George David Silva
George Silva | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1884 |
| Died | 10 June 1912 (Age 28) |
| Cause of death | Execution by hanging |
| Criminal status | Executed |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
George David Silva (1884 – 1912) was an Australian mass murderer.[1] Silva, who was of Sinhalese descent, worked as a farmhand on a property owned by Hong-Kong born[2] Charles Ching at Alligator Creek, about 20 miles from Mackay, Queensland.[3]
On 16 November 1911, Charles Ching told Silva he was traveling to town for supplies and money for Silva's wages. While he was away Silva murdered the six Chings after the eldest daughter Maud had rejected his advances. The bodies of Agnes, Maud, Hugh and Winnie were found inside the house piled under a rug. Mother and eldest daughter had been shot by a revolver and a muzzle-loading rifle, while the boy and baby had their skulls smashed against the wall.[2] The bodies of Teddy and Dolly Ching were found a mile and a half away; both had been shot and their skulls smashed in.[1]
Police and aboriginal trackers inspected the crime scene, and after the trackers stated that there was no trail to follow the police homed in on Silva. Silva, fearing a lynch mob from Mackay, eventually confessed to police.
Tried only for the murder of Maud Ching,[4] Silva was hanged at Boggo Road Gaol in Brisbane on 10 June 1912 and buried in South Brisbane Cemetery.[5][6] During his final moments, he repeatedly quoted passages from the bible in an attempt to delay his execution until prison authorities told him to stop. Silva tried to speak again as the noose was slipped around his neck, but he died before he could finish.[2]
Victims[]
- Agnes Ching, wife of Charles Ching
- Maud Ching, 17 daughter of Charles Ching
- Teddy Ching, 10 son of Charles Ching
- Dolly Ching, 8 daughter of Charles Ching
- Hugh[a] Ching, 4 son of Charles Ching
- Winnie Ching, 20 months daughter of Charles Ching
Notes[]
- ^ Alternatively spelled Hughie.
References[]
- ^ a b Kyriacou, Kate (22 January 2015). "George David Silva responsible for one of Queensland's worst mass murders in Mackay". Queensland Newspapers. The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ a b c Kyriacou, Kate (11 January 2015). "On top of their bodies sat a bible". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
- ^ Miley, Jacob (11 January 2018). "REVEALED: The atrocious crimes that shocked Mackay". News Corp. Daily Mercury. The Ching family massacre - 1911. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ Queensland. Supreme Court (1912). Queensland Law Reporter. Council of Law Reporting. p. 200. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
- ^ Silva George David Archived 13 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine — Brisbane City Council Grave Location Search
- ^ Jarvis Finger (2012). A Cavalcade of Queensland's Crimes and Criminals: Scoundrels, Scallwags & Psychopaths : the Colonial Years and Beyond 1859-1920. Boolarong Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-1-922109-05-7. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
External links[]
- Tragedy at Mackay, The Sydney Mail (22 November 1911)
- A terrible tragedy, Northern Territory Times and Gazette (15 December 1911)
- Fearful tragedy, Poverty Bay Herald (20 November 1911)
- Queensland murder case, Poverty Bay Herald (21 November 1911)
- The Ching tragedy, Poverty Bay Herald (20 November 1911)
- The Ching tragedy, Poverty Bay Herald (30 November 1911)
- Australian mass murderers
- Executed mass murderers
- People executed by Australia by hanging
- 1884 births
- 1912 deaths
- Executed Australian people
- People executed by Queensland
- Australian people convicted of murder
- People convicted of murder by Queensland
- 20th-century executions by Australia
- Burials in South Brisbane Cemetery
- Australian people of Sri Lankan descent