Cause of death; Hanged at Perth Gaol
Arrived 21/11/1858 per Edwin Fox
CONVICT 5270.
Thomas Bushell was sentenced to life imprisonment and transportation for striking a superior officer while serving in the British Army in Malta. Working in the kitchen the year after arriving, he wrecked some kitchen tools and was sent to the Refractory Block. While locked in a dark cell he attempted to hang himself using a cord pulled from the lining of his jacket.
From this point on Bushell was constantly in trouble, threatening warders, refusing to work and attempting to escape. He was flogged, spent weeks on bread and water and spent weeks on end in solitary. At one point, he was sentenced to hard labour in leg irons and worked on the Fremantle Bridge building site. Later on, while working for the Guildford Convict Depot, he threatened to kill a co-worker. He was sentenced to 100 lashes and two weeks on bread and water in solitary. On release from the Refractory Block he was sent to the Albany Depot where he attempted to escape, and was again returned to the establishment.
In 1863 Bushell attempted to escape another three times and was sent to work on Rottnest Island. Five months later he was returned to Fremantle for disobedience and placed in irons. He was again put to work on the Fremantle Bridge and kept in irons for eight months. Finally, in 1865, Bushell went too far and attacked a warder with a knife.
After working in the Prison Bakehouse on Sunday, Bushell smuggled a 13-inch dough knife back to his cell. That afternoon as Warder Hollis was mustering the convicts for the church service, Bushell came up behind and stabbed him in the shoulder. He immediately gave himself up to the warders an told them he had attacked Hollis. Bushell was tried on the charge of "feloniously and maliciously stabbing Warder Hollis with the intend to Murder". Bushell pleased not guilty. While not denying that he had attacked Hollis, he tried to explain why he had done so:
"I am sorry or what I have done. I was urged to it by my fellow prisoners. I have been in Her Majesty's service and suffered much as a soldier. I was in the Russian campaign and was wounded there. I was drunk at the time I committed the offence; but I say again I did not intend to kill Warder Hollis" (from Perth Gazette 8 September 1865).
Warder Hollis actually in defence of Bushell explaining to the Chief Justice and the jury that the prisoners "consider it most disgraceful to tell takes on one another ... (and he) did not believe the prisoner intended to harm him". Despite Hollis' defence of the man who had attacked him, the jury found Bushell guilty.
Three days later while the prisoners at the Convict Establishment were being lectured by a visiting magistrate on the "sad consequences that follow violence and wrong", Thomas Bushell was hanged at the Perth Gaol.
He was 29 years old.
Arrived 21/11/1858 per Edwin Fox
CONVICT 5270.
Thomas Bushell was sentenced to life imprisonment and transportation for striking a superior officer while serving in the British Army in Malta. Working in the kitchen the year after arriving, he wrecked some kitchen tools and was sent to the Refractory Block. While locked in a dark cell he attempted to hang himself using a cord pulled from the lining of his jacket.
From this point on Bushell was constantly in trouble, threatening warders, refusing to work and attempting to escape. He was flogged, spent weeks on bread and water and spent weeks on end in solitary. At one point, he was sentenced to hard labour in leg irons and worked on the Fremantle Bridge building site. Later on, while working for the Guildford Convict Depot, he threatened to kill a co-worker. He was sentenced to 100 lashes and two weeks on bread and water in solitary. On release from the Refractory Block he was sent to the Albany Depot where he attempted to escape, and was again returned to the establishment.
In 1863 Bushell attempted to escape another three times and was sent to work on Rottnest Island. Five months later he was returned to Fremantle for disobedience and placed in irons. He was again put to work on the Fremantle Bridge and kept in irons for eight months. Finally, in 1865, Bushell went too far and attacked a warder with a knife.
After working in the Prison Bakehouse on Sunday, Bushell smuggled a 13-inch dough knife back to his cell. That afternoon as Warder Hollis was mustering the convicts for the church service, Bushell came up behind and stabbed him in the shoulder. He immediately gave himself up to the warders an told them he had attacked Hollis. Bushell was tried on the charge of "feloniously and maliciously stabbing Warder Hollis with the intend to Murder". Bushell pleased not guilty. While not denying that he had attacked Hollis, he tried to explain why he had done so:
"I am sorry or what I have done. I was urged to it by my fellow prisoners. I have been in Her Majesty's service and suffered much as a soldier. I was in the Russian campaign and was wounded there. I was drunk at the time I committed the offence; but I say again I did not intend to kill Warder Hollis" (from Perth Gazette 8 September 1865).
Warder Hollis actually in defence of Bushell explaining to the Chief Justice and the jury that the prisoners "consider it most disgraceful to tell takes on one another ... (and he) did not believe the prisoner intended to harm him". Despite Hollis' defence of the man who had attacked him, the jury found Bushell guilty.
Three days later while the prisoners at the Convict Establishment were being lectured by a visiting magistrate on the "sad consequences that follow violence and wrong", Thomas Bushell was hanged at the Perth Gaol.
He was 29 years old.
Cause of death; Hanged at Perth Gaol
Arrived 21/11/1858 per Edwin Fox
CONVICT 5270.
Thomas Bushell was sentenced to life imprisonment and transportation for striking a superior officer while serving in the British Army in Malta. Working in the kitchen the year after arriving, he wrecked some kitchen tools and was sent to the Refractory Block. While locked in a dark cell he attempted to hang himself using a cord pulled from the lining of his jacket.
From this point on Bushell was constantly in trouble, threatening warders, refusing to work and attempting to escape. He was flogged, spent weeks on bread and water and spent weeks on end in solitary. At one point, he was sentenced to hard labour in leg irons and worked on the Fremantle Bridge building site. Later on, while working for the Guildford Convict Depot, he threatened to kill a co-worker. He was sentenced to 100 lashes and two weeks on bread and water in solitary. On release from the Refractory Block he was sent to the Albany Depot where he attempted to escape, and was again returned to the establishment.
In 1863 Bushell attempted to escape another three times and was sent to work on Rottnest Island. Five months later he was returned to Fremantle for disobedience and placed in irons. He was again put to work on the Fremantle Bridge and kept in irons for eight months. Finally, in 1865, Bushell went too far and attacked a warder with a knife.
After working in the Prison Bakehouse on Sunday, Bushell smuggled a 13-inch dough knife back to his cell. That afternoon as Warder Hollis was mustering the convicts for the church service, Bushell came up behind and stabbed him in the shoulder. He immediately gave himself up to the warders an told them he had attacked Hollis. Bushell was tried on the charge of "feloniously and maliciously stabbing Warder Hollis with the intend to Murder". Bushell pleased not guilty. While not denying that he had attacked Hollis, he tried to explain why he had done so:
"I am sorry or what I have done. I was urged to it by my fellow prisoners. I have been in Her Majesty's service and suffered much as a soldier. I was in the Russian campaign and was wounded there. I was drunk at the time I committed the offence; but I say again I did not intend to kill Warder Hollis" (from Perth Gazette 8 September 1865).
Warder Hollis actually in defence of Bushell explaining to the Chief Justice and the jury that the prisoners "consider it most disgraceful to tell takes on one another ... (and he) did not believe the prisoner intended to harm him". Despite Hollis' defence of the man who had attacked him, the jury found Bushell guilty.
Three days later while the prisoners at the Convict Establishment were being lectured by a visiting magistrate on the "sad consequences that follow violence and wrong", Thomas Bushell was hanged at the Perth Gaol.
He was 29 years old.
Arrived 21/11/1858 per Edwin Fox
CONVICT 5270.
Thomas Bushell was sentenced to life imprisonment and transportation for striking a superior officer while serving in the British Army in Malta. Working in the kitchen the year after arriving, he wrecked some kitchen tools and was sent to the Refractory Block. While locked in a dark cell he attempted to hang himself using a cord pulled from the lining of his jacket.
From this point on Bushell was constantly in trouble, threatening warders, refusing to work and attempting to escape. He was flogged, spent weeks on bread and water and spent weeks on end in solitary. At one point, he was sentenced to hard labour in leg irons and worked on the Fremantle Bridge building site. Later on, while working for the Guildford Convict Depot, he threatened to kill a co-worker. He was sentenced to 100 lashes and two weeks on bread and water in solitary. On release from the Refractory Block he was sent to the Albany Depot where he attempted to escape, and was again returned to the establishment.
In 1863 Bushell attempted to escape another three times and was sent to work on Rottnest Island. Five months later he was returned to Fremantle for disobedience and placed in irons. He was again put to work on the Fremantle Bridge and kept in irons for eight months. Finally, in 1865, Bushell went too far and attacked a warder with a knife.
After working in the Prison Bakehouse on Sunday, Bushell smuggled a 13-inch dough knife back to his cell. That afternoon as Warder Hollis was mustering the convicts for the church service, Bushell came up behind and stabbed him in the shoulder. He immediately gave himself up to the warders an told them he had attacked Hollis. Bushell was tried on the charge of "feloniously and maliciously stabbing Warder Hollis with the intend to Murder". Bushell pleased not guilty. While not denying that he had attacked Hollis, he tried to explain why he had done so:
"I am sorry or what I have done. I was urged to it by my fellow prisoners. I have been in Her Majesty's service and suffered much as a soldier. I was in the Russian campaign and was wounded there. I was drunk at the time I committed the offence; but I say again I did not intend to kill Warder Hollis" (from Perth Gazette 8 September 1865).
Warder Hollis actually in defence of Bushell explaining to the Chief Justice and the jury that the prisoners "consider it most disgraceful to tell takes on one another ... (and he) did not believe the prisoner intended to harm him". Despite Hollis' defence of the man who had attacked him, the jury found Bushell guilty.
Three days later while the prisoners at the Convict Establishment were being lectured by a visiting magistrate on the "sad consequences that follow violence and wrong", Thomas Bushell was hanged at the Perth Gaol.
He was 29 years old.
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