MURDER AT THE INN -

In February 1874 a murder was reported by the Perth Gazette at the Narrogin Inn on the Albany Road. The article reads:

"The unfortunate victim of the shocking crime was Mr. William Foster, the proprietor of the Narrogin Inn, on the Albany road, who was shot dead in a most cowardly manner on Friday evening last. The supposed murderer, a conditional-pardon holder named Gill, has been arrested, and the wretched man is now in the safe custody of the police. The particulars of the sad tragedy disclose the fact that what-ever the assassin's motive may have been, and whatever his real or fancied grievance, the murder was determined and premeditated. Gill was employed by Mr. Forster as a general servant, and among his other duties were those of a cook. On the day of the murder he made some complaint to his master of the quality of some meat supplied to him for his dinner. Mr. Forster told him it was off the same piece of beef as he and his family had just partaken of. Some words ensued between them and Gill went away muttering something to him-self. This was at mid-day. Later in the day he apologised to Mr. Foster for his insolence, and wished to let bygones be bygones. Matters were apparently thus put on an amicable footing, and during the rest of the day there was nothing whatever in the man's demeanour to indicate that he meditated mischief. After tea, Mr. Foster on going into the kitchen observed that Gill was absent and that he had not finished his usual task of washing up the dishes. He shouted his name, but there was no response. Mr. Foster then armed himself with a lanthorn and proceeded in the direction of the stables to search for him, and whilst approaching an out-building where Gill slept he was shot in the right side. He staggered a few paces, fell on his knees, and exclaimed;

"The wretch has shot me ; send for a doctor." The only inmates on the premises at the time were the murdered man's youngest daughter, a young lady about l8 years of age, and his daughter-in-law and her children. Miss Matilda Foster hearing the report and seeing the flash of the gun instantly comprehended the state of affairs, and hurried to obey her father's injunctions to send for a medical man. This involved a journey of eighteen or twenty miles, there being no doctor nearer at hand than Perth. Miss Foster's first intention was to rush to the stable, saddle a horse, and ride in search of some neighbourly assistance, but the horrible thought struck her that the miscreant who had shot her father might still be on the premises, and probably lurking in the stables so she abandoned the idea of obtaining a horse, and started off with all speed on foot. The night was a dark one, and her road lay through the bush, where she became entangled in a dense thicket or scrub. Finding that her outer garments inconvenienced her progress through the bush she divested herself of a portion of them, and nothing daunted, wended her way to the house of the nearest neighbour, a Mr. Cronin, who is a feeble aged man. When informed of the occurrence, however, he proceeded with all haste to Narrogin, and Miss Foster went to another neighbour, named Martin. Here, no one was found but Mrs. Martin, with her young family, and Miss Foster then set out to Fancott's - between three and four miles from Narrogin. A little boy, however,-son of Mr. Martin-was the only person that could be found available to proceed to Perth, and he was sent off as soon as possible on horseback. He, after proceeding a short distance, was met by his father, who brought on the intelligence, arriving in town about two in the morning. As speedily as possible the police and a medical man were communicated with, and Dr. Hora at once proceeded to Narrogin. On arriving there, however, the doctor found that Mr. Foster had been dead for some time, and that, judging from the nature of the wound inflicted by the gun-shot, no medical skill could have availed in saving his life, the contents of the gun having entered the body on the right side, through and below the ribs, breaking four of the ribs, and causing the liver to protrude. Mr. Foster remained in the position in which he fell for about two hours, occasionally suffering moments of extreme pain, but conversing quite rationally with his daughter and daughter-in-law, who, with some young children, were the sole occupants of the house, in momentarily dread, as they were, of being themselves made the victims of the assassin's rage. Relief, though late, came at last, and Mr. Foster was removed into his dwelling-house ; where he was observed to gradually sink, completely exhausted by the loss of blood. When the police arrived on the premises a search was made, and Gill was found missing, and tracked for some distance along the Albany road. The gun with which the dastardly and fatal shot was fired was discovered a few yards from the house, with the outer rim of the nipple blown off, testifying to the heavy charge with which the musket had been loaded. It had been taken from Mr. Edward Foster's bedroom, which the murderer had broken into for the purpose of arming himself with it ; powder and shot were also obtained in the same room. An examination of Gill's own bedroom disclosed the fact that the atrocious deed was premeditated, he having carefully packed up in a bundle a quantity of provisions available for the bush after escaping from the scene of murder. For some reason or other, however, he went away without these rations, but took care to arm himself with a formidable carving knife which was found concealed on his body after his arrest. The particulars of his arrest will be found in the appended report of a preliminary investigation held before the Police Magistrate at Perth on Monday last. Mr. Foster, who was one of the earliest colonists, had, by his amiability and courtesy, won the esteem of a large number of friends, and the shocking occurrence has caused the deepest pain, and excited the tenderest sympathy for his widow and children. The funeral which took place on Sunday was one of the most numerously and respectably attended we have witnessed in Perth. The mournful procession left the residence of the deceased's brother-in-law, Mr. E. Stirling, in St. G eorge's Terrace, about four o'clock in the afternoon. Mr. Foster's remains were interred in the Church of England cemetery, Dean Gegg being the officiating clergyman."

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