Constable
William RANDALL
YEAR OF DEATH
1852
JURISDICTION
Tasmania
DETAILS OF DEATH
William RANDALL was an inexperienced police Constable who was stationed at Swansea on the East coast of Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) in April 1852. Several days prior to his death, Constable William RANDALL was assigned the task of escorting prisoners to the Douglas River Road Station, which is situated at the town of Bicheno, about 34 km North of the settlement of Swansea.
On returning to Swansea by foot, RANDALL accepted a ride from a passing farm worker in a horse drawn cart. Upon reaching the road junction where RANDALL and the farm worker were to part ways, RANDALL climbed down from the cart and retrieved his musket from the bottom of the cart by grabbing the barrel and pulling it toward himself.
The gun discharged, with the lead ball passing underneath RANDALL’S ribs through his body and passing out his back. William RANDALL lingered for four days from the internal injuries caused by the gunshot, finally dying of his wounds on the 2nd of March 1852.
