Sunday 22 February 2015

Dark history, Lithuanian Australians

Last year I attended a 'dark tour' of Gawler.  It was filled with tales of murders, mysterious deaths and ghosts.  It was an interesting tour walking around Gawler hearing these stories.  My mind often reverts back to Lithuania and so I began wondering if there were similar tales about Lithuanians in Australia.  A few evenings spent  on Trove and this is what I found.

1927
Parvil Noguleoitsch, a Lithuanian, a prohibited immigrant, was arrested at Fremantle on November 27. An attempt was made to find a Lithuanian consul to guarantee the necessary money to enable the man to land. The attempt was unsuccessful, and he was sentenced to deportation. He was placed on the Minderoo, but jumped overboard shortly after the vessel left Fremantle last Friday. No trace has since been found of him, and it is feared that he has been eaten by sharks.
Westralian Worker 23 December 1927
 
1933

DETERMINED SUICIDE
Having failed to hang himself on Saturday night, a Lithuanian named Art Shiparo, aged 40, swallowed citric acid in his room at Darlinghurst last night and died in great agony. The deceased, whose wife is in her native country, had a banking account of over £1000. Digitisation generously supported

The Braidwood Review & District Advocate 11 April 1933
More to come.

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