On This Day in True Crime History – 30th November

Casting a light on November 30th in True Crime History, we uncover a mosaic of human experiences where tales of justice, tragedy, and infamy intertwine.

1796: ⛓️ Francis Morgan Gibbeted on Sydney Harbour’s Pinchgut Island

On this day in 1796, In the midst of Sydney Harbour lies the picturesque Pinchgut Island, known today for its iconic Fort Denison. But in the early days of the colony, this tiny island bore witness to a macabre chapter in history, with a convict named Francis Morgan meeting a gruesome fate there. 💀

Francis Morgan’s journey to Pinchgut Island began in 1793 when he arrived in the colony of New South Wales aboard the ship Sugar Cane, surviving the attempted convict mutiny on their way to Sydney.

Morgan had a dark past, having been tried for the murder of a man in Dublin, Ireland, and was caught wearing the victim’s watch. His sentence, initially death, was commuted to transportation for life. 🚢

However, upon reaching Sydney, Morgan’s violent tendencies emerged once more. In mid-October 1796, he brutally bashed a man named Simon Raven to death on the northern shores of the harbour. This heinous act led to his second encounter with a death sentence. ⚔️

As Francis Morgan awaited his execution, he received a chilling piece of news. His body would not find peace in death; instead, it would be hung in chains on Pinchgut Island, serving as a grim warning to others as required by the Murder Act of 1751. Morgan, stoicly commented favorably on the splendid view of the harbor he would have from his eerie perch, noting its unparalleled beauty. 🌅

For at least the next four years, Francis Morgan’s lifeless body endured the elements, suspended in the middle of Sydney Harbour—a haunting reminder of the consequences of a life gone terribly wrong. ⏳

This Day in True Crime History

1796: 🔒 John Lawler and Martin McEwin Hanged for Robbing the Public Stores

On this day in 1796 in Sydney was a sombre day full of executions. The newly formed bustling streets of Sydney saw John Lawler (convict) and Martin Mcewin (soldier) faced the hangman’s noose for robbing public stores.

Despite the seemingly minor offence of stealing food, they faced the same fate as that of a murderer, Francis Morgan, whose vile act of wilful murder darkened the colony’s early history. ⚖️🔓

Both John Lawler and Martin Mcewin were executed and found their eternal rest at Sydney’s first public cemetery known as the Old Sydney Burial Ground, a site now known as Town Hall in the heart of Sydney. The burial ground remained in use until January 1820. During the 28 years the cemetery operated some 2240 burials were added. Excavations of the Town Hall basement in 2008 identified 66 remaining graves in total. 🏛️

This Day in True Crime History

1900: 💔 Oscar Wilde’s Iconic Farewell

On this day in 1900, the world lost one of its most brilliant and controversial literary figures, Oscar Wilde. The renowned Irish writer and wit, known for his sharp humor and flamboyant style, spent his final days in a Paris hotel room.

Oscar Wilde’s life had taken a tragic turn when he was imprisoned for “gross indecency” due to his homosexual relationships. After his release, he fled to France to escape the judgmental eyes of Victorian England. He found himself in a modest hotel, facing the drab wallpaper that adorned his room.

Legend has it that, in his last moments, Wilde remarked on the wallpaper, saying, “One of us had to go.” It was a poignant and ironic statement, reflecting the profound struggles and conflicts he had faced in his life.

Oscar Wilde’s death marked the end of an era and the loss of a literary genius whose works continue to be celebrated today. His wit, humor, and unique perspective on society remain celebrated in the world of literature. 📖🎭🖋️

This Day in True Crime History

1962: 🕊️ Andrews Hanged in Grim Finale

On this day in 1962, a dark chapter in history concluded as Lowell Lee Andrews, a 22-year-old college student at the University of Kansas, faced execution by hanging for the horrifying murders of his mother, father, and sister. 💔🕊️

His shocking crimes unfolded on the night of November 28, 1958, when he callously shot and killed his own parents, William and Opal Andrews, along with his 20-year-old sister, Jennie, within the walls of their Wichita, Kansas, home. The nation was left in disbelief as the gruesome details of this family tragedy emerged.

Initially, Andrews attempted to deflect suspicion by reporting the murders to the police, deceitfully claiming that an unidentified intruder had committed the heinous act. However, law enforcement swiftly turned their attention towards Andrews as their investigation uncovered a web of damning evidence.

The pieces of the puzzle fell into place as it was revealed that Andrews had taken out a substantial life insurance policy on his family shortly before their deaths, a policy that promised a substantial windfall upon their demise. Moreover, the murder weapon was traced back to him, eroding the facade he had tried to maintain.

During his trial, the chilling truth emerged. Andrews confessed to the murders, divulging that he had been motivated by two sinister factors: the lure of insurance money and a desire for emancipation from what he perceived as his family’s suffocating control.

Justice was served as Lowell Lee Andrews faced his ultimate punishment, hanging at the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas. ⚖️🪓🏚️

This Day in True Crime History

1989: 🌌 Aileen’s Fateful Beginnings

On this day in 1989, a chilling chapter in the life of Aileen Wuornos, one of America’s most infamous female serial killers, began. Aileen, who had a troubled past as a victim of abuse and exploitation, found herself on a path that would lead to a series of gruesome murders.

Aileen often resorted to prostitution to make a living, and on this fateful night, her client was Richard Mallory, a convicted rapist. According to Aileen, the encounter took a horrifying turn when Mallory attempted to assault her. In what she claimed was an act of self-defence, she shot him three times, ending his life.

However, this event marked the beginning of a series of killings by Aileen Wuornos. She went on to claim the lives of six more men, raising questions about her motivations and the transformation from victim to predator. While the first murder may have been driven by self-defence, subsequent acts left even sympathetic observers sceptical of her motives.

Many were left wondering whether Aileen was a serial killer, a victim, or both. She was on death row for a number of years before being executed in 2002. 📚🔍

This Day in True Crime History

2001: 🔒 Capture of the Green River Serial Killer

On this day in 2001, a significant breakthrough occurred in the pursuit of justice as Gary Ridgway, a notorious serial killer, was arrested. This arrest marked a pivotal moment in the effort to bring a remorseless murderer to justice.

Gary Ridgway, infamously known as the “Green River Killer,” eventually pleaded guilty to a staggering 49 murders. His crimes had terrorized the Pacific Northwest for years, and his capture was the result of relentless investigative work by law enforcement.

Ridgway’s journey to capture was not without its twists and turns. He had previously come to the attention of law enforcement, having been arrested in 1982 and 2001 on charges related to prostitution. It was in 1983 that he became a suspect in the Green River killings, a shadow that would follow him for years.

In 1984, Ridgway passed a polygraph test, which added a layer of complexity to the investigation. On April 7, 1987, police took hair and saliva samples from Ridgway, seeking to uncover any evidence that might link him to the string of murders.

Ridgway’s ability to pass a polygraph test was a chilling reminder of the challenges faced by law enforcement in bringing him to justice. Here are the polygraph questions and answers:

🔒 Gary, you have heard all the questions on this test, are there any you are going to lie to? NO
🔒 Regarding the deaths of prostitutes, have you told the police the complete truth about that? YES
🔒 Is your true last name Ridgway? YES
🔒 Have you ever caused the death of a prostitute? NO
🔒 Before you were 30 years old, did you ever physically injure anyone without provocation? NO
🔒 Were you born in the state of Utah? YES
🔒 Do you know of anyone who has killed a prostitute? NO
🔒 Before you were 30 years old, did you ever lie about someone to get them into serious trouble? NO
🔒 Have you taken any illegal drug or narcotic in the last 48 hours? NO

Gary Ridgway, the Green River Killer, is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole. He entered a plea agreement in 2003 in exchange for a life sentence instead of facing the death penalty.. 📚🔍

This Day in True Crime History

2003: 🚴 Cyclist Ian Humphrey’s Tragic Death

On this day in 2003, a sombre event unfolded on Kapunda Road in South Australia, forever etching itself into the annals of controversy. It was the day when cyclist Ian Humphrey lost his life in a collision with a vehicle driven by Eugene McGee, an incident that would raise significant questions about justice and accountability. 😢

The Controversy Unfolds:

Hit-and-Run Drama: Eugene McGee, a prominent Adelaide lawyer, struck and killed Ian Humphrey with his vehicle. Shockingly, he did not stop at the scene of the accident and failed to render assistance to the injured cyclist. This hit-and-run aspect of the incident immediately raised concerns and garnered public attention. 🚗🏴‍☠️

Delayed Surrender: Adding to the controversy was the fact that Eugene McGee turned himself into the police more than six hours after the collision. This delay in coming forward added to the mystery and left questions about his actions and intentions during those critical hours. ⏰🤔

Alcohol Consumption: Reports indicated that McGee had consumed at least four or five glasses of wine over lunch on the day of the incident. He was not subjected to a blood alcohol test, raising concerns about whether alcohol impairment played a role in the collision. 🍷🍻

Legal Proceedings and Public Outrage:
Eugene McGee faced legal proceedings in the wake of these shocking events. However, the outcome of the trial left many deeply dissatisfied. He was found guilty of driving without due care and was fined $3,000, with his driver’s license suspended for a year. This verdict and the relatively lenient penalty fueled public outrage. ⚖️😡

Calls for Accountability:
The trial’s outcome and the perceived inadequacy of the penalty sparked widespread protests and demands for greater accountability. Hundreds of cyclists and victims’ rights groups rallied, expressing their dissatisfaction with the state’s justice system. 📢👥

A Royal Commission Investigates:
In response to the controversy and public pressure, the South Australian Government ordered a Royal Commission to investigate the incident comprehensively. 🕵️‍♂️📋

The Second Trial and Its Aftermath:
Following the Royal Commission, further charges were laid against Eugene McGee. He faced accusations of conspiring to pervert the course of justice and perverting the course of justice. However, in a series of legal developments, including stays of proceedings and a permanent stay, the charges against McGee were ultimately dismissed. This outcome further fueled debates about justice and accountability. Questions that remain unanswered to this day. ⚖️🔄

This Day in True Crime History

Reflecting on the events of November 30th in True Crime History, we are reminded of the profound impact that crime and its consequent justice have on the fabric of society. These stories serve as a chronicle of the darker aspects of human nature and human history.

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The Return of the Sydney Harbour True Crime Cruise

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock and haven’t heard the news – The Sydney Harbour True Crime Cruise is back for this summer season.

Sydney Harbour is simply the most important harbour in Australia’s history. From it is earliest times, it has been the nation’s lifeblood. And with great amounts of activity comes tremendous amounts of True Crime.

From unsolved cold cases to buried loot, serial killers, time-travelling criminals, gangland operations, and all other types of monkey business in between, this Harbour – The Sydney Harbour – has seen it all.

Arrest those criminals!

Why not come and enjoy a morning out on the Sydney Harbour on a fine summer morning and uncover all the dark history you never even knew existed? Enjoy the beautiful waters and scenery and truly learn about the dark events that the city wishes to keep hidden beneath the waves.

The Sydney Harbour True Crime Cruise will only run for a limited time, starting from October 14th and running each Saturday Morning through to January.

Here are some photographic sneak preview hints at just some of the stories we will cover as we visit every dark nook and crime cranny spread across the most beautiful harbour in the world.

We can’t wait to share this incredible true crime history with you. See you soon!

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Murder on the Waterfront

In the days before electrical lighting, much could go on under cover of darkness. Australia’s most famous iconic waterfronts, such as the Hunter RiverSydney Harbour or the Brisbane River, under darkened nighttime skies, were dangerous places to be. Without starlight nor moonlight, the good folk of the city were at the mercy of dark creatures of the night.

In the past, rivers such as London’s Thames became somewhat infamous for the not-unusual sight of dead bodies to be found floating on the water from time to time. But these occasions were not just an issue limited to the Mother Country alone; in the days before the Federation of Australia, the coroner’s courts often had to deal with Jane and John Doe’s floating around their respective state watering holes.

But this was the least of the concerns on Mrs. Lee’s mind on one bright sunny afternoon in 1873. Mrs. Lee was doing what any ordinary person might do on a Saturday. She was coming into the Sydney Habour to spend some with the family, partake of some food and drink and return home by ferry to her Milson’s Point home on the North Shore of Sydney.

Her son-in-law ran a bar in Circular Quay, right on the edge of the Sydney Harbour shoreline. After a few hours of drinking and reminiscing, she decided to leave at 7 pm, perhaps noticing that her silver coins were beginning to run low. She had just enough left to pay the ferryman to take her to the other side of the harbour – her home.

It would be a strange time on the Sydney Harbour as bright daylight turned to a darkened cloud-filled night. The visibility was low. The watches on the various vessels mostly had to listen out for danger.

An apprentice, going about his work at around 9 pm on a vessel in the harbour, reported hearing a woman’s voice ring out across the water. She was shouting, “Police, police! Murder, murder!”. The young boy could very faintly observe a boat in the distance with two figures in it. The woman continued yelling, “You wretch! You will murder me!”. Having no means of leaving his boat and with a degree of helplessness, he yelled out to the pair, “Let the woman alone,” but there was no response, and the couple faded from sight.

Another boy on watch duty on a different vessel also heard screams and, in the dim light, shouted out, hoping to scare the attacker, “What are you doing to the woman?”. Surprisingly, a voice from the darkness hissed back at him, “Never you mind – you have got some colonial in you! An olden time for Australian insults.

Even across the other side of the water, screams for help had been so loud that the domestic servants of a notable residence at Kirribilli Point reported having heard similar cries.

On alert that some dark crime was taking place on the harbour underneath the pitch black of night, there was little anyone could do. The owner of a water taxi on the Circular Quay also noticed that his boat had vanished. Even more mysteriously, it had reappeared in its usual moorings when he returned about 2 hours later at 11 pm that same night.

The owner was furious as he noticed that the sail had gone missing. On closer inspection, however, indications of foul play became apparent. Despite evidence that someone had made some attempt to clean the boat up, the timbers of the boat were quite saturated in blood, with red splash marks located on the mast. There was little to do except report the news of his bloodied boat to the water police.

At 7 am early the next morning, a group of boys arrived by boat at Circular Quay and reported that they had seen the body of a woman floating amongst the rocks. The body was duly recovered and conveyed to the morgue at Circular Quay.

A post-mortem examination began, and the body, despite presenting a sickening spectacle, was identified as Mrs Lee’s. There was a very long list of wounds all over the body and limbs, and in the opinion of the medical gentlemen, these were inflicted during the final moments of the poor woman’s life.

The police began to trace her movements the night previous. When she left her son-in-law’s company, instead of going home, it seems she was seen in company with a waterman named Thomas in the Orient Hotel enjoying brandy and beer before the two left together.

The prospect of saving some coin may have prompted her to accept an offer of passage from Thomas. The savings would allow her to enjoy another round or two of drinks before retiring for the evening. For the waterman, it was a rare chance for some paid work after experiencing some lean times.

Thomas was about 45 years of age, a seller of fruits, and a licensed waterman. He was described as a miserable and sickly-looking man, with matted hair and beard and of mean stature and appearance. He was addicted to drink and, when in that condition, was said to become quarrelsome and given to fighting. Thomas was a Rocks resident, had a wife and six children, but had mostly been living on the kindness of others of late.

Still, on the same morning when the body was found, the water police knocked on his front door and asked him to account for his whereabouts the previous evening.

He admitted to taking the boat without permission, but he had returned it to its rightful place, although no one was about on his return.

He had taken a woman, Mrs Lee, across the harbour the previous evening but had landed her at Milson’s Point. No one else but himself had seen her land and he knew nothing about the blood in the boat. After dropping her home, he came straight back to Circular Quay.

Modern Day Water Taxi

He admitted he had shared a drink with the deceased the previous evening and had even been seen to shout her drinks at the Orient Hotel.

As the police were questioning Thomas, they were interested in the state of his white handkerchief that was wrapped around his neck, as it was spotted with blood. Furthermore, Thomas showed no apprehension concerning the clothes he was wearing. He had not changed during the night, and his vest and shirt contained blood spots. Police did not believe his claim about having a nosebleed resulting from a fistfight the preceding afternoon and duly arrested him for the murder.

Despite proclaiming his innocence during the trial, Thomas was found guilty. There appears to be no premeditation of intent to murder, and on his execution day, he seems to accept his fate, having a sound night’s sleep the previous night.

Thomas addressed the spectators, acknowledging the justice of his sentence and punishment and thanked the gaol authorities for their kindness to him. He expressed a hope that no one would throw any aspersion upon his wife and children, which affected him so much that he burst into tears. He then stated that the drink had brought him to the scaffold and bid those present goodbye.

The bolt was drawn on the gallows – and somewhat rare for an execution performed in the 1800s, he died instantly.

Mrs. Lee’s night out shows that not much separates the present day from the past. One often goes to the city to enjoy the company of friends and family over a glass of one’s favourite beverage before attempting to get home on unreliable public transport. Imagine for a moment doing so without the aid of electrical lighting to light your path, and it becomes apparent how much more dangerous the world was without electricity.

Mrs. Lee’s history, though, is just one of many personal crime stories that have played out in the iconic places we know so well. We walk about the streets of our city, completely unaware of the dark stories that have taken place.

We go into a bar or a fine restaurant, utterly unaware of the site’s bloody past. And really, this is all our Dark Stories Crime Tours are all about. Returning you to the scenes of iconic places where the lives and deaths of ordinary everyday citizens played out.

For a brief window of time, past lives and tragic tales are brought back to life in the very place where these events took place. But at least for a moment, the lives of those gone before us get to live again. Mrs Lee wanted to have a night out with friends and family, but fate intervened with other plans. But perhaps in some small way, by retelling her story today, she has achieved a kind of immortality in the process.

And as it is Australia Day Weekend coming up, our cities will again be filled with the sights and sounds of people enjoying food and drink in much the same light as Mrs. Lee. It’s interesting to wonder what a Dark Stories True Crime Tour would have been like in 1873; however, at least you can enjoy the 2020 vintage and rediscover the events of the streets around you.

Happy Australia Day Weekend to everyone.

Australia Day Fireworks
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