1895: “Look, Jimmy”: The Chilling Instant Before a Fatal Tomahawk Attack Near Mount Morgan, Hanged in Brisbane.

Jacky shared a meal with Jimmy Williams, a Javanese gardener living with his partner near Mount Morgan, then walked off and sharpened a tomahawk at a neighbouring camp. Returning, he offered to sell Williams his boots for two shillings, and when Williams said he had no money, Jacky said only “Look, Jimmy” before striking him in the face with the blade. Williams suffered six wounds to the head and hands and died in hospital the following night.    Jacky admitted the killing to police within days, explaining it followed from accusations that he had given Williams’s partner money and drink. When told that Williams had died from his injuries, Jacky replied, “Yes, it will make it worse for me. I thought that fellow would be alright.”    At trial, the judge openly doubted whether Jacky could understand the proceedings. Asked if he had anything to say before sentencing, Jacky offered no defence for the killing, instead repeating his claims about Williams’s partner. He was convicted of murder and hanged in Brisbane on 4 November 1895.

Freshly sharpened
Freshly sharpened

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On This Day in True Crime History
1816·He Blamed His Mate for the Shot, But It Was His Own Gun That Fired: Triple Hanging in Sydney
1895·"Look, Jimmy": The Chilling Instant Before a Fatal Tomahawk Attack Near Mount Morgan, Hanged in Brisbane.
1895·"A Feeling of Relief": Hanged in Melbourne for Drowning a Family Member
1993·11-04 | 1993 Two More Victims Discovered: The Backpacker Murders in the Forest South-West of Sydney
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