Biography

Henry Wilkins, a mine manager at Burtville, was charged with having murdered Frederick Bond on the night of July 27. The two men were drinking together in a Burtville boarding house on the night of July 27. While drinking whisky, Bond accidentally spilt or splashed some of the contents of his glass over the accused. The latter drew a revolver and threatened to shoot but put the weapon away after Bond had apologised. Shortly afterwards, the men left the house. Then shots were heard, followed by a scream and men rushing out found Bond in a dying condition. Wilkin was found about 8ft. away from the body with a revolver in his hand. In the court room, Dr. John D. Hurst, medical practitioner practising at Laverton, described the results of a post-mortem made on the body of the deceased on July 29. The body was then lying in the house of Mrs. Sullivan. He found a punctured wound on the left side of the breast, on the lower part of the breast and about 1½in. from the breastbone. He found that a bullet had passed through the heart and the left lung and he found the missile 3in. or 4in. above the point of entry. His opinion was that the shot was fired in an upward direction and that it was fired from a distance of three or four yards, at least. Death was due to the bullet having penetrated the heart. Wilkins was the manager of the Mikado mine at Burtville. At the trial on 22 September at the Kalgoorlie Circuit Court, The jury returned a verdict of manslaughter, with a strong recommendation for mercy.