In the house of John Hamilton:
HOTEL KEEPER AND FIREMAN
FIGHT IN A COTTAGE
This amusing cartoon was published to illustrate the trial of Francis Gordon Waddell, charged with assaulting Samuel Gilmer of the Royal Oak Hotel in John Hamilton’s house.
One morning in March 1906, Samuel Gilmer had called at his Uncle John Hamilton’s house, ‘Blaney Cottage’ in Marion Street to go for a walk. The two men were 64 and 82 respectively. Whilst waiting for his uncle to return and talking with the housekeeper Mrs Woodward, Francis Waddell strode into the house and brandishing a long chisel over her head and exclaimed “Now I’ve got you, I’m going to murder you!” to the housekeeper.
Samuel came to Mrs Woodward’s aid and a struggle ensued for about 15 minutes until Samuel managed to overpower Francis and pin him to a post of the verandah outside. Both men were covered in blood and in the house the furniture was overturned and strewn with broken china. Francis was taken away in handcuffs.
At his trial, Francis said that he had been out of employment for some time, and had purchased the chisel in order to make a sea chest. When he saw Samuel in the street, he recognised him as the man who had put him out of the Royal Oak Hotel and so had followed him to John Hamilton’s house. Francis was found guilty and sentenced to eighteen months hard labour. Witnesses attested to his good character but the judge would not be moved. We don’t know what became of Francis after he completed his sentence as he used so many aliases.
And what of John Hamilton himself? He was born in Castleblaney in 1824, Ireland and married Sarah Rainey in 1850. According to his obituary, he came to New Zealand in 1863 which meant that he left Sarah and four young children behind. His son eventually settled in Australia and at some point, and his daughter Dorothea joined John in New Zealand and qualified as a teacher in 1891. She died following an attach in influenza while acting as relieving teacher at Hamua School. She was the first interment in the plot in 1904.
John’s will stipulated that his grave should have a headstone not exceeding £100 in cost. He left a legacy and the lifetime use of his cottage to his housekeeper Mrs Woodward, provided she did not take to drink. His other property (the Imperial Hotel Cuba Street, two shops in Ingestre Street and property at Cobden on the West Coast) were to be divided between his two remaining children. His estate was worth just under £20,000.
Plot: *Public 2/J/7
