Tuesday, October 26, 2010

John Bede CONLON (1877-1908)

Not a direct ancestor but in the CONLON family, I was perusing the NSW Register of Coroner's Inquests and found an entry for John Bede CONLON:

Sydney City Coroner: Registers of Inquests and Inquiries, 1908
John Bede Conlon
31. N.S.Wales No autopsy
City Coroners Court
I find that the said John Bede Conlon at Prince Alfred Hospital on the 6th day of July 1908 died from hemorrhage from a wound in his throat inflictted by himself on the same day in Mangan Lane Darlington


Sure enough the Sydney Morning Herald ran a description of the sad event.

The Sydney Morning Herald
Tuesday 7 July 1908
SUICIDE IN DARLINGTON.
EX-PUGILIST CUTS HIS THROAT. - BORROWS A BARBER'S RAZOR.

Considerable excitement was occasioned in Darlington yesterday morning at about 9 30, when John Conlon, 32, an ex-pugllist and footballer, recently residing in Catherine-street, Forest Lodge, cut his throat with a razor In Mangan-lane, off Darllngton-road.
At 20 minutes past 9 Conlon entered James W. Smith's barber's shop, Cleveland-street Darlington, and asked for a packet of cigarettes. While Smith was getting the cigarettes Conlon went to a bench and picked up a razor. Smith told him to put it down, but Conlon made an offensive remark and walked out of the shop with the razor in his hand. Sydney W. McIntosh followed him into Darllngton road and saw him turn into Mangan-lane Just as Mr. McIntosh turned into the lane Conlon was in the act of cutting his throat with the razor. Mr McIntosh attempted to take the razor from him, but Conlon shoved him away and then cut his own throat.
The Redfern Police were communicatod with, and Constable Mooney conveyed Conlon to the Prince Alfred Hospital, where he was admitted, but died shortly afterwards.
Deceased who was depressed of late, made an attempt to take his llfe on Sundav night by stabbing himself with a corkscrew. He was admitted to the observatlon ward at Prlnce Alfred Hospital at 5:15 yesterday morning suffering from a slight wound, but escaped from there shortly after belng brought in.
Conlon was well known in sportlng circles, and was at one time champion middle-weight boxer of New South Wales.


John was the son of John Joseph CONLON and Ann nee ALLEYNE, born 1877 in Glebe NSW. Sadly (but not mentioned in the article), John was married, to Catherine BESTON in 1899 in Sydney. They had at least two children, Mary (born 1900 Glebe) and Ellen Therese (1903 Glebe - 1986).

Despite a ruling of suicide, he was buried at Rookwood Necropolis (Catholic cemetery), Section 3 (m1) Monumental Block 11 grave 24. I do not have a photo of the headstone yet.

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