Biography

Known as Charley. The late Mr. Schroeder, who was a partner in the Golden Bell Gold Mine at Burtville, was employed on the night shift underground. At 4 o'clock, as was the usual custom, he proceeded to the surface with the intention of partaking of "crib.' Ascension was made by means of a kibble drawn by a winch. Everything went well until the deceased reached the mouth of the shaft when, before he had time to land, something went wrong with a bolt in the winch and, the brakes refusing to work, poor Schroeder was precipitated about 200ft and, without the slightest warning, hurled into eternity. The netherlimbs and lower portions of the body were frightfully mutilated but the face, which bore its usual cheerful expression, was almost unscratched. Burtville lost a resident of ten years' standing and one who was highly thought of for the many good qualities of a man he possessed. At the coronial enquiry held on 25 October at Burtville, before Mr H. Gaston, J.P. a verdict was returned that the deceased came by his death owing to the breaking of one of the holding down bolts of the plumber blocks, which displaced the drum and threw the brake out of position, causing the bucket on which deceased was riding to fall to the bottom of the shaft, thereby causing his death, and that no blame was attachable to anyone. Charley Schroeder had lived in South Australia for 7 years before arriving in Western Australia.