Margaret Adams

Written by Cherie Strickland and Lorraine Clarke – Swan Genealogy

So many of the burials at the East Perth Cemeteries are of children, Maggie Adams death is extremely heartbreaking.

On the 2nd of March 1887 Maggie, her friend and neighbour Robert White both 9 years of age, were playing together at Robert’s house in Douro Street Perth, Mrs White was a home at the time, she had just passed the room where the children were playing when she heard gunshots, she raced back into the bedroom to find Maggie with terrific head injuries and poor Robert standing next to his friend screaming. Later Robert told the police that he and Maggie had gone into the bedroom to play and he had found the gun standing in the corner of the room, he picked up aiming it at the ceiling and then out the window, however it was too heavy for him and as it dropped the gun exploded, the bullet hit Maggie in the head and killing her instantly. Robert told the inquest he was unaware that the gun was loaded.
Unfortunately for Maggie’s family her father was on his way back from Cossack and unaware that his daughter had been so tragically taken.

The inquest found that Maggie’s death was accidental and thankfully no charges were made against young Robert White. The court asked that in future parents be more careful as to where they leave their firearms.