Malachi Martin (Australian murderer)

For the theologian and author, see Malachi Martin.

Malachi Martin
Born	1831 (1831)
Died	24 December 1862 (1862-12-25) Adelaide Gaol, South Australia
Alias(es)	Malacky Martin
Conviction(s)	Murder
Penalty	Death
Status	Executed by hanging
Occupation	Farm hand Coach driver Publican
Spouse	Catherine Robinson
Parents	Michael & Mary Martin

Malachi Martin (also Malacky Martin) (1831 – 24 December 1862) was a convicted murderer who lived in South Australia in the 19th century.

Early life

Martin grew up around the Willunga district, south of Adelaide and as a teenager, was charged with theft while working at a post office at Encounter Bay. He was tried at Adelaide but found not guilty. Six days later, his mother died in strange circumstances by drowning in a pond near the family farm. The inquest into her death declared that she had committed suicide, and it was believed that she was deeply affected by her son’s criminal trial. Her death was made even more tragic because she was heavily pregnant at the time.

Death of William Robinson

A few years later, Martin moved to his father’s new pastoral lease near the Coorong. Martin also worked as a mail coach driver from Encounter Bay to Kingston SE and Naracoorte. At the time this was the only main road from Adelaide to Melbourne. While living in the area, he became friends with William and Catherine “Nellie” Robinson, who ran an inn, the Traveller’s Rest at Salt Creek, a small settlement along the Coorong. It was later believed that Catherine and Martin were having an affair which was to have fatal consequences. On 14 June 1856, William Robinson’s body was discovered with his throat cut. Martin was a suspect, but was never charged with his murder. Several weeks later, he moved to Sydney for two years before returning to South Australia and marrying Catherine on 23 June 1858.

Murder of Jane Macmanamin

During his two year absence, a young woman named Jane Macmanamin came to work for Catherine as a servant. In 1862 she went missing from Salt Creek and Martin stated she had moved away on a whim to the Mount Gambier area in the colony’s south east. In April 1862, Jane’s sister, who had constantly stayed in contact with her, sent a letter to the police in Adelaide, suspicious that she had not heard from Jane in some time. After an investigation and thorough search, Jane’s body was discovered in May 1862, half concealed in a wombat hole at Salt Creek, not far from the Traveller’s Rest.

In June 1862, Martin was charged with the murder of Jane Macmanamin. Another man, William Wilsen, who claimed he had been engaged to her, was charged with being an accessory after the fact. Martin was tried and found guilty. He was hanged at the Adelaide Gaol on 24 December 1862 (Christmas Eve). He is buried between the walls within the gaol. Wilsen was found guilty of assisting Martin after the murder and sentenced to four years hard labour. He was deported to Tasmania to carry out his sentence.

Other possible murders

As well as the two murders which were attributed to Martin, there was also suspicion as to the disappearances of two men from the Salt Creek area in 1859. A traveller found a damaged rosewood jeweller's box approximately two and half miles from Salt Creek. On inspection, it contained a piece of linen with the name “G. F. King” written on one of the corners. It was suggested by Edward Bright, a contemporary diarist that a man named Harry Kirby and a jeweller stayed at the Traveller’s Rest and subsequently disappeared.

The police also investigated reports from local aboriginals that Martin had murdered an aboriginal teenager who he had had an altercation with. Sometime after the boy’s suspicious disappearance, a group of aboriginal people were bathing in a deep water hole near Salt Creek. They found the boy’s body in a bag, weighted down by a large stone. This incident occurred sometime in late 1859 or early 1860, but the police were unable to find any witnesses who had actually found the body, only people who had heard the story from others.

References

• Doolette, Peter (1997) Murder, Mishap & Misfortune: A select history of the Coorong Coorong Publications ISBN 0 646 33895 1

Persondata
Name	Martin, Malachi
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1831
Place of birth
Date of death	24 December 1862
Place of death	Adelaide Gaol, South Australia