Daniel SWAN ^{8339,8340,8341,8346,8348,8351,24809,24810,24811,24812,24813}

   Cause of his death was Senile degeneration.

  General Notes:

Unable to locate civil birth registration

Murdered his wife Mary, tried and sentenced to death. The death sentence was late commuted to life imprisonment

Transcription of article from The Otautau and Wallace County Chronicle of 5 July 1905

"THE INQUEST.

'The inquest into the circumstances leading to the death of Mrs Mary Ann Swan, the victim of the Esk street tragedy, was held last Friday at the lnvercargill Hospital, before Mr S. E. McCarthy, SM (Distrct Coroner), and a jury of six, as follows Messrs Matheson (Foreman), W. Spite, W. Wade, W. L. McLean, Jas. Crawley, and Joseph Hensley. lnspector Mitchell appeared on behalf of the police, and Mr M, Gilfedder watched the case on behalf of the husband, Daniel Swan, who was present.

After the jury had viewed the body, evidence was given by Dr. C. B. Snow, Rhoda and Florrie Swan (daughters of the deceased), Elizabeth King (kitchen-maid at the hospital), James Clark (a boarder at Mrs Swan's), Ralph Swan (son of the deceased), and Daniel Swan (husband of the deceased).

The jury, retired, and returned with a verdict of "Wilful Murder" against Daniel Swan, adding a rider expressing appreciation of the noble courage of Rhoda Swan in trying to protect her mother.

It was decided that the Magisterial enquiry be opened on Monday next, July 11th."

Transcript of article from The Grey River Argus of 2 September 1905

" The Swan Murder Case

FOUND GUILTY. (per press association.)

INVERCARGILL, September 1.
Daniel Swan was to-day found guilty of the murder of his wife on the 28th June in Invercargill, by without warning or quarrel attacking her with a flat iron taken from the fireside, and afterwards cutting her throat with an old razor. No witnesses were called for the defence. Accused's counsel, Barclay, argued that the Crown had produced no evidence that Swan cut his wife's throat, and suggested sudden mania as the cause of the crime. Judge Cooper said that was a matter that might be argued before a Judge. The jury retired for an hour, and returned with a verdict of guilty of wilful murder. Judge Cooper passed the death sentence. Swan was little, if at all, agitated and on getting into the adjoining room asked (as he did when taken to the police station on the night of the tragedy) for a cigarette."


Daniel's body was given to the University of Melbourne and was used by the Melbourne School of Anatomy - thus explaining the time gap between Daniel's death and burial, (Information courtesy of Lindsay Cox)

  Research Notes:

BDM information courtesy of Lindsay Cox

  Medical Notes:

Died as an inmate of Melbourne Benevolent Asylum, Cheltenham

  Events

• Occupation: Labourer. ⁸³⁵¹

• Immigration: SS Atrato, 1874, Canterbury, New Zealand. ⁸³⁵¹

• Newspaper Article: The Invercargill Murder, 13 Jul 1905, Wanganui, New Zealand. ⁸³⁴¹

• Newspaper Article, 31 Aug 1905, Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand. ²⁴⁸¹³

• Newspaper Article: The Invercargill Murder, 2 Sep 1905, Wanganui, New Zealand. ⁸³⁴²

• Newspaper Article, 26 Sep 1905, Wellington, New Zealand. ²⁴⁸¹⁰

• Newspaper Article: Swan's Sentence Commuted, 14 Oct 1905, Auckland, New Zealand. ²⁴⁸¹⁴

• Registered Death, 29 Oct 1938, Cheltenham, Vic., Australia. ⁸³⁴⁰

Daniel married Mary Ann HAWKINS, daughter of Nathaniel HAWKINS and Rhoda ASTON, on 17 Apr 1877 in St Mark's. Opawa, New Zealand.⁸³³⁹ (Mary Ann HAWKINS was born on 24 Feb 1856 in West Dean, Forest Of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, died on 28 Jun 1905 in Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand ^8343,8348 and was buried on 1 Jul 1905 in St John's Cemetery, Invercargill, New Zealand.)

• Registered Marriage, 1877, New Zealand. ⁸³³⁹