Woman Lost

In the 1860s there were few newspapers in the Colony of New South Wales, those that did exist reported from a wide area and commonly there was a section of District News. The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser was one such, and well known, newspaper. On Saturday 23 August 1862 the District News (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS) included Hexham, Newcastle, Dungog, Wollombi, Murrurundi, Musclebrook and Mudgee. For Wollombi it started;

WOLLOMBI.

At present there is little of any importance to communicate with exception of the roads, which about the township are being put in thorough repair. This of itself is cheering, and reflects much credit to the parties entrusted with the work.

There is, however the usual amount of grumbling amongst the farmers and other residents...

Then partway down this dreary article:

“Wollombi, Aug, 20.

WOMAN LOST. On Tuesday evening last a woman named Mathews, of weak intellect, the wife of a blacksmith, an old resident, and the mother of a large family, strayed from her home, and has not been heard of. Since her disappearance a large number of the inhabitants have been in search of her, but up to the present moment no traces of the wanderings of the unfortunate woman have been discovered.”

The article went on:

Dr. IRWIN - Last week this gentleman, being on a visit to his relations (respectable residents of the district) made a call to our township, where some of the ailing members of our community sought his professional assistance, with favorable results…

Finally a report on the weather:

WEATHER-The days are remarkably fine, but the nights are frosty without intermission...

Wollombi 22 August 1862

Poor woman named Mathews. What had happened? What had become her? Strayed from her home and still missing after 3 days and “frosty nights without intermission”.

The Maitland Mercury was published twice weekly, Saturdays and Thursdays, and on the following Thursday another article appeared headed:

WOLLOMBI.-INQUEST ON MRS. MATHEWS.

(From an occasional correspondent)

This was a much larger article of 1455 words. An inquest, of course she had died, how could she survive “frosty nights without intermission”. But why an inquest?

The Article started:

“You were kind enough to insert in your Saturday's issue, a brief statement relative to the disappearance of Mrs. Mathews I must now most respectfully request you to spare room in your valuable columns for the evidence adduced at the inquest held yesterday (Saturday), at Wells' Hotel, before James Dalyell, Esq, P.M, and a jury of twelve, of which Mr. Michael Byrnes was appointed foreman. I shall condense the evidence as briefly as I can, consistently with the importance of the case and the extraordinary excitement it has occasioned in the town and neighbourhood.”

It went on

Thomas Mathews, (husband to deceased) being duly sworn, states (in answer to various questions put by the Coroner) That he had seen the body now lying in Turner's paddock, a short distance only from his house and near the road side, thinks it was after dinner, might be 2 or 3 o'clock p m , last saw her alive about 8 o'clock on Tuesday evening last, she went out about that time; missed her in about 10 minutes, she bad previously spoke to him under verandah , she said " What have I done that you are all plotting and planning to do me an injury " I made no reply from fear of irritating her. About ten minutes after missing her I sent my daughter, Louisa, to a neighbours (Gallway's) about 60 rods off, to enquire if she was there, could hear nothing of her no further steps were taken that night to discover her, but after searching myself a short time around the premises I went to bed. In the morning (Wednesday) I sent my second daughter, Sarah, to Mr Crothers and other neighbours, could hear nothing of her…

The article is most descriptive with words quoting the evidence by given Thomas Mathews like; “That he had seen the body now lying in Turner’s paddock, a short distance only from his house”, “heard from Mrs Gallway about 3 pm the body of my wife was found in Turner’s paddock, went out directly to her; found her laying on her face quite dead and had reason to suppose that she was not in her senses the last two months, she used to say “everybody was talking about her”, a piece of calico tied fast around her neck in a half knot”,

And “I received a message that the body was found, went and saw the body, and left it in charge of Constable Drew, who watched it all night, and remained with it until the inquest was over.”

It seems Dr Irwin who was visiting the district was called upon to not only attend the ailing members of the community but to examine the deceased. The report of the inquest included; “Dr Irwin, being sworn, stated I am a duly qualified medical practitioner, I have held a post mortem examination on the body of deceased, Hannah Mathews, and am of opinion that death resulted from asphyxia, caused by a ligature round the neck , there were no marks of violence on the body, with the exception of a bruise on the check, apparently caused by her falling on to a piece of wood, which adhered to the face, there were also some old scars about her neck, but nothing else of consequence the internal organs I found to be quite healthy except for the brain which was in a softened condition”.

The Inquest had been conducted from 11.00 am until 10.00 pm and the jury gave a verdict.

"We the undersigned jurors having considered the evidence adduced relative to the death of Hannah Mathews, are of opinion that she came to her death by "strangulation" but whether by her own hand .or by that of another party, there is no sufficient evidence to prove; she was evidently of unsound mind at and a short time previous to her decease "signed, Michael BYRNES foreman, and by twelve jurors.

Poor unfortunate Hannah an inquest held while her body still lay in the paddock next to her home, she had died by strangulation but by whom, herself or some perpetrator, shall it ever be known. Had Thomas gotten away with murder or had Hannah really strangled herself with a piece of her apron.

If Thomas Mathews had murdered his wife Hannah he probably thought that he had gotten away with it until the autumn of 1864 when on the 11^th March Inspector Harrison of Newcastle Police arrested him at Wollombi on a charge of having murdered his wife, Hannah Matthews, at Wollombi in 1862. The following day Thomas appeared before the Bench at East Maitland on that charge.

After going through and over the previous evidence Thomas Matthews was committed to stand trial at the next Maitland Circuit Court. He did and after much evidence including:

Their statement was that on the evening of the 19th August, '62, the prisoner came to their house, and said his wife accused him of giving flour to the Smiths, and he was so annoyed that he "would kill or strangle her if he was hanged for it" They were not examined at the inquest. Mrs Galway was taken to it to be examined, but said to a person outside that she knew nothing of the case, Galway did not offer any evidence at the inquest, Galway and his wife averred that they said nothing when prisoner made the remark they now attributed to him The evidence of Mr Crothers, J P., was that he would not believe Galway on his oath, the prisoner bore a good character generally. The evidence of Dr Irwin was that the body must have lain for two or three days in the spot where it was found, as there were a few spots of blood on the ground and an abrasion on the cheek caused by falling on a chip of wood which adhered to her face, and it was from the wound caused by this chip that the spots of blood on the ground appeared , there was blood on the face by this chip, and on the chip, and as blood does not flow more than six hours after death, the body must have been where it was found from the time of death, the body had been dead two or three days, as mortification had set in , the brain was soft, and indicated imbecility, the spots on the fence, which the constable said were blood were only a red fungus.

When the evidence for the prosecution was concluded his Honor asked the jury whether they desired to hear the address of the learned counsel for the defence. The jury answered that they did not, they were quite satisfied of the prisoner's innocence, and they gave a verdict of not guilty.

Did Thomas Matthews get away with murder or was Hannah so demented that she abandoned life by self-strangulation will not be known. What is known is that on 23^th August 1862 the statement in the District News of Wollombi that “At present there is little of any importance to communicate” seems to have been a slight understatement.

Thomas and Hannah Matthews were my Great Great Grandparents.

Lindsay Threadgate

October 2015