Biography

One report shows that "At the inquest held on the body of John Scully, the verdict returned by the jury was that the man met his death by having his skull fractured, being the result of a blow delivered by Stephen Scott on Saturday, November 29, at Edjudina. The jury added a rider to the effect that, in their opinion, Stephen Scott did not strike the blow with a stick with any intent to seriously injure the deceased, but was endeavoring to prevent bodily injury being inflicted on James Dwyer, with whom Scott was fighting. The accused was committed for trial, bail being allowed himself in one hundred pounds and two sureties of fifty pounds each. Another report advises that "The deceased was drinking at Edjudina with a mate, several other persons being present, when a stranger picked up a piece of wood and struck Scully on the head, inflicting a serious wound." Having been charged with unlawfully killing John Scully, Scott faced his trial in March 1903. The case for the Crown, was that Scully had Dwyer on the ground, pummelling his face with his fists. when Scott hit the deceased a heavy blow on the forehead with a stick. Scully fell to the ground after having been struck but afterwards walked to his camp and subsequently went to Kookynie, 70 miles away, and had the wound in his forehead dressed by Dr Miskin, who did not regard the wound as serious. A few days later, however, he became worse and died nine days after the blow had been struck. Dr Miskin, who made a post mortem examination of the body, said that death was due to an abscess pressing on the brain and this was apparently the result of this blow received by the deceased from Scott. The jury found a verdict of not guilty and the accused was discharged. The deceased's siblings were: Margaret Malone, Bridget Stafford, Anne Dooley, Malachy Scully, Joseph Scully, Francis James Scully, Hugh Michael Scully.