Captured: Portraits of Crime 1870-1930 - Flipbook - Page 47
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A L B U RY
GAO L
C O L D B LO O D E D M U R D E R
William Deakin
MURDER
William Deakin, a 15 year old boy from England, was photographed
at Albury Gaol on 6 July 1891 while serving a sentence of fifteen
years for murder.
On 1 January 1891 William and his 11 year old brother
Joseph, crossed the NSW-Victorian border at Mildura to go
Listen to Deakin’s
stor y re-created
by Debra Oswald
here
rabbit hunting and fishing at Gol Gol. They encountered fisherman
Greville Teulon at his campsite. The brothers had an
altercation with the man, and later when Teulon was asleep,
William shot him. Teulon woke up, packed his camp and got
into his boat. He was found down river and taken to the local
hospital, where he made a statement to police. William and
Joseph were arrested at Mildura on 2 January and charged with
assault. Teulon died on 18 January and William was charged
with murder.
William and Joseph had been in trouble with police in
Victoria on several occasions before the shooting. In January
1889 William, in the company of his younger brother, was charged
with being a neglected child. In September 1889 the boys were
charged with stealing a horse and cart. The brothers were State
wards in Ballarat, and William had absconded from the
Industrial School at Royal Park in 1889.
Deakin appeared in Broken Hill Circuit Court on
28 April 1891. Joseph gave evidence about what happened on
the fateful day. He explained that ‘Willie’ was concerned
Teulon would report them to police and said “now is the time ...
I’m buggered if he will live another minute”.
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