John Benedict Lomas

From the West Australian Newspaper 29th Dec 1888. see also http://www.fremantleprison.com.au/Pages/Convict.aspx?Print=true AN inquest was held yesterday afternoon at Fremantle Prison, before Mr R Fairbairn R M, and a jury consisting of Messrs W Farmer, R Birch and J Allpike, on the body of John Benedict Lomas, aged 87 years, who died in the Invalid Depot on the previous afternoon. Deceased arrived in the colony on the 11th July, 1857, in the convict ship Clara No. 1, and his career has been a chequered one. He was a notorious bush- ranger in Tasmania, to which place he made after serving his term in Western Australia. He next paid a visit to England where his conduct brought him under the notice of the police, and for the second time he waa trans- ported to Western Australia. He gave the prison officials much trouble by his pro- pensities for seizing every opportunity to re- gain his liberty, and notwithstanding the at- tempts made by several philanthropic indi- viduals to persuade him to lead a respectable life, he preferred roaming about the bush pil- foring and thieving wherever he could. He was a very intelligent man, having evidently been well brought up and efficiently educated. At one time the authorities were compelled to keep him at Rottnest so as to prevent him breaking away. On one occasion he refused to take food for eleven days, and at the end of that time it had to be forced upon him. He had travelled all over the colony, and must have been possessed of a wonderful constitution to withstand the various hard- ships he experienced and to have lived to such an age. According to the evidence of Chief Warder Hall the deceased was received into prison on May 30th to serve a three months sentence. He was sent to the Invalid Depot on the following day, and with the ex- ception of one or two short intervals, he had been there ever since. He died about 4.30 on the afternoon of the 27th. Warder Craggs said that the deceased had everything that was ordered for him by the surgeon, and had every care and attention bestowed upon him. The medical certificate showed that the manFix this text suffered from indigestion, and he died from old age and faulty indigestion. A verdict of death from natural canses was returned by the jury.