Albert Spencer Thomas BAKER
Albert Spencer Thomas BAKER
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # ?
Constable
Stations: Central Police Station
Awards: ?
Service: From ? to 5 November 1906
Born: 1899
Died: 3 November 1926
Age: 27
Cause: Suicide – gunshot – Service revolver
Funeral date: ?
Funeral location: ?
Grave location: ?
The constable was killed by a single gunshot wound to the head in his bedroom at the police barracks at Central Police Station, Sydney. He was a single man who was to be married two weeks from the date he died. An inquest into the death returned a finding of suicide. The Evening News of 3 November, 1926 reported briefly on the tragedy.
CONSTABLE SHOT – TRAGEDY AT CENTRAL AFTER ILL-HEALTH
CONSTABLE ALBERT BAKER, 27, was found shot dead at the Central Police Station today. A service revolver was lying alongside him. The constable was a native of Cargo, near Orange, and had been in the force for about 18 months. He had recently been in ill-health, and for that reason had been granted leave. Baker, who was a single man, lived at the police barracks at the Central [sic]. The Central District Ambulance took the body to the morgue.”
The constable was born about 1899 and joined the New South Wales Police Force in 1925. At the time of his death he was stationed at Newtown.
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BARRACKS TRAGEDY.
Constable Shot Dead. Sydney, Nov. 3
The West Australian ( Perth ) Thursday 4 November 1926 page 11 of 20
Constable Albert Baker (27) was shot dead in his bedroom at the Central Police Barracks to-day. He was found lying on the floor with a bullet wound in the forehead, and with a service revolver lying smoking beside his right hand. Shortly before 10 o’clock, police at the barracks were startled by the sound of a revolver shot in one of the dormitories. Another constable was sleeping in the same room at the time, and was awakened suddenly by the report, which occurred a few feet from his bed.
Sergeant Hardiman, the barracks sergeant, called the Central District Ambulance, which conveyed Baker to the Sydney Hospital, where he was examined by Dr. Wallace, and found to be dead. The body was taken to the morgue.
This morning Baker breakfasted as usual and appeared to be in good spirits.
He recently suffered from measles.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/31958313?searchTerm=constable%20albert%20baker,%2027,&searchLimits=#pstart2779266
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ENDED LONG SUFFERING
CONSTABLE’S SUICIDE
Evening News ( Sydney ) Monday 8 November 1926 page 11 of 12
WITH a bullet wound in his head Constable Albert Spencer Thomas Baker, 27, was found dead at the police barracks on November 3.
At the City Coroner’s Court to-day evidence was given that Baker had been a sufferer from headaches since he was a child of four, when be had a fall.
According to his brother, deceased had said he could not sleep at night, and he saw sights which urged him on to suicide.
The Coroner recorded a verdict of suicide while suffering from temporary mental aberration.
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[alert_red]Albert is NOT included in the NSW Police Honour Roll.[/alert_red]
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Location of the old Central Police Station: Central St, Haymarket: [codepeople-post-map]
