Walking the beat with Edward Blackmore
Edward James Blackmore was sworn in as Constable 674 on 25 November 1898 at the age of 20 years and 5 months. Edward married Annie Paine on 12 July 1906, around the time he was transferred to the Traffic Office. Besides being awarded the Police Medal for Merit in 1908, he was granted a reward for raiding 2-up games in 1918. Inspector Edward Blackmore was superannuated on 27 November 1936 at Toowoomba Police District and lived to the grand age of 95 years. He lies in the Toowong Cemetery.
As well as being a highly decorated police officer, Edward was a crack shot who competed on behalf of the Queensland Police Force at many championships.
The narrator of the early history of the Traffic Office to Police Commissioner Frank Bischof, in the summer of 1959, was retired Inspector of Police and former Superintendent of Traffic, Edward Blackmore, who worked at the Traffic Office from its inception in 1906 until 1930.
As a young constable, Blackmore had more than his fair share of drama whilst walking the beat on Brisbane streets. Shortly after midnight on 12 December 1903, whilst patrolling with Constable John Donnelly, an attempt was made on his life.
Near the corner of Margaret and Williams Street, the plain clothes officers recognised a habitual offender and housebreaker, Charles Farrell, who brushed past them at a clip. Blackmore said, ‘that’s old Holmes.’ The man ignored them and continued at a faster pace.
Donnelly then said to the man, ‘Hold Holmes, we belong to the police and want to speak to you.’ * (*‘Holmes’ refers to the fictitious detective in the stories by author A. Conan Doyle. The term was used in the past as slang in an informal term of address, as used today with words ‘mate’, ‘fella’ or ‘man.’)
Farrell turned into George Street and ran off, crossing to the opposite side of the road near the Bellevue Hotel. His right hand clutched his right coat pocket. The officers were a few paces behind when Constable Donnelly called out, ‘We belong to the Police. What are you running for?’
Farrell countered, ‘Keep back.’
Blackmore later confirmed in an incident report, ‘I then saw him point his right hand towards me and saw a flash and heard a report like a revolver shot… the flash of fire was about 4 feet 6 inches (1.4 metres) from the ground and was travelling at that height towards me.’
Blackmore was standing 3 yards (2.74 m) from the offender, equidistant between Donnelly and a street vendor who was shocked to witness the incident. Farrell ran towards the Bellevue Hotel and then into Alice Street, where a small wicket gate led to a tall gate, locked from the inside. Donnelly quickly scaled the gate and opened it. The officers lost sight of Farrell and searched out the hotel’s manager, Mr Hardgrave. He took them to Farrell’s accommodation.
Mr Hardgrave knocked and said, ‘Charlie, open the door’.
Farrell replied, ‘All right.’
They found him lounging on his bed, still fully clothed in a three-piece suit. Donnelly then said, ‘We belong to the police, and I want to know why you shot at us… out in the street.’
He replied, ‘I don’t know.’
Donnelly then said, ‘Was that revolver loaded?’
He replied, ‘What a silly question to ask me. Why, do you want to see it?’
Constable Donnelly said, ‘Yes, we do.’
Farrell then put his hand into his right-hand coat pocket and pulled out a six-chambered revolver which he pointed directly at Constable Donnelly and said, ‘Perhaps you would like to feel it.’
Mr Hardgrave intervened and said to Farrell, ‘Put that revolver away Charlie. Don’t do anything foolish.’
The offender then put the revolver back in the same pocket. Donnelly caught hold of him and took possession of a six-chambered revolver, which was later found to contain four loaded cartridges and one empty shell in the fifth. He was taken to the Watchhouse at Roma Street Station where the constables were advised by Sub-Inspector Sweetman to charge him with unlawfully attempting to kill one Edward James Blackmore. On a further search of Farrell’s person at the Watchhouse, a single-barrelled, loaded pistol was also found in his right-hand vest pocket.
Defendant declared insane
More plucky courage displayed in 1909
Edward Blackmore’s courage was once again demonstrated when in similar circumstances to the heroes of FROM THE VAULT series – ‘Plucky Courage,’ he showed ‘great pluck’ by coming to the rescue of a runaway horse and cart on North Quay in 1909. He was awarded the police ‘Medal for Merit’ for this meritorious act of bravery.
Information imparted to Commissioner Bischoff by Retired Inspector Blackmore in the summer of 1959, was integral to the writing of this blog, together with information sourced by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.
The Police Museum is open 9am to 4pm Monday to Thursday and 10am to 3pm on the last Sunday of the month (Feb-Nov) and is located on the Ground Floor of Police Headquarters at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
Contact: E: museum@police.qld.gov.au
“FROM the VAULT – History of the ‘Traffic Office’ Part 3” by the Queensland Police Service is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (BY) 2.5 Australia Licence. Permissions may be available beyond the scope of this licence. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/au/legalcode