Thomas LEONARD
New South Wales Police Force
Regd. # ?
Rank: Senior Constable
Stations: ?, Condobolin, Orange ( 12 years ), Perth ( Perthville )( 12 months )
Service: From ? to Thursday 27 December 1906 = 24 years Service
Awards: ?
Born: ? ? ? in Ireland
Died on: Thursday 27 December 1906 @ 8.30pm
Cause: accidentally swallowing poison
Age: 58
Funeral date: Saturday 29 December 1906 @ 11am
Funeral location: ?
Buried at: Catholic portion of the Bathurst general cemetery
Memorial at: ?
[alert_blue]Thomas is NOT mentioned on the Police Wall of Remembrance[/alert_blue] * NOT JOB RELATED
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FURTHER INFORMATION IS NEEDED ABOUT THIS PERSON, THEIR LIFE, THEIR CAREER AND THEIR DEATH.
PLEASE SEND PHOTOS AND INFORMATION TO Cal
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National Advocate ( Bathurst NSW ) Friday 28 December 1906 p2 of 4
A FATAL MISTAKE
DEATH OF SENIOR-CONSTABLE LEONARD
Senior-constable Leonard, officer in charge of the Police Station at Perth, died in the Bathurst District Hospital at half past eight last night from poisoning. Deceased, in the pursuance of his duty, visited Georges Plains on Wednesday afternoon, doing the trip on a bicycle, as was his custom, and returning home dusty and tired decided to have a drink of wine.
Going to a number of bottles in the corner of his room, he picked up one that had been opened and poured some of its contents into a glass and swallowed it. Feeling a bitter taste in his mouth, however Mr Leonard examined the bottle from which he had poured the liquid and found that it contained battery solution, a mixture of mercury, Sulphuric acid, etc. The solution was the same colour as the wine and Mr Leonard was unable to detect his mistake until he had drunk the poison.
He immediately applied emetics and went over to the Bridge Hotel, whence he was driven to Dr Brooke Moore‘s surgery. Here further remedies were administered and the patient’s removal to an adjacent hotel, ordered. Subsequently he was taken to the hospital, where he passed away last night.
The late senior-constable, who was about 55 years of age, is survived by a widow and a large family.
His connection with the police force extended to within two or three years of the quarter of a century.
He was formerly stationed at Condobolin, and Orange, and 12 months ago he was transferred from the latter station to Perth.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/157302049
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Barrier Miner ( Broken Hill NSW ) Thursday 10 January 1907 p2 of 4
A POLICEMAN’S MISTAKE.
Death of Senior-constable Leonard.
Constable Styles, of the South Broken Hill division of the Barrier police force, who has been transferred to the Perth station, near Bathurst, takes the place of a constable who met his death on December 27 under exceptionally sad, circumstances.
His name was Senior-constable Leonard, and he was in charge of the police station at Perth.
In pursuance of his duties Senior-constable Leonard, had visited George’s Plains (a few miles from Perth) on Boxing Day, doing the trip on a bicycle, as was his custom. Returning home dusty and tired, he decided to have a glass of wine, and, going to a number of bottles in a corner of the room, picked up one that had been opened, poured some of the contents into a glass, and drank it. Feeling a bitter taste in his mouth, Leonard examined the bottle from which he had poured the liquid, and found that it contained battery solution, a mixture of mercury, sulphuric acid, etc. The solution was the same color as the wine and the constable was unable to detect his mistake until he had drunk the poison. He immediately applied emetics, and went to the hotel and from there he was taken subsequently to the Bathurst hospital, where he died.
The late senior-constable was 55 years of age, and leaves a widow and 10 children.
His connection with the police force extended to within two or three years of a quarter of a century. Formerly he was stationed at Condobolin, and was for 12 years at Orange, whither he was transferred to Perth 12 months ago.
Constable Styles will commence his duties at Perth on the first of next month.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/44394543
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National Advocate ( Bathurst NSW ) Saturday 29 December 1906 p3 of 6
Constable’s Fatal Mistake
POISON INSTEAD of wine
Mr T C K McKell, District Coroner, yesterday inquired into the circumstances surrounding the death of Senior-Constable Thomas Leonard, which took place at the Bathurst District Hospital at half-past eight on Thursday night. Senior Constable Meagher said that he was on duty in William-street at 7 o’clock on the evening of Boxing Day, when Dr Brooke Moore called him to where the deceased was standing in Keppel Street, and said: ” Senior Constable Leonard is, after drinking battery solution in mistake for wine, and I have pumped his stomach, and done all I can do for him. You had better take him to Fitzpatrick’s Hotel, which is close by, and where I can attend to him. ”
Witness took him to the hotel, and put him to bed. The deceased complained of feeling very cold, and was vomiting and purging badly. Witness gave him three doses of medicine, which was prescribed by the doctor to be taken every hour.
Asked by witness how the accident occurred, deceased said : ” I went to Georges Plains on my bicycle after dinner to-day on duty, and returned home at about 5 . 30 p m ; I was tired and thirsty and went into the bedroom, where there was a bottle of wine on the floor. There was another bottle by the side of it. I picked up the bottle and poured out what would be ‘a good nip of whisky’ into a glass. It was the odour of the wine, and I drank it . It was terribly bitter. I looked at the bottle, It was marked ‘poison.’ I then saw that I had taken battery solution in mistake for the wine. I immediately drank some mustard and water which made me sick, and I was then brought into Dr Brooke Moore, who pumped my stomach out. ”
At 10 o’clock deceased was removed to the hospital, where he died on the following night.
Deceased was 58 years of age, a native of Ireland, and had been in the police force for 24 years.
Flora Mary Leonard, wife of the deceased, said that her late husband used the battery for rheumatism. On returning from George’s Plains on the day in question he went into his bedroom and shortly afterwards came in saying ” Oh, I have taken the poison instead of the wine ”
Some mustard and water was mixed up and he drank it.
Deceased was survived by eleven children, seven sons and four daughters. He had freehold property at Orange.
Dr Brooke Moore said that when he examined deceased he found that he was suffering from intense abdomin pains.
The cause of death was heart failure, due to an irritant poison, Deceased was perfectly sober.
The Coroner found that death was due to heart failure from an irritant poison, self-administered by mistake.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/157297067
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National Advocate ( Bathurst NSW ) Saturday 29 December 1906 p2 of 6
Funeral.
The funeral of the late Senior Constable Leonard will leave the Bathurst District Hospital at 11 o’clock this morning for the Catholic portion of the Bathurst general cemetery.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/157297026
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