Martin Beach

341

Maureen Withey on 8th November 2020

Irish Convict Database, by Peter Mayberry. Martin Beach, alias Brien, O’Brien, age 29, per Calcutta II (1837), Tried at Kings Co., 1837, 7 years, for Assault riot, White Boy Rebel. Single, Catholic, DOB 1808, native place Kings Co. ------------------------------------------------------ TICKETS-OF-LEAVE. PRINCIPAL Superintendent of Convicts' Office, Sydney, 29th July, 1841. The undermentioned male prisoners of the Crown have obtained tickets-of-leave since the last day of publication: CAMBELLTOWN.— Martin Beech alias Brien, Calcutta. Sydney Herald,3 Aug 1841. -------------------------------------------------- It is very likely that this is the same Martin Beech who was involved in the murder of Henry Dunckley in 1842, and executed for this crime, reported in newspapers at the time. -------------------------------------------------- GUNNING. (From our Correspondent.) HORRIBLE MURDER OF A HUSBAND BY HIS WIFE. —Mr. Waugh, coroner for Goulburn, and Mr. Surgeon Cartwright, attended here today. An inquest was held by the former on the body of Henry Dunkley, who for some years resided in this neighbourhood, and whose sudden disappearance, about twelve days ago, caused some suspicion. Dunkley having friends residing in Goulburn, their suspicions were awakened a few days ago upon hearing that his wife, in company with a ticket of leave holder named Beech, offered for sale at the steam mill of Messrs. Bradley and Shelly a load of wheat ; one of the friends, who had known Dunkley for a great many years to be in the habit of not only transacting his own business, but of driving his own dray, was induced to put some questions to the pair then in charge of the wheat and dray, and the answers to the questions being by no means satisfactory, he felt it his duty to mention his suspicions to the police authorities of Goulburn. A constable was dispatched to Dunkley's residence, on reaching which and interrogating his wife she confessed that her husband had been murdered by the ticket of leave man Beech, who had been in Dunkley's service only a short time. From what has transpired today, there is not perhaps on record a more revolting murder than that just committed here. It would appear that Dunkley's wife and the scoundrel Beech commenced by a crime closely allied to murder, and then the putting the husband out of the way presented itself to them as the crowning of their future plans. This was accomplished in a room in which the unfortunate man slept. Beech with a heavy axe struck his victim on the neck and breast, and the force of the blows broke even his backbone, the blood pouring out and besmearing the bed and the wall near which it lay ; at this part of the horrible tragedy the abominable wife took from underneath the bed a vessel, and held it so as to receive the gore from the mangled body of her husband, in order to prevent any traces of the blood being discovered. The body was next sewed up in a sack, and carried to the brink of a neighbouring waterhole, near which a hole was dug, and the body placed in it. The murderers then repaired to the house, and endeavoured to remove from the bed, walls, and floor every trace of blood, which being done, they prepared and partook of a hearty breakfast of tea, bread, bacon, and eggs. The occurrence has caused quite a thrill of horror in this quarter, poor old Dunkley having been so well known and generally liked. The woman and her paramour are both in safe custody. It appears it was also their intention to have murdered an old man, a hired servant on the farm, who they believed was not without some suspicion as to the way in which his employer had been put aside. It is said Dunkley has left some property, and that he had a brother living in Van Diemen's Land. Australasian Chronicle, 4 Oct 1842. -------------------------------------------------- EXECUTION.—On Monday, Martin Beech and Lucretia Dunkley, convicted of the murder of the husband of the latter, were executed at Berrima, pursuant to their sentence, and their bodies handed over to the surgeon of the place for dissection. They made no confession of any kind. Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Oct 1843. ----------------------------------------------------- Martin Beech was a tall, good-looking man, 30 years of age, a native of Kings County, Ireland. He had been employed on the Pomeroy Estate and had just obtained his ticket-of-Leave before taking service with Dunkly Mrs. Dunkley was a native of Wales, a masculine woman, and had been transported for life. The pair were hanged together. Truth, (Sydney), 11 Feb 1900.