anxiety to advance the interests of

28:59

the institution you represent. During

29:01

your residence here you have by

29:04

your uprightness your genial presence and

29:06

gentlemanly bearing endeared yourself to all

29:08

with whom you came in contact,

29:11

wishing you and Mrs. Phillips

29:13

long life, happiness and prosperity.

29:17

The town's men gave him another parting

29:19

gift, a silver fruit

29:21

stand, and other speakers agreed that

29:23

Karkor was indeed losing one of

29:26

its best and most conscientious citizens.

29:30

A decade earlier, at his

29:32

Kaima farewell, Jack had only been in

29:34

his early 20s and that

29:36

night he delivered what was

29:39

reported to be a halting

29:41

and awkward response. Now years

29:43

and experience had made him a little

29:46

more at ease. In

29:48

his reply Jack said that Karkor's people

29:50

had become his best friends and the

29:52

sadness he felt at leaving them was

29:54

too great to put into words. Gazing

29:57

at the framed address and at the

29:59

silver fruit stand, Jack told them

30:02

that these gifts would become heirlooms

30:04

in his family, and

30:06

that they would always bring him and

30:08

his wife Annie long and sweet remembrances

30:11

of their time in Car Corps. Two

30:15

days later, Saturday, the 23rd of

30:17

September, after weeks of cold and

30:19

wet weather, spring had finally sprung

30:22

and it was beautiful and warm.

30:25

Jack had by then done the handover to

30:27

incoming manager Mr Healy and this included giving

30:29

him the keys to the bank and to

30:32

its safe. But there

30:34

were still things for Jack to finish up that day. This

30:37

included finalising the sale of a

30:39

Car Corps butcher shops assets. It

30:42

was an unpleasant task that had

30:44

been made necessary by the financial

30:46

recklessness of the business's young owner.

30:50

This chap, Bertie Glaussen, was the

30:52

son of a wealthy local family.

30:55

Yet he'd made a mess of his own affairs.

30:58

Jack had tried to get Bertie to pay his debts.

31:01

It had been to no avail. Bertie

31:04

hadn't taken responsibility. In

31:06

fact, he wasn't even around Car Corps

31:08

for the final act of his failure.

31:11

He was instead holed up in Sydney

31:13

at the Hotel Metropole with the young

31:16

woman he'd only recently married, Mae

31:18

Sommerbell, well known for

31:20

her beauty and for her musical talents.

31:24

What no one knew, not even

31:26

Mae, was that Bertie was that

31:28

day headed back to Car Corps.

31:31

He'd gotten the train that morning

31:33

from Redfern Station and was seated

31:35

in the same carriage as Susan

31:38

Stodart, Fanny Cavanaugh and little Gladys

31:40

Phillips. Just

31:43

after 7 o'clock that night the steam

31:45

locomotive chugged into Blaney Station, which was

31:47

10 miles or so north-east of Car

31:49

Corps. Jack had

31:51

come with the Reverend Mr Clark in the

31:54

Preacher's two horse carriage to pick up Susan,

31:56

Fanny and Gladys. They were

31:58

back at the Citibank residence in Car Corps. by

32:00

around 10 that night. The

32:02

Reverend said his goodnight and went back to

32:05

his place to stable his horses. Jack,

32:08

Annie, Susan Fanny and next-door

32:10

neighbor accountant Joseph Durwin enjoyed

32:12

a late supper. It was

32:15

a happy affair and even little

32:17

Gladys was allowed to stay up

32:19

past her usual bedtime. It had

32:21

been a long day for everyone. At

32:24

11.30 Fanny said goodnight. She

32:27

retired to the upstairs children's bedroom

32:29

taking Gladys with her. Mr.

32:32

Durwin said his goodbyes next. John,

32:35

Annie and Susan all went upstairs around quarter

32:37

to 12. Husband

32:40

and wife went to their bedroom with

32:42

baby Dorothy. Susan went

32:44

to join Fanny and Gladys.

32:46

Baby Dorothy was restless and this

32:48

kept John and Annie awake for a

32:51

while. Finally the little

32:53

one settled. The Citibank

32:55

building was quiet and dark.

33:00

Outside the moon was nearly

33:02

full and shining bright directly

33:04

overhead. At

33:10

around 2 in the morning Annie Phillips woke

33:13

up. She could hear sounds,

33:16

noises in the house, like

33:18

someone climbing the stairs from the basement to

33:20

the ground floor. Through

33:22

the open bedroom door she could see candle

33:24

glow. Someone was moving around

33:27

below in the dining room. Jack

33:29

she said, wake up. He

33:32

did. Jack heard and

33:34

saw what Annie did. He

33:36

grabbed the revolver that the bank had issued

33:38

to him. While it had

33:41

been 30 years since Ben Hall

33:43

had roamed these parts, Jack's Citibank

33:45

bosses still wanted their car core

33:47

manager to be able to protect

33:49

himself, his family and their cash.

33:52

The revolver was loaded. Five

33:55

bullets in five chambers. Jack

33:57

and Annie got out of bed. Husband

34:00

and wife went down the stairs together. He

34:03

with the revolver extended, she

34:05

gripping his arm. They

34:07

went into the dining room, where a candle

34:09

was burning. Annie picked it

34:12

up. That's when she saw the man,

34:14

standing behind one of the dining room doors,

34:17

his face covered with a black mask.

34:20

He was holding an axe. Annie

34:22

Billie had time to register the menace before

34:24

the masked man blurred into motion. She

34:27

knocked the candle from her hand and as

34:29

it sputtered against the floor, he swung the

34:31

axe, the blade hitting Jack. Jack

34:33

went down, dragging Annie to the floor

34:35

with him. She scrambled away.

34:38

Jack and the burglar fought in the shadows. Annie

34:41

screamed at her husband, why don't you

34:44

use the revolver? Give me the pistol.

34:46

If you can't shoot him, I will. Annie

34:49

attacked the man. He threw her off, but

34:51

not before she pulled off his mask. Annie

34:54

staggered away into the hall and screamed up

34:56

the stairs to Susan and Fanny. My

34:59

baby, she said. Murder. Someone's

35:01

killing Jack. Help. Behind

35:03

Annie, she heard a terrible thud thud

35:06

thud. Annie's mind was on

35:08

her children. She had to save them. She

35:10

stumbled up the stairs, in the dark, into

35:12

her bedroom and lit a candle. Dorothy

35:15

was gone. The he, the

35:17

monster, had come in behind her. Annie

35:20

whirled as the man brought his axe down. The

35:23

blade hit her in the face, splitting

35:25

one cheek from her chin to her

35:27

ear. Cutting so deep, it

35:29

sliced her tongue in half. With

35:32

the blade embedded in her face, Annie

35:34

fought her attacker as he struggled to

35:36

prize the axe free so he could

35:38

hit her again. As

35:41

he yanked it from her face, Annie fell

35:43

back just as Susan ran into the bedroom.

35:46

She nearly fainted at the sight of her sister

35:48

and the axe-wielding fiend who was ready

35:51

to strike again. Susan

35:53

said no. Stop. Please. Don't

35:55

you have a wife and children? Spare

35:57

us. Money, the man demanded.

36:00

I must have money, I must have money."

36:04

And he managed to say that she'd do whatever

36:06

he wanted. But first she had

36:08

to know. My Jack, is

36:11

he dead? No, the ax

36:13

man said. He's just stunned.

36:15

He'll be alright. The

36:17

man demanded the keys to the bank safe. And

36:20

he told him that whatever keys Jack had were

36:23

in his trousers and they were hanging up. The

36:26

man went to the pants and helped himself to

36:28

the keys and to a small amount of cash.

36:31

He went downstairs, leaving the terrified

36:33

women. Where were the

36:35

children? When Susan

36:37

had heard the sounds of the attack

36:40

and Annie screaming, she'd grabbed baby Dorothy

36:42

and had hidden her in the other

36:44

bedroom. Fanny had snatched up

36:46

close and had run for safety. So

36:48

the little girl should be alright. Servant

36:51

girl Agnes McVicar came into the room.

36:54

She was in shock, but she was unhurt. Everyone

36:58

was alive. That was what mattered.

37:01

The attackers talked back into the bedroom. He

37:03

was furious and he swore at Annie and

37:06

Susan. These are the wrong keys, he

37:08

told them. They're no good for the safe.

37:11

Through her day's state, Annie remembered.

37:14

Jack had given the keys to the safe to his successor,

37:16

Mr Healy. She

37:18

explained this. My husband, she

37:20

said, is to leave for young on Monday morning.

37:22

You don't have the keys for the safe here.

37:25

Where is this Mr Healy? The man demanded. Staying

37:28

in one of the hotels in town, she said.

37:31

Susan chimed in saying she didn't know which

37:33

one. She'd only arrived on the train last

37:36

night. Like the car

37:38

called Bank Raid made by members of Ben

37:40

Hall's gang 30 years ago, all

37:42

of this had been for nothing. The

37:45

axe man said he was going to leave and

37:48

he was going to leave them alive, but

37:50

whether they stayed that way was their choice.

37:53

Don't scream or make any noise, he said. If

37:56

any of you do or if any of you

37:58

leave this room, I'll come back. and

38:00

I'll shoot you." Then he was

38:03

gone in the dark. The terrified

38:05

women cowered. Even

38:08

in Annie's days terrified and bloodied

38:10

state, she was dimly aware of

38:12

something that was as far beyond

38:14

her comprehension as what had just

38:16

happened. When she'd caught

38:18

off the man's mask, she'd recognized

38:20

him. She knew him. It had

38:22

been Bertie Glassen. After

38:25

a few minutes, she mustered the courage

38:27

to call into the darkness. Are

38:30

you gone? There was no

38:32

response. The maniac seemed

38:34

to have left. But

38:36

what he'd left in his wake would

38:38

shock colonial Australia from coast to coast.

38:44

I'm Michael Adams and you've been listening

38:47

to part one of the forgotten Australia

38:49

episode, the Citibank Axe Murders. The second

38:51

and final part will be on general

38:53

release pretty soon, but if you'd like

38:55

to hear it right now, you can

38:57

do so by becoming a patreon or

38:59

Apple supporter. Links are

39:01

in your show notes and you can get

39:03

a free trial which will give you access

39:06

to part two along with access to a

39:08

whole bunch of bonus episodes. If

39:11

you choose not to continue it's easy to cancel

39:13

and you won't pay a cent. As

39:15

always, thanks for listening and thanks for

39:18

supporting. Tired

39:33

of ads crashing your comedy podcast

39:35

party? Good news. Ad-free

39:37

listening on Amazon Music is included with

39:39

your Prime membership. Just head

39:42

to amazon.com/ad-free comedy to catch up

39:44

on the latest episodes without

39:46

the ads. For thousands of ACAT shows ad-free for

39:48

Prime subscribers. Some shows may have ads.