Constable Jeremiah SLATTERY

Constable Jeremiah SLATTERY

Shot – Murdered

Bungendore

12 January, 1843

Constable Slattery was shot to death at Bungendore during a prisoner escort from Queanbeyan to Goulburn. Four prisoners were being escorted at the time by Constable Slattery and Constable William Burton of Queanbeyan Police and had stopped for the night at Mr Dwyer’s public house at Bungendore.

The story of the sad incident was told in the Sydney Morning Herald of Saturday 14 January, 1843:

Murder of a Constable. “A prisoner of the name of Porter, with three others, on their way down from Queanbeyan to Goulburn, who were escorted by two constables, had arrived at Bungendore, on Thursday evening, and put up for the night at Mr Dwyer’s public house; the constables allowed them to have their irons off, and put them into a room to sleep, one constable was to watch and the other was to sleep: both however dozed off, and one of the prisoners seized the opportunity, got up, laid hold of the carbine belonging to him who was to have kept watch, and shot him through the breast; he died almost immediately. An inquest was held on Friday evening, and a verdict of wilful murder was returned, and the scoundrel was committed by the coroner to take his trial for the same. Corporal Hewitt, of the Mounted Police, whose services are well known, apprehended the prisoner on a charge of robbery, near Queanbeyan, and from which Bench he was committed to take his trial for the offence, was sent for, who conducted and lodged him safely in Goulburn Gaol, on Saturday evening. Too much praise cannot be given to Mr Dwyer for his valorous conduct: the moment he heard the shot he rushed in and secured the other firearms, and bailed up the whole of the prisoners before he knew of the tragic affair which had taken place.

At the time of his death the constable appears to have been stationed at Queanbeyan.