The Knifing of Northwood:

A RETURNED SOLDIER’S TRAGIC FATE    :     WILD SCENES IN KALGOORLIE AND BOULDER

Bret Harte’s “Roaring Camp” isn’t in it with Kalgoorlie these days. A succession of shooting episodes has been followed up with a stabbing affray, which is likely to have far reaching effects as far as the Italians on the goldfields are concerned. No doubt a connected story of the Incidents which occurred in Hannan street and Porter street after 11 o’clock on Monday night will be told at the inquest, but until then it is difficult to arrive at any coherent estimate of the real facts of the case. What is known for certain is the heart breaking fact that poor Tom Northwood, after doing his bit in the Great War, came home to meet his death by the murderous thrust of a foreigner’s knife. Three years ago last Wednesday he enlisted at the age of 19 and only three weeks ago he was joyously welcomed home by his proud parents. And now he lies cold in the grave.

The Majestic Cafe

A row occurred between some Britishers and Italians near the Majestic Cafe. There was a subsequent melee in Porter street In the vicinity of the Kalgoorlie Brewery, and it was just here on the footpath in front of the brewery near the lane that the deceased received the stab in the dark that subsequently caused his death. It was a savage thrust that caused a terrible wound several inches deep, severing the femoral artery. The poor lad made his way out of the melee and staggered down Hannan street, nobody realising that he had received a mortal wound. His path was marked by a trail of blood until he collapsed. He was found very shortly afterwards in a pool of blood, and after some delay was taken to the Kalgoorlie Government Hospital, where he died about 6.30 on Tuesday morning. It ls said that it would have been impossible to prevent his bleeding to death even if medical assistance had been immediately available, the artery being inaccessible.

The news of his death inflamed the minds of the whole community against the Italians, and particularly those of his comrades in the Returned Soldiers Association. The executive met in the morning, and decided to call a meeting for 4 o’clock in the afternoon and to notify the Italians that the R.S.A. would not be responsible for what occurred if they remained in the town after that time.
Most of those at the Glan Devon Hotel displayed their wisdom by taking a short cut to the bush without encumbering themselves with luggage. In the afternoon a large crowd gathered about the streets in anticipation of military action. The soldiers’ meeting was held on the tennis court at the Soldiers Institute, and there were several hundred present The meeting was addressed by the R.M. (Mr. W. A. G. Walter). Mr. Gourley, Harry Axford. Bill Schwan, Secretary Ross, and others, who made an earnest appeal for the observance or law and order, and at whose instance a resolution was carried that the Government be asked to deport the Italians and have them out of Kalgoorlie by Saturday night.

Though the motion was carried unanimously by the soldier’s present and there were a couple of hundred of them, there were many who would hare none of the speeches and resolutions. They were eager for revenge With the Australian flag at their head they marched along Maritana street and up Hannan street to the Glan Devon Hotel, being joined en route by very many, who were not soldiers There was eventually a crowd of three or four thousand. The hotel, which was closed, was broken into, and found to be completely empty as far as Italians were concerned. Every room was searched, curtains were torn down windows smashed, caged birds set free horses turned loose, and the liquor in the bar looted. Inspector Duncan, Harry Axford, and Bill Schwan appealed to the returned soldiers to refrain from doing wanton damage, and in fact most of the soldiers took no part in the raid.

Having satisfied itself as far as the Glan Devon was concerned, the crowd marched down Hannan street, the numbers still swelling, to the All Nations Hotel, kept by a well-known Italian named Orsatti. There were a number of Italians in the hotel, but being warned of the approach of the crowd they rapidly made themselves scarce. Orsatti and his wife, however, stood their ground. They even appeared on the balcony and faced the crowd. Orsatti attempted to address the people but could not get a hearing in the turmoil. A number of young men got into the hotel, and after Orsatti and his wife had retired inside they pulled Orsatti out again to the balcony rail and he was within an ace of being thrown to the pavement below when he was rescued by Sergeant Fortescue.

It is said that this action was caused through Orsatti producing a revolver. He has been in the district for many years and has earned a reputation for being a decent citizen. If he has been made to pay the penalty for another man’s crime it would have been blot on Kalgoorlie’s escutcheon and travesty of British justice and fair play. Orsatti having been rescued by the police, the crowd contented itself with looting the liquor from the bar.

Boulder had its turn on Tuesday evening by which time Inspector Duncan had received authority to close all the hotels. A big crowd collected in Burt street and marched round to the various hotels kept by Italians in the outside streets. There were no Italians about and attention was chiefly devoted to smashing windows. The Portland Hotel, the Globe, the Miners Arms, the Golden Horseshoe and the Horseshoe Inn all suffered in this respect and the latter fared worst

The police made several arrests of Italians, and assert that they have secured the man responsible for the killing. His name is Giacomo Gatti, and he was brought before the Police Court on Wednesday morning and remanded. His guilt or otherwise will be determined at the trial. There are features of the case which indicate that the Italian with the knife completely ran amok. Two or three men on their way from the football smoke social saw the crowd in Porter street and went to see what was the matter, An Italian made a rush at them, and made two or three stabs at James Dunn, inflicting severe wounds on the face and shoulder. One of the thrusts struck him in the abdomen, but he stepped back and the knife only ripped his clothing. He described his experience to the gathering at the Soldiers’ Institute, and said that as the. man concerned was now said to be in the lock up he was satisfied to let the law take its course. The hotels were opened on Wednesday morning with the proviso that they are to be immediately closed at the first sign of any disturbance.

T N Northwood -84th Infantry Goldfields Regiment Roll of Honor – Kalgoorlie Town Hall