Frederick William

DETAILS OF DEATH

On the evening of the 17 December 1920 Constable Mitchell Constable Finch and Sergeant Mackie attended a dwelling near Bowral following a report of shots being fired. On arrival they saw the body of a female lying on the floor of a front room. While Constable Finch remained at the front of the house Constable Mitchell entered via the back door followed by Sergeant Mackie. As Constable Mitchell crept along the hallway two shots were fired at him from behind a curtain inflicting fatal wounds. In the ensuing gun battle dozens of shots were exchanged between police and the offender Le Barte. Police reinforcements were then called for and a short time later the offender was arrested by Constable Eadie of Moss Vale Police. It was later found that the offender had murdered his wife prior to the arrival of police. The Constable was born in 1890 and joined the New South Wales Police Force on 31 March 1911. At the time of his death he was stationed at Moss Vale.