'Gun Alley Murder', Melbourne 1921

Colin Ross

Colin Ross was born on 11th October 1892 in North Fitzroy, Melbourne. He was the third of five children of Thomas and Elizabeth Ross. His father, Thomas, died in 1900, leaving his mother as his primary caregiver. He began work at the age of 11, in a local quarry outside of Melbourne, while later working as a labourer and warden at Broadmeadow’s war hospital. He began working for his mother at a Hotel she had purchased 3okm’s north of Melbourne, with the help of Colin and his brother, in 1920. It was at this time that Colin had begun a relationship with Lily Mae Brown, where he would eventually ask for her hand in marriage. Lily turned him down and this event led to Colin’s first brush with the law.

In 1921, Colin moved back to Melbourne, purchasing a wine shop he renamed to “The Australian Wine Saloon”, situated in the Easter Arcade in Melbourne’s CBD.

Murderpedia: ‘Colin Campbell Ross’, Murderpedia [website], n.d.Mur, <http://murderpedia.org/male.R/r/ross-colin-campbell.htm> accessed 5th August 2017.

Nell Alma Tirstchke

"Alma"

Alma Tirtschke, was born on 14th March, 1909 to Charles Tirtschke and Nell Alger. In 1912, Charles accepted a work opportunity in Rhodesia and moved the family overseas. The family moved back to Australia in December 1914 and while on this journey, Nell became sick and passed away at sea. Upon returning, Charles accepted another work opportunity, this time in Western Australia, leaving Alma and her sister Viola, to be cared for by their grandparents in Melbourne.

Daily Herald: ‘Brutal Murder’, Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA : 1910 - 1924) Mon 2 Jan 1922 Page 2 [online database]

"Gun Alley Murder"

30th December, 1921

On the 30th December 1921, Alma had been asked by her grandmother to go to her uncles butcher shop on Swanston St, to pick up a parcel of meat and to deliver it to a customer on Collins Street, only a few streets away.

Alma’s grandmother became worried when Alma who was regarded as an obedient an quiet girl, did not return home. Her grandmother reported her missing a few hours later and the police and local community organised a search party to find Alma. The next morning, Alma’s body which was naked, had been found in ‘Gun Alley’, off Little Collins street, quite close to the address she was supposed to make the delivery to. It was discovered that Alma had been brutally raped and strangled.

Several witnesses had reported seeing Alma that afternoon, including Colin Ross, and Alma was reported as last seen alive between 2:30 and 3:00pm, on the corner of Alfred Place and Little Collins Street, near Gun Alley where her body would later be discovered.

The West Australian: ‘Gun Alley Mystery’, The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) Tue 3 Jan 1922 Page 6 [online database]

The Sun: ‘Gun Alley Horror’, The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954) Thu 26 Jan 1922 Page 8 [online database]

Public Outcry for Arrest

Detectives investigating Alma’s death, were met with no initial strong leads of enquiry. This caused public outrage as the community was deeply affected by Alma’s murder. Most of the newspapers were initially reporting on the mystery of the circumstances, with a reward increasing to 1000 pounds being offered for information, which made history as the largest reward that had been offered by the state of Victoria at that time. The reward was increased due to the publics outrage and criticism of the police enquiry that was being conducted. The high-profile stigma of the case reflected immense pressure on the police to make an arrest and solve the case.

During police enquiries, Colin had cooperated with police enquiries, as his saloon bar was near where Alma had been last seen, with Colin himself reportedly seeing her at this time. It is unclear why Colin remained a person of interest, it may have been due to his criminal history, however police arrested Colin and he appeared before the City Police Court in Melbourne on the 21st January 1922 charged with Alma’s murder.

The Register: ‘Tirtschke Murder Mystery’, The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) Fri 13 Jan 1922 Page 7 [online databse]

Weekly Times: ‘The News of the Week’, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954) Sat 7 Jan 1922 Page 5 [online database](

The Trial of

Colin Ross

The trial of Colin Ross began on 20th February 1922, with Colin proclaiming his innocence to his family, friends and legal counsel. Those who were asked to give evidence of his guilt, turned out to be quite shady characters. Of these characters who testified against Colin, was Ivy Mathews, his ex-employee he had a grievance with and her friend Julia Gibson. The pair would later claim the money from the reward offered for information. The newspapers reported the evidence from Ivy Mathews as startling and went into quite lengthy detail regarding the statement made in court.

Another key witness for the prosecution was John Harding who claimed that Colin Ross had confessed to him of the murder whilst remanded in gaol. He later received a reduced sentence for his cooperation with this case.

Key forensic evidence that the prosecutions expert witness testified belonged to the victim, Alma Tirtschke, were hairs found on a lounge inside Colin’s Saloon bar, which they claimed matched Alma.

There were various witness who placed Colin Ross at his Saloon bar for the entire proposed time of the murder of Alma, however they were never called to testify.

No Case for Justice

Colin Ross was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He was hung on the 24th April 1922, still proclaiming his innocence on the scaffold.

Throughout the murder case, so much mystery surrounded the perpetrator, which led the way for the media to give the case a high-profile which the general public empathised with. Most of the headlines and articles were to do with the specifics surrounding the murder scene and how Alma’s body was found. There were shocking details declared, which would have furthered the communities outrage and thirst for an arrest.

This public scrutiny seemed to influence the police greatly, with them making a swift decision to arrest Colin Ross, even though they only had circumstantial evidence.

During the court trial, the newspapers reported on the case being a ‘horror’ or how the prosecution had ‘startling evidence’.

There were not many derogatory headlines about Colin Ross, they were centrally involved with the ‘tragedy’ of the case instead.

It was later found that the forensic evidence of hairs found at the Saloon bar did not match those of Alma Tirtschke, and Colin Ross was officially pardoned for the murder in 2008, by the then Chief Justice, Marilyn Warren.

Sources

• Banner and Wodonga Express: ‘Final Scene in Gun Alley Tragedy’, Banner and Wodonga Express (NSW : 1896 - 1938) Fri 28 Apr 1922, Page 18 [online database]
• Daily Herald: ‘Brutal Murder’, Daily Herald (Adelaide, SA : 1910 - 1924) Mon 2 Jan 1922 Page 2 [online database]
• The Maitland Weekly Mercury: ‘Startling Evidence’, The Maitland Weekly Mercury (NSW : 1894 - 1931) Sat 28 Jan 1922 Page 5 [online database]
• (Colin pic)
• Murderpedia: ‘Colin Campbell Ross’, Murderpedia [website], n.d., <http://murderpedia.org/male.R/r/ross-colin-campbell.htm> accessed 5th August 2017.
• The Register: ‘Tirtschke Murder Mystery’, The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929) Fri 13 Jan 1922 Page 7 [online databse]
• The Sun: ‘Gun Alley Horror’, The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954) Thu 26 Jan 1922 Page 8 [online database]
• Sunday Times: ‘Melbourne Horror’, Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 - 1954) Sun 15 Jan 1922 Page 2 [online database]
• Weekly Times: ‘The News of the Week’, Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954) Sat 7 Jan 1922 Page 5 [online database]
• The West Australian: ‘Gun Alley Mystery’, The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954) Tue 3 Jan 1922 Page 6 [online database]