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Person Page 6,878

Charles Frederick Hilt

b. 1918, d. April 1956

Birth

Charles Frederick Hilt was born in 1918 in Brewarrina.1,2

Parents

FatherCharles Walker Hilt (b. 1889, d. 17 July 1935)
MotherKate Clarke (b. circa 1889, d. 3 July 1955)

Death

Charles Frederick Hilt died from while in police custody in April 1956 at age ~38 at Bourke Hospital in Bourke. He was arrested by Constable Quirk in Oxley Street at 2:30 pm on 25 April. The police later alleged that he struck the constable and a struggle ensued causing Hilt to fall to the ground with the constble on top of him. Four hours later, in the cells, he complained about being "crook in the guts", Dr Lee was called and later transferred him to hospital where he died two days later. Witness Ernest Whitbread alleged that the police had tricked him into signing a blank sheet of paper that was later used to forge a false statement, but he withdrew the allegation after consulting his lawyer. He had also witnessed a statement given by the deceased before his death in which he stated that he had been "held by Warren, struck on the chest with a baton and jumped on". The Coroner, Mr Archie Carmichael, found that he had died from "shock, haemorrhage and peritonitis following a rupture of the small bowel as a result of injuries accidentally received during a struggle in the Police yard with constables on ANZAC Day". He exonerated Constables Quirk and Warren of any wrongdoing.3

Citations

  1. [S1726] JM Fleming, Family Whye Hilt Parker, NSW Birth Index 46446/1918, Charles F Hilt, Brewarrina
  2. [S1773] NSW Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages, "Death Registration," certificate, 19 Jul 1935, 19384/1935, Deaths; Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Sydney. Charles Hilt aged 48 years, labourer, died 17 Jul 1935, District Hospital, Brewarrina, diabetic coma; mother Elizabeth, father blank; buried CoE Brewarrina 17 Jul 1935; married Kate Clark at age 26 years; children Renee 20, Kathleen 18, Charlie 16, Lola 13, Alan 10, Eric 8, all living.
  3. [S1726] JM Fleming, Family Whye Hilt Parker, Article: Coronial Enquiry, Western Herald, 1956, May 4, p. 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104013127 and Western Herald, 1956, May 11, p. 10, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article104013238
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Last Edited8 September 2022