Biography

Also known as Tom Lees.

After he had been missing from Waverley since the Friday night, the old dryblower, Thomas Thistleton, commonly known as Tom Lees, was found dead in the bush, 15 miles from the township, by Constable Kevin and a blacktracker on Tuesday. It was presumed that he went on Saturday morning, taking only his water bag, to look at a gully he had been speaking of, about a mile or two from his camp. As he did not return, a search party went out on the Sunday afternoon and again on Monday morning. His tracks were picked up and followed some little distance but, owing to the rough, hilly country, the party was obliged to give up and Constable Kevin, of Ora Banda, was wired for.

Thistleton was an old and highly respected resident. Though only a fair bushman, he knew the country well and it was thought hardly possible for him to get lost. The thermometer, however, for the past three days had been over 100 degrees in the shade and it was thought the excessive heat may have overcome him and caused him to wander out of his course.

An Inquest touching the circumstances of the death of Thomas Thistleton, was held at the Siberia Hotel on 23 February. Constable Kevin stated that on Monday he received a telephone message informing him that the deceased was missing from his camp. He at once secured a native tracker, arrived at Waverley in the afternoon and at once proceeded to search. He found the deceased's tracks and followed them till dark. Next morning he followed this track and found the deceased lying under a bush dead, the body in a very decomposed state. There were no other tracks near the body, nor was there any thing of any value found on the body. The tracker found a small glass tumbler near the body, which contained a white sediment. He had the body conveyed to Waverley.

Dr. Leedman, medical officer at Broad Arrow, gave evidence of having made a post mortem examination of the body of the deceased on January 29. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition. The organs were healthy. He removed the stomach to be analysed. It contained 15 grains of strychnine. The glass found near the deceased contained traces of strychnine and, in his opinion, death was due to strychnine poison. The jury then returned a verdict that the deceased met his death through the effect of strychnine, self administered.