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LA BARTE, Thomas Butler (Special Course - Piggery)
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Record number12/019877Date qualifierexactDate rangeBetween 24th January 1911 and 23rd December 1911NotesSpecial Course - Piggery
Hawkesbury Agricultural College (HAC)
Charged with murdering his wife and a police constable - 1920. He was later sentenced to 7 years penal servitude.
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A report from The Sydney Morning Herald for Thursday 23 December 1920 reads:
MOSS VALE TRAGEDY.
THE INQUEST.
LA BARTE'S STATEMENT TO POLICE.
"I'VE GONE OVER THE LINE."
(FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.)
MOSS VALE, Wednesday.
The story of the shooting at Oldcastle on Friday last, which resulted in the death of Mrs. La Barte and Constable F. Mitchell, was told here to-day at the inquest held by the coroner, Mr. H W. Taylor.
Major Thomas La Barte, M.C., was present in court in custody. Locally he is a very popular man, of about 34 years. He is well built, of athletic proportions, dark and bronzed. He did not betray the slightest nervousness.
Senior-sergeant Mackie, of Moss Vale, said that at about 6pm on Friday last he received a message from the licensee of the Royal Hotel. As a consequence he rang up Major La Barte, and said to him, ' Do you want to see me?" La Barte replied, ' You had better come out. I have gone over the line!" I said, 'What is the matter?" He said 'Oh, I have just gone over the line, I might be dead when you come out. " Witness, Constable Mitchell, and a man named Howard went to La Barte's house, and witness and Constable Mitchell looking through the window of Mrs La Barte's room, saw Mrs La Barte lying on the floor apparently dead. Constable Mitchell then walked through the back passage leading into the main hall, followed by the sergeant. A shot rang out, and Constable Mitchell cried, "Oh, my God'" and fell.
"I was," went on the witness, "just stepping from the passage into the main hall, when another shot was fired, which must have passed very close to me, as some plaster fell around where I was standing. Constable Finch then came running to me . A curtain hanging in the main hall obstructed our view, and the person who fired the shot and Constable Mitchell were both on the opposite side of it. I got down on my knees and tried to see who fired the shots, but all I could make out was the muzzle of a gun rising slowly from the floor, and just as I drew back another shot was fired.
Sergeant Mackie further said that, taking his boots off, he decided to get through a window, but as he was approaching it two shots were fired, and he was forced back. In response to his summons for assistance six Civilians came to the scene, and surrounded the house, and at 9pm two policemen arrived from Bowral. Witness, accompanied by Constable Eadie, then made an entrance into the house, and Constable Eadie secured La Barte. The body of the constable, the sergeant went on to say, was found near the main hall. The constable's revolver was in his holster, and had apparently never been drawn. There was a wound in the groin, and part of the left side of his head had been blown away.
The sergeant further said that about 30 shots were fired from within Oldcastle. La Barte was heard talking at the 'phone, and said, "I want the police station to send out all the police. I want to kill them all!" La Barte, he said, was stupidly drunk.
Dr F. C. Stevenson stated that Mrs La Barte had 16 bullet wounds all over the upper portion of her body. La Barte, when witness saw him after his arrest, said "Hullo, that you, doc? How much strychnine would it take to knock a man out?" He was with La Barte for over an hour, during which time La Barte was quite rational. He did not, however, form any opinion as to his sobriety.
Miss Lily Drain, a cook and housekeeper employed at Oldcastle, who heard Mrs La Barte screaming before the tragedy, stated that when she rushed into the room Mrs La Barte cried out, "Lily, he is shooting me. " Almost immediately two shots were fired. Witness fled and raised the alarm. She overheard the La Bartes talking at lunch, when the major said, addressing Mrs. La Barte, "Are you happy Snooks'?" and she replied, "Certainly not, Tammy, not for the next 24 hours."
James McKay, a farmer employed by Major La Barte, said that his first advice of the shooting came from the housekeeper. He caught a horse to proceed to Moss Vale and was just about to mount it when a shot was heard, and the horse fell dead. Witness ran away. As he did he saw La Barte with a revolver, and three bullets sped past. La Barte's eyes looked peculiar but otherwise he appeared to be rational.
Constable Charles Eadie said that when he entered the dining room, which was in darkness, he saw by the flash of his torch La Barte crouching under the table with a double-barrelled shotgun, afterwards found to be loaded in one barrel, and a decanter half-filled with whisky alongside of him. Witness rushed La Barte, and after a struggle secured him. He then searched him and discovered in his pockets 20 rounds of ammunition. He could have shot La Barte, but preferred to take a chance and capture him alive.
Evidence was given by a number of other witnesses to the effect that La Barte was intoxicated on the day of the tragedy and behaved in a strange way.
While Harry Wesley Mitchell, of Moss Vale, brother of Constable Mitchell, was giving identification of the body, he broke down, and suddenly clenching his fists made a move towards La Barte, crying; "Let me at him, and I will kill him." Constable Mitchell, his brother stated, was born at Newtown Sydney and was 30 years of age.
William James Robb, solicitor, Melbourne, father of Mrs. La Barte, stated that his daughter was born in Melbourne 26 years ago, and married La Barte in Sydney in July last year.
The Coroner returned a verdict that Mrs La Barte and Constable Mitchell had been murdered, by Major Thomas La Barte whom he committed for trial.
The Coroner paid a tribute to the police for their bravery in effecting La Barte's arrest, and said:" I wish to especially bring under the notice of the authorities the conduct of Constable Eadie. This young officer, at considerable peril and risk, rushed into a darkened room and, although it would have been easier to have shot La Barte, he effected his capture without doing so. He is to be commended for this, and I hope it will not be overlooked by his superiors."
______________________________________________________________________CreatorAO-1 Hawkesbury Agricultural College (HAC)CampusRichmond (Hawkesbury)FormatCardsAspectLandscapeSeriesAS-401 Student card system [Hawkesbury Agricultural College; Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education]GraduateYesCourseSpecial Course - PiggeryTownBrightonPostcode3186StateVICCountryAustraliaGeospatial data[1] ContributorArchivesArchive TypeState ArchiveTaxonomyArchives | Student Records | Student Cards
Hawkesbury Agricultural College (HAC)
Charged with murdering his wife and a police constable - 1920. He was later sentenced to 7 years penal servitude.
______________________________________________________________________
A report from The Sydney Morning Herald for Thursday 23 December 1920 reads:
MOSS VALE TRAGEDY.
THE INQUEST.
LA BARTE'S STATEMENT TO POLICE.
"I'VE GONE OVER THE LINE."
(FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.)
MOSS VALE, Wednesday.
The story of the shooting at Oldcastle on Friday last, which resulted in the death of Mrs. La Barte and Constable F. Mitchell, was told here to-day at the inquest held by the coroner, Mr. H W. Taylor.
Major Thomas La Barte, M.C., was present in court in custody. Locally he is a very popular man, of about 34 years. He is well built, of athletic proportions, dark and bronzed. He did not betray the slightest nervousness.
Senior-sergeant Mackie, of Moss Vale, said that at about 6pm on Friday last he received a message from the licensee of the Royal Hotel. As a consequence he rang up Major La Barte, and said to him, ' Do you want to see me?" La Barte replied, ' You had better come out. I have gone over the line!" I said, 'What is the matter?" He said 'Oh, I have just gone over the line, I might be dead when you come out. " Witness, Constable Mitchell, and a man named Howard went to La Barte's house, and witness and Constable Mitchell looking through the window of Mrs La Barte's room, saw Mrs La Barte lying on the floor apparently dead. Constable Mitchell then walked through the back passage leading into the main hall, followed by the sergeant. A shot rang out, and Constable Mitchell cried, "Oh, my God'" and fell.
"I was," went on the witness, "just stepping from the passage into the main hall, when another shot was fired, which must have passed very close to me, as some plaster fell around where I was standing. Constable Finch then came running to me . A curtain hanging in the main hall obstructed our view, and the person who fired the shot and Constable Mitchell were both on the opposite side of it. I got down on my knees and tried to see who fired the shots, but all I could make out was the muzzle of a gun rising slowly from the floor, and just as I drew back another shot was fired.
Sergeant Mackie further said that, taking his boots off, he decided to get through a window, but as he was approaching it two shots were fired, and he was forced back. In response to his summons for assistance six Civilians came to the scene, and surrounded the house, and at 9pm two policemen arrived from Bowral. Witness, accompanied by Constable Eadie, then made an entrance into the house, and Constable Eadie secured La Barte. The body of the constable, the sergeant went on to say, was found near the main hall. The constable's revolver was in his holster, and had apparently never been drawn. There was a wound in the groin, and part of the left side of his head had been blown away.
The sergeant further said that about 30 shots were fired from within Oldcastle. La Barte was heard talking at the 'phone, and said, "I want the police station to send out all the police. I want to kill them all!" La Barte, he said, was stupidly drunk.
Dr F. C. Stevenson stated that Mrs La Barte had 16 bullet wounds all over the upper portion of her body. La Barte, when witness saw him after his arrest, said "Hullo, that you, doc? How much strychnine would it take to knock a man out?" He was with La Barte for over an hour, during which time La Barte was quite rational. He did not, however, form any opinion as to his sobriety.
Miss Lily Drain, a cook and housekeeper employed at Oldcastle, who heard Mrs La Barte screaming before the tragedy, stated that when she rushed into the room Mrs La Barte cried out, "Lily, he is shooting me. " Almost immediately two shots were fired. Witness fled and raised the alarm. She overheard the La Bartes talking at lunch, when the major said, addressing Mrs. La Barte, "Are you happy Snooks'?" and she replied, "Certainly not, Tammy, not for the next 24 hours."
James McKay, a farmer employed by Major La Barte, said that his first advice of the shooting came from the housekeeper. He caught a horse to proceed to Moss Vale and was just about to mount it when a shot was heard, and the horse fell dead. Witness ran away. As he did he saw La Barte with a revolver, and three bullets sped past. La Barte's eyes looked peculiar but otherwise he appeared to be rational.
Constable Charles Eadie said that when he entered the dining room, which was in darkness, he saw by the flash of his torch La Barte crouching under the table with a double-barrelled shotgun, afterwards found to be loaded in one barrel, and a decanter half-filled with whisky alongside of him. Witness rushed La Barte, and after a struggle secured him. He then searched him and discovered in his pockets 20 rounds of ammunition. He could have shot La Barte, but preferred to take a chance and capture him alive.
Evidence was given by a number of other witnesses to the effect that La Barte was intoxicated on the day of the tragedy and behaved in a strange way.
While Harry Wesley Mitchell, of Moss Vale, brother of Constable Mitchell, was giving identification of the body, he broke down, and suddenly clenching his fists made a move towards La Barte, crying; "Let me at him, and I will kill him." Constable Mitchell, his brother stated, was born at Newtown Sydney and was 30 years of age.
William James Robb, solicitor, Melbourne, father of Mrs. La Barte, stated that his daughter was born in Melbourne 26 years ago, and married La Barte in Sydney in July last year.
The Coroner returned a verdict that Mrs La Barte and Constable Mitchell had been murdered, by Major Thomas La Barte whom he committed for trial.
The Coroner paid a tribute to the police for their bravery in effecting La Barte's arrest, and said:" I wish to especially bring under the notice of the authorities the conduct of Constable Eadie. This young officer, at considerable peril and risk, rushed into a darkened room and, although it would have been easier to have shot La Barte, he effected his capture without doing so. He is to be commended for this, and I hope it will not be overlooked by his superiors."
______________________________________________________________________CreatorAO-1 Hawkesbury Agricultural College (HAC)CampusRichmond (Hawkesbury)FormatCardsAspectLandscapeSeriesAS-401 Student card system [Hawkesbury Agricultural College; Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education]GraduateYesCourseSpecial Course - PiggeryTownBrightonPostcode3186StateVICCountryAustraliaGeospatial data[1] ContributorArchivesArchive TypeState ArchiveTaxonomyArchives | Student Records | Student Cards
AO-1 Hawkesbury Agricultural College (HAC), LA BARTE, Thomas Butler (Special Course - Piggery). Western Sydney University, accessed 02/05/2026, https://collections.westernsydney.edu.au/nodes/view/75568