In 1926, police officer John Walsh made a fateful decision to leave his revolver behind before riding his bicycle 25 kilometres through the outback to apprehend gold rustlers. That decision cost him and his partner, Detective Sergeant Alexander Pitman, their lives when they encountered criminals Phillip Treffene and William Coulter at a bush camp south of Kalgoorlie. The criminals used a shotgun to kill both officers.
The Discovery of the Bodies
It took weeks before anyone realised the officers were missing. On May 12, 1926, a local miner named Billy Batten descended 20 metres down a mine shaft 5 kilometres west of Kalgoorlie and discovered the charred and dismembered corpses of Pitman and Walsh. The crime shocked the community and remains one of Western Australia's most notorious murders.
Walsh's Revolver and the Museum
The Smith and Wesson revolver that Walsh inexplicably left behind is one of many artifacts planned for display at the new WA Police Museum. The museum, to be built at the old East Perth Watch House on Hay Street, aims to become an interactive archive of 170 years of policing in the state. However, the project requires $15 million in funding, and the police are seeking sponsors.
Walsh's gun, missing for 69 years, was eventually handed to the Boulder Historical Society. It will sit alongside exhibits telling the story of policing, including the arrest record of infamous serial killer Eric Edgar Cooke, the pocket watch that saved Constable Timothy McInerney's life by stopping a bullet, and weapons used during the Fremantle wharf riots of 1919 and 1925.
Ned Kelly's Half-Brother Served as a WA Cop
One surprising tale involves Jack Kelly, half-brother of bushranger Ned Kelly. Jack became a master horseman and circus stunt rider before settling in Perth. In 1906, senior police officers recruited him to improve the mounted section, telling him, 'We are not interested in your brother's deeds... you will be judged solely on your own behaviour and your own work.' He served as a probationary constable from March 12, 1906.
The Pitman-Walsh Case
The murderers of Pitman and Walsh were arrested after being double-crossed by their accomplice, local publican Evan Clarke, who chopped up the bodies. Clarke had the audacity to claim the £1000 reward for information leading to an arrest, which he won in the WA Supreme Court but lost in the High Court. The case would have been a sensation in the true-crime podcast era.
Police Commissioner Col Blanch and dignitaries recently visited Kalgoorlie to commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the crime. The museum is a worthy initiative, and those interested in becoming sponsors can email WAPoliceMuseum@police.wa.gov.au.
