John CHAMBERS [4386] ⁴⁵⁶²

   Another name for John was John MURRAY.

  General Notes:

From the Barrier Miner Wed 5 March 1890 page 3
Suicide at Alma.

An Old Man Cuts His Throat

SHORTLY after 11 o clock this,- morning Constable Greeves, of the South Broken Hill police station, received, information that a man named John Chambers had committed suicide, by cutting his throat: The deceased occupied a tent about 100 yards distant from the police station, and, so far as is yet known, he had not been seen since yesterday morning until at about ll a m. today, The woman who lives in the : adjoining tent called the deceased, but failing to obtain an answer, she tore the side of the tent a little and saw him on the floor in a pool of blood. Chambers has for some time been employed as night watchman at the Proprietary mine, and was about 64 years of age. About twelve months ago his wife left him, and this so preyed upon his mind that his action and conversation were often very strange. He was laboring under the idea that he was bankrupt, but it seems that he had money in the bank as well as five or six allotments of land near Adelaide. Something over three years ago he adopted a boy named Thomas Henry from Port Pirie, who is now about 4 years of age. An inquest will be held at 9.30 to-morrow morning, at Wake's Hotel, South Broken Hill where the body was conveyed.

Mr. and Mrs. C. Drew, of the firm of Messrs. S. Drew and Co., have returned to Burra after about ll months sojourn in Great Britain. Both Mr. and Mrs Drew are looking much better for the
trip.

From the Sydney Morning Herald Friday 7 May 1890 page 7

SUICIDE OF MINER AT BROKEN HILL.
( BY TELEGRAPH. )
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
BROKEN HILL, THURSDAY.

A miner at the Proprietary named John Chamber was found dead in his tent yesterday with his throat cut and a razor lying near. At an inquest today a verdict of suicide was returned. The deceased had £67 in the Savings Bank, allotments of land at Queenscliff and Kangaroo Island, besides property in South America.

From the South Australian Register 7 March 1890 page 5

SUICIDE OF A MINER
[By Telegraph.]
Broken Hill, March 6.

A man at the Proprietary Mine, named John Chambers, was found dead in his tent yesterday with his throat cut and a razor lying near. At the inquest to-day, the verdict was ' ' suicide. ' Deceased had £67 in the Savings Bank and allotments of land at Queenscliffe, Kangaroo Island, besides property in South America. Domestic infelicity is the cause assigned. He was living apart from his wife and children.


From the Barrier Miner (Broken Hill) 6 March 1890 page 2

Suicide at Alma.
Inquest at Wake's Hotel.

THE Coroner (Mr. Barnett) held an inquest at Wake's Hotel this morning on the body of John Chambers, who committed suicide by cutting his throat on Tuesday last. Mr. P. J. Greenless was chosen foreman of the jury. The jury then viewed the body, which was lying on a stretcher in a tent about 8ft. x 10ft., with a small but rather deep wound in the side of the neck.

Samuel Johns, miner, South Broken Hill, gave evidence that at about 11 a.m. yesterday he was passing the deceased's tent, when the woman next door said she had not seen Chambers since the previous morning, and she thought he must be dead. He called to him three times, and getting no answer tried the door, which was bolted ; then tried to get in by way of the cellar, and there saw a lot of blood ; looked over the door and discovered deceased lying face downwards on the floor of the tent ; at once reported the matter to Constable Grieve who broke the door open ; saw one wound, rather deep in the side of the neck ; saw no weapon with which the wound could have been inflicted.

Constable Grieve deposed that about 11 a. m. yesterday the last witness had re- ported to him that he believed a man named John Chambers had committed suicide in a tent; he broke open the door, and found deceased lying face downwards on the floor with a wound in his neck about 1 1/4 inches long and an inch deep ; also found a razor stained with blood about six inches from deceased's head ; found as well a purse containing £2 6s. 8§d., a gold ring, a deposit book of the New South Wales Government Savings Bank, showing a credit balance of £67 in the name of John Murray, and a Waterbury watch. By the coroner : There was no breach in the tent by which any one could get in, and his attitude would lead one to believe that he inflicted the wound himself.

James Nolan, mine labourer, said that about 2 o'clock yesterday afternoon he saw the dead body of John Chambers in his tent ; he must have been dead over 12 hours ; knew deceased for over 12 months ; he was employed at the Proprietary mine ; never knew deceased to taste liquor ; his wife left him about 10 months ago, and he had since seemed uneasy in his mind ; last saw deceased on Monday afternoon, when he did not appear more despondent than usual ; He was a native of Dublin, and about 60 years of age ; he had money in the Savings Bank under the assumed named of John Murray ; he had six allotments of land in Kangaroo Island, S. A., but he did not know the value of them. By the foreman : On Saturday last deceased was annoyed by some difficulty arising out of the misspelling of his assumed name by the Savings Bank authorities, but on Monday he told witness that the matter was all right.

Augustus Edwards, butcher, South Broken Hill said he used to supply deceased with meat ; last saw him alive at about 8.30 on Tuesday morning. He then paid what he owed, and told witness he need not call again next day.

Edward Saunders, miner, deposed that he knew the deceased ; about 11 o'clock on Tuesday night called deceased for him to go to work, but received no reply ; the tent was in darkness ; did not go inside.

Harriet Elizabeth Chambers, wife of deceased, stated that she had seen the dead body of John Chambers ; had not been living with him this last 10 months, but had been on friendly terms with him; deceased sent for witness last Monday evening and gave her £1, his portrait and a suit for the little boy ; he seemed very quiet and said little ; was married on September 4, 1884; deceased was 51 years of age, and had been on the Barrier about two years. By a juror: Could assign no reason for deceased committing suicide except he was despondent at the possibility of losing his position in the mine ; he had eight allotments in Kangaroo Island, South Australia, but they were not worth much ; he had also property near Monte Video, in South America, but had heard nothing of it since 1881.

This, closed the evidence, and the jury without retiring; returned a verdict that the deceased, John Chambers, met his death on or about the 4th instant, by a wound self-inflicted with the razor produced, but there was no evidence to show in what state of mind deceased was at the time of committing the act.

From the South Australian Register 11 March 1890 page 5
SPORTING.

Acceptances for the Tattersall's Meeting, to be held on Saturday, cIose with Mr. Moorhouse, Globe Hotel, at 4 o'clock this after noon.

The right of catering at Tattersalls Meeting was sold at the Globe Hotel on Monday evening to Mr. G. P. Badman for £45. Now that the weights for Onkaparinga are out there can be no harm in giving particulars of the principal betting which has taken place on the Hurdle and Steeple double. Prosper and Mahdi was the first selection made, this pick being backed for about 3,000 down to 100 to 5. Prosper was also backed coupled with Elastic, About 3,000 was lately secured Chandler and Flash light. Other selections for over £2,000 each were Chandler and Elastic, and Sluggard and Flashlight. All these doubles were backed before the weights appeared, and since the imposts were declared Chandler and Flash light have been backed at 100s to 8, At the yearling sales in Melbourne on Friday Mr. Andrew Tennant bought a filly by Musk Rose from The West (dam of Occident) for 100 guineas. C. Quin intends to start training in Adelaide shortly, and he will have charge of one of the yearlings purchased in Melbourne by Mr. H. A. Bamett. Mr. J. H. Aldridge has bought Richmond, the property of the late Mr. John Chambers, and will shortly return from Broken Hill to live in Adelaide.

John married Unknown [—?—] [4616] [MRIN: 1442]. (Unknown [—?—] [4616] died before 1884.)

John next married Harriett Elizabeth GARDNER [4374] [MRIN: 1348], daughter of John Botting GARDNER [4472] and Harriett SIMPSON [4473], on 4 Sep 1884 in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.⁴⁵²³ (Harriett Elizabeth GARDNER [4374] was born in 1862 in Brighton, Sussex, England ²¹²⁰, christened on 12 Nov 1876 in Brighton, Sussex, England,²¹²¹ died on 8 Jun 1899 in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia ^2122,2123 and was buried on 10 Jun 1899 in Broken Hill, NSW, Australia.)