James Lachlan Campbell (1868 - 1919)

Born 25 Feb 1868 in Queensland, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Hilda Pearl (Bowerman) Kallaris — married 19 Oct 1907 (to 13 Feb 1919) in Queensland, Australia

Descendants

Died 13 Feb 1919 at age 50 in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Pat McCallum [send private message]

Biography

James was born in 1868. He was the son of Hugh Campbell and Christina McLean. He passed away in 1919. He is buried in the Toowoomba Cemetery, Queensland.

FUNERAL NOTICES. CAMPBELL —The Friends of the late MR. JAMES LACHLAN CAMPBELL, late Manager of the Silverwood Dairy Company, are respectfully invited to attend his Funeral, which is appointed to move from Burstow's Funeral Parlor, Bell-street, THIS DAY (Monday), at 11 a.m., for the Toowoomba Cemetery. T. S. BURSTOW, 192 Funeral Directors.^[1]

LATE MR. J. L. CAMPBELL. In connection with the demise of Mr. James Lachlan Campbell, which was mentioned in yesterday's issue, the "Toowoomba Chronicle" states:-"The Campbell family is one of the most esteemed In Ipswich; and the fact that the veteran father and two of his sons (Mr. Jack Campbell of the Agent-General's Office, London, recently deceased, was one) have passed away within a single year. is a heavy blow. It may be mentioned that one of the last transactions of Mr. James Campbell on Thursday was the payment of an account at this ('Chronicle') office. The Silverwood auditor is stated to have found everything in good order at his company's office.^[2]

Late Manager of Silverwood. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Mr. James Lachlan Camp bell, manager of the Toowoomba branch of the Silverwood Dairy Company, and a well known resident of that city, was cleared up yesterday, when tracker Nigel and Constable Dempsey, who had been making a search for him, came across his body at a spot below the Range about two miles from Toowoomba. The deceased, it is understood, left home for business as usual last Thursday morning but subsequently returned. He said he was going away, and kissed his wife and children goodbye. As he did not return home in the evening his wife re ported the matter to the police, and a search was at once instituted. An examination of the body showed that there was a bullet wound in the head, and a revolver was found lying near by No reason can be assigned for the rash act and, so far as is known, the deceased did not leave any message to indicate that he contemplated taking his life. He is survived by his widow and three young children.^[3][4]

Toowoomba Tragedy.

J.L. Campbell's Mysterious Suicide. EVIDENCE AT THE MAGISTERIAL INQUIRY.

REFERENCE TO BUSINESS WORRIES.

The magisterial Inquiry Into tho circumstances surrounding the death of James Lachlan Campbell was held- before Mr. T. H. Boddington, P.M., at Toowoomba, on Wednesday. Senior-sergeant Murray examined the wittnesses.

Hilda Pearl Campbell, widow of deceased, stated that she and her late husband resided In East-street, and there were three children, the eldest of whom was nine and the youngest three years of age. Deceased was the manager of the Toowoomba Silverwood Dairy Factory, Limited, and had been in that employ for 20 years. He was happy and contented in his home, and always enjoyed good health until lately, when he suffered from a slight attack of gastritis, and would not go to a doctor. They possessed a small -pug dog at home, and as it was about 10 years of age and was gone in the loins, witness often asked deceased to either have it either SHOT OR POISONED, but he would not. At her particular request, deceased went to Watson the chemist, on February 12 to get something to poison. the dog. That [night] he returned with some cyanide and that evening and the following morning he appeared in his usual [sound] health. On February 13 he left [home] for work about 10 minutes past [?]. At that time he was dressed in a navy blue suit, a fawn felt hat, with [?] band, and tan boots. Just before leaving, he asked for £4, as he wanted to. pay an account. She give him the money. He returned home about 11 o'clock the same morning, which was not unusual, for If he went to the post office he would come around for a cup of tea.. When he came home that morning witness was in the wash-house, which was under the house. Deceased went up the yard, but did not speak. Upon his return, he went up tho back stairs, and witness called out, "I am here, dad," but he made no reply. Deceased went up the stairs m the bathroom, where he washed his hands. He came down the back stairs to where witness was and put his arms on her shoulder and KISSED HER- GOOD-BYE which he, usually did. Witness then said, ."Wait a while and I will make you a cup of tea." He replied. "Oh. no; I won't wait." Witness said. "Oh, do. I have some warm scones in the oven." Deceased replied, "Oh, no. I won't wait. I must, get back. I want to get back." At that time he was going out of the side gate into East-street, when witness said, "The rubbish man is coming; what about asking him to do' away with tho dog?" Deceased replied, but witness could not quite catch what he said. Deceased then went out to the front gate, which was open and asked who opened the gate. She replied that the grocer's boy must have. Previous to his leaving the house, her daughter, Joan, had told her that her father, had kissed her while upstairs. Deceased then left, but witness did hot know what direction he took. At that time he appeared to be in good health. That was the last time witness saw him alive. At this time Mr. Neville, an auditor of the company, was up auditing the books. Deceased generally came home for dinner at 1 o'clock, but he did not do so that day. Witness WAS NOT SURPRISED, for deceased had often lunched in the city previously. About 5.30 p.m. an employee of the firm, named Johns, came round and asked for the keys. Witness told him she did not have them, and that her husband was not at home. Johns, then told her that deceased had not been at the office since 10.30 that morning. Witness got dressed, and went to the office, where she saw Mr. Neville, the auditor. They had a conversation and he informed her then that there was nothing in the books to account for her husband going away.- Witness subsequently searched for him and finally reported his disappearance to the police. On Sunday, February 10. at about [??] witness was informed that the police had got his body down the Range. Deceased was 50 years of age. She could advance no reason, why he should commit suicide. There were no firearms kept in the home., Deceased had been fearfully worried over the business, which was not too good. Deceased used to bet on horse races, but not heavily, and was very LUCKY IN HIS BETTING. He 'was a native of Ipswich, where his brothers and sisters reside.

Plain-clothes Constable Peter Dempsey stated that on Sunday, February 10, accompanied by tracker Major, he proceeded to a paddock, known as "The Comrldge," on the Toll Bar-road over the Range. About 10 o'clock. Major, who was away a short distance from witness, found the body and coo-eed. Witness came up and saw the body, which was- lying on the bank of a gully about a mile from the top of the Range. The body was on its back, the feet facing the gully, and the legs about two feet apart. The head was resting backwards, and the arms- stretched out a little from the body. The body was fully dressed and very much decomposed. Deceased had his hat on, and between the two thighs witness found a seven-chambered revolver. Witness examined it and found five empty cartridges and one loaded cartridge in it Witness saw a mark- on the forehead, which he took to be a bullet wound. There were NO SIGNS OF A STRUGGLE. Witness subsequently had the body removed to the morgue, where, upon examination, he found a wound in the centre of the forehead, the bullet only entering the skin arid not penetrating the skull. Witness extracted the bullet. There was also a wound on the right side of the head over the ear and another wound behind the left ear. They, were the only marks he could find. He saw Dr. Freshney, Government Medical Officer, perform a post-mortem examination, and obtained from him a copy of the certificate as to the cause of death, which he produced.. Among other things found on deceased were a box of what are known as .22 short cartridges in the right-hand coat pocket, and in the left-hand pocket five loose . cartridges, also a bunch of four keys, a deposit slip on the Commonwealth Bank for £60, a tobacco pouch, pocket knife, pipe, pair of spectacles In case, a sovereign case, watch and chain, 7s. 5d. in cash. and a gold ring on his finger. Witness took the keys to the Silverwood branch, shop, and found that one was for the iron safe, another for a ledger, a third for the front office door, and the fourth a post office box key. Witness made inquiries about the revolver and cartridges, and saw Paul Muller. a hardware merchant in the city, who, said that between 10 and 11 o'clock on the morning of February 13 he sold them to a small, thin man with a grey moustache, who said he wanted to shoot a dog. This concluded the evidence, and the inquiry was adjourned.^[5]

Sources

1. ↑ Toowoomba Chronicle, Mon 17 Feb 1919, p. 4.
2. ↑ Queensland Times, Tuesday 18 February 1919, page 5.
3. ↑ Brisbane Courier, Mon 17 Feb 1919, p. 6.
4. ↑ Warwick Daily News, Tue 18 Feb 1919, p. 4. Additional reporting.
5. ↑ Truth, Sun 2 Mar 1919, p. 6.

• QLD BDM Birth 25/02/1868 1868/C/1343 Accessed 12 May 2021.
• QLD BDM Death 13/02/1919 1919/C/1186 Accessed 12 May 2021.
• QLD BDM Marriage 19/10/1907 1907/B/5979 to Hilda Pearl Bowerman Accessed 12 May 2021.