John Spurgeon

Level 221

D Wong on 20th May 2017

11/1/1834 Essex Standard Essex, England: ESSEX QUARTER SESSION John Spurgeon, convicted of stealing a coat belonging to Wm. Cook, a waggoner at Halsted, was sentenced to be transported for fourteen years. 1844: TOL Windsor 1844: Married Mary Edwards at St Matthew's, Windsor - no children listed on the BDM. 11/5/1849: COF Joined the 40th Regiment in Sydney. 5/4/1853: John Spurgeon was murdered after a fight. 15/4/1853 Sydney Morning Herald: **This is an edited version of the account of John Spurgeon's death - the full account may be read in full at: http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/12945094 WILFUL MURDER. THE inquiry which was opened before the Coroner and a Jury of thirteen on Thursday, the 6th instant, at the Central Police Office, touching the death of Patrick (should read John) Spurgeon, a private of the 40th regiment, and then remanded until Monday, and continued from day to day until yesterday, was concluded last night. Inasmuch as upon Tuesday lost the death of a second soldier, Patrick Dixon, had been reported to the Coroner, it was arranged that the inquiry into the two fatal cases should be conducted by the same jury. On Satutday, the 2nd instant, about 7 o'clock in the evening, three soldiers of the 40th regiment, named Eustace, Woods, and Dunn, were drinking in the Bee Hive public house, Campbell-street, when a civilian who was present came to the part of the bar where they were drinking, and asked Dunn to give him a glass of rum. The latter told him, "if he wanted drink to pay for it himself ; where-upon the civilian struck Dunn in the mouth. Eustace attempted to part them, but received a blow, and two or three civilians rushed from an adjoining room, and commenced an onslaught on the three soldiers. Private John Spurgeon, who had not been inside the house, and who was casually passing at the time, was about the first who was felled to the ground by the man that was armed with the iron bar, and when on the ground he received a second blow from the same weapon across the skull. Several witnesses distinctly swore that when this unfortunate man was lying thus stricken down and insensible from the effects of these two deadly wounds, a woman, identified as the female prisoner Walsh, came out of the house and struck him over the head with a glass bottle. Those men who were insensible were conveyed to the Military Hospital, where they were promptly attended by Assistant-Surgeon Titmas, of the 40th Regiment. The fearful wounds inflicted upon Spurgeon and Dixon forbade all hopes of recovery from the first, and the former died on the 5th instant, and the latter on Monday last. A verdict of wilful murder against Maurice Walsh, and Bridget Maria Walsh, his wife ; against John Piper, James Macdonnell, and Thomas Molloy ; they further found that Bernard Neil and James Delaney were guilty of aiding and abetting in the murder. The prisoners were committed for trial.