Horrific discovery in Gun Alley shocks 1920s Melbourne (Part 1/2) | Forensic Files

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[Music] listeners 74-year-old Elizabeth turki faced a dilemma she had one day left to
decide whether or not to put an offer in for a house but she couldn't make up her
mind someone recommended that Elizabeth speak with a spirit spiritualist who was
known to have excellent Powers as they might be able to offer some guidance seeing no harm in getting their
advice Elizabeth visited the spiritualist taking her 12-year-old granddaughter Elma as
company Elizabeth handed the spiritualist papers pertaining to the property the spiritualist pressed the
papers against her forehead and closed her eyes after a moment of quiet contemplation she advised Elizabeth not
to make the purchase as long as she was there Elizabeth thought of something else
she'd like guidance on elma's mother had died 7 years prior from a kidney disorder since then the
young girl had been a much loved companion to Elizabeth but their time together was coming to an
end elma's father lived in the regional Victorian town of Mafra 220 km away from
Elizabeth's home in Mel plans were underway to send Alma and her younger sister Viola to Mafra so their
family could reunite Elizabeth wasn't against the idea but the thought of Elma leaving
filled her with sadness she asked to the spiritualist if Elma went to Mafra would she ever come
back the spiritualist closed her eyes and had a think no she replied but at school Elma told her
friends about the visit they could tell that she was troubled by it with a sad face Elma said the spiritualist told her
that she'd die within 3 months elma's friends dismissed The Omen finding it somewhat
funny but when Elizabeth turki was later informed of this she was confused she didn't recall the
spiritualist giving any such premonition Elizabeth w Ed was it a harmless fear BMA told to get attention
from her schoolmates or was it indicative of an unnerving feeling the young girl sensed within
herself the following month of December 1921 Melbourne was a buzz with anticipation for the coming new year yet
as night fell on Friday December 30 things were quiet and somber at a flat on Collins
Street several members of the turki family and their loved ones had gathered inside unable to
sleep Elizabeth turki was among them sitting in the parlor with a light on and the front door
unlocked minutes after midnight the door opened Elizabeth stiffened in anticipation as two police officers
walked through the doorway with baited breath she asked have you found my girl [Music]
hours earlier Alma turki had been sent on an errand her uncle John worked at a butcher shop on Swanson Street a
bustling stall oned thoroughfare in the heart of Melbourne CBD the shop named Bennett and wolox was
just over 2 km from elma's grandmother's home in the city Fringe suburb of jolimont Elma was to visit the butcher
shop pick up a parcel of meat and then drop it at her aunt's flat on nearby Collin Street before returning
home the weekly task was was usually carried out by other family members but they were unavailable and Elma was home
for the school holidays so she was happy to do it although Elma hadn't run this errand before she had traveled into the
city multiple times and was familiar with the area all up the trip was expected to
take no longer than 2 hours Elma was given money for a tram fair but she decided to walk
instead it was a pleasant day and with plenty of other people moving about and busy traffic passing by she felt safe to
do so Elma took the scenic route through the Fitzroy and treasury Gardens arriving at bennard and wolox shortly
after 1: p.m. elma's Uncle John wasn't there so she spoke to the cashier instead who
gave her the parcel of sausages and corned beef by the time Elma left for her aunt's flat on Colin Street it was
around to 1:30 the flat was just a short walkway but Elma never showed up when she didn't return to jollymon
either her family grew concerned they headed out to trace elma's steps but she was nowhere to be
found while searching the city elma's Uncle John spoke to a police officer who suggested that Elma might have taken a
tram to the beach to enjoy the nice weather but elma's family weren't convinced she hadn't been given enough
money for a tram ticket that far the officer headed back to the station where calls were made to nearby
hospitals Elma hadn't wound up at any of them her loved ones were told to return
to the Collins Street flat in case Elma had finally appeared there as nighttime descended with no
sign of Elma her uncle John headed to Victoria Police head Quarters on Russell Street to formally report his niece is
missing he was assured that a description of Elma would be sent to other stations so that all officers
would be on the lookout for the 12-year-old the slightly built Elma was 4 10 in tall with freckles and long
golden red hair she was wearing her school uniform which consisted of a box plated navy blue dress with a white
blouse underneath a white Leg Horn hat black stockings and black shoes even though it was the school
holidays this was the nicest outfit Elma owned for a trip into the city the police also made another round
of calls to nearby hospitals Elma still hadn't been admitted to any of [Music] them when told to return to their homes
and not to worry elma's family couldn't help but feel like the police were treating the situation too
casually Elma was intelligent reliable and well behaved she wasn't the type to get up to
Mischief respecting her Elders was a large part of elma's personality and she did never intentionally do something to
cause others to worry she'd recently returned home early from her school's late night end of Year
celebrations just to give her grandmother Peace of Mind in the 19 20s Australian children
were raised conservatively as a result Elma was incredibly naive and modest menstruation sex and other Coming
of Age experiences were taboo subjects she knew little about if anything at all Elma couldn't even bring herself to talk
to the boys at her school let alone strangers there was no reason to believe that she was disobeying her grandmother
to push boundaries Elma lived her life doing for others in a school essay titled dudy
first she wrote we should always do our duty to everybody before we do anything duty
means kindness goodness helpfulness and to do anything to please others a Judy Embraces a multitude of
things the following are duties concerning our lives household duties Garden duties to help people School
duties to love honor and obey your parents and relations and teachers this demonstrated elma's desire
to always do what she was told and never leave anyone waiting by deviating from her given
task as Elizabeth turki described I had always been very strict with my granddaughter we had all taken
particular pains to keep her mind free from all sord and frivolous matters her disposition was just all Sweetness in
her own home she was happiness at for instance she might be at a tea party with her aunts and myself and
after we had finished the meal we would miss Elma on investigating we would find
that she had actually been washing up the dishes by herself there was no need for any of us
or even for her to worry for Alma's family her unexplained absence meant that something terrible
must have happened at the Colin Street flat Elizabeth waited in the Parlor in the hopes her granddaughter would wander
in Safe and Sound by midnight 4 hours had passed since armor was reported missing two police officers soon pushed
through the flats unlocked front door Elizabeth immediately quizzed them about her granddaughter but the officers
were confused it was part of their job to check premises where lights were on inside and the doors appeared to be
unlocked they were just carrying out their regular duties although their patch encompassed
the areas relevant to Alma turki's disappearance they hadn't been informed of the
matter by the following morning of Saturday December 31 1921 there still hadn't been any sign of armor as
Melbourne stirred in preparation for New Year's Eve Henry Arrington roamed the streets with his 11-year-old
daughter the pair were Scavenging for glass bottles to cash in for recycling they'd already made decent
pickings around the city's bustling bar District in the East having so far filled two
sacks the duo made their way to the Eastern Market a flower and Retail Market between little Collins and Burke
streets the surrounding streets and laneways consisted of drinkeries bedding shops and brothel and at night the area
was a hotbed of wild Antics and bad behavior Henry knew there'd be plenty of bottles scattered about the foot paaths
gutters into drains in the early morning aftermath the father and daughter turned
down little Colin Street a oneway lane of Boutique shops bars and hotels that ran parallel to the wider Colin Street
sandwiched between a barber shop and hardware store was a narrow Alleyway called Gun
Alley a nearby Clock Tower chimed 6:00 a.m. as Henry made his way into Gun Alley while his young daughter trailed
further behind it was a secluded space one side was framed by a two-story brick wall
while a tall corrugated iron and wood fence flanked the other with no source of light Gun Alley
was perpetually dark a few meters in the alley took a sharp turn that led behind the barber
shop and reached a dead end Henry Arrington made the turn and paused the naked body of Elma turki was
lying face up on the brick pavement her legs were bent with one on top of the other bruises covered her right eye
shoulder thigh jaw and throat Henry turned and stopped his daughter from witnessing the horrific sight before
rushing to a nearby store to phone the police investigators determined that Elma had sustained a heavy blow to her
right eye but the cause of her death was ruled asphixiation by manual strangulation this implied that her
murder was opportunistic as the killer hadn't been prepared with a weapon elma's body showed signs of
sexual assault yet no foreign fluids were detected a watery stain running down elma's thigh indicated that her killer
had cleaned her body post assault it was determined that Elma had been dead for several hours before her
body was found Gun Alley showed no signs of a struggle nor was there anything under
elma's fingernails to indicate she'd put up a fight the killer hadn't left anything
behind and elma's clothing was missing therefore detectives surmised the bulk of the attack must have occurred
elsewhere Elma had likely been killed the previous day before being dumped in the alley later that
night the area was scoured for Clues police wondered whether the killer could have tried to force elma's body down a
nearby Barrel drain and into the wide pipes 12 ft below as her head was found partially resting on it the drains were
checked but nothing of Interest was found even if evidence had been discarded down there the chances of
recovering it now were slim the flowing water would have swept it through the pipes under the city and
Beyond surrounding bins shops residents and rooftops were also checked for Clues
but the search came up dry police turned their attention to potential Witnesses a sex worker told them that she'd been
in Gun Alley just before 1:00 a.m. she didn't see elma's body or anyone suspicious as this woman had a reliable
reputation with authorities police determined that elma's body had been dumped sometime after
1:00 residents who lived above Gun Alley didn't recall hearing a thing although even if they had they wouldn't
necessarily have looked outside Gun Alley was often frequented at Night by drunks and Drifters as well
as sex workers with their clients it wasn't unusual to hear an assortment of strange noises emanating from down
below at around 1:00 a.m. several residents of little Collin Street reported hearing what sounded like two
gunshots being fired in quick succession they quickly realized it was actually the sound of a car
backfiring they also heard a door being slammed shot this supported the theory that the
killer had transported elma's body to Gun Alley under the cover of Darkness but the question remained where
had she been taken first the killer needed privacy in time to not only assault Elma but clean her
body too investigators therefore believed he must have taken her somewhere familiar where he didn't run
the risk of being caught in the act for that reason sh housing seemed unlikely local hotels and lodgings were
checked and ruled out it was also possible that the killer lived with his family but had time alone while they
went away for the holiday period yet Elma was manually strangled this was common in attacks where the
killer felt pressured to silence their victim after killing Elma Common Sense dictated that the perpetrator wouldn't
have wanted to transport her body very f the surrounding city streets were never
completely deserted no matter the hour it was possible that he' carried elma's body in a bag or in some other
inconspicuous way yet no one had seen a man lugging anything Hefty the city's alcohol fueled
nightlife might have allowed him to track along busy thoroughfares completely unnoticed while the darken
streets s and doorways would have provided him with plenty of hiding spots dumping elma's body was no doubt a
strategic move to prevent investigators from having a crime scene to examine still they weren't sure what to
make of this scenario if the killer had access to a car why didn't he leave elma's body
somewhere it wouldn't be found elma's body was left at the end of Gun Alley after it turned 90° and was no
longer visible from the street unless one had traveled down the alley before for there was no way of knowing it
featured this distinctive turn or reached a dead end if the killer lived nearby or
frequented the area often he'd know which spots were populated which were lit and possibly the rout and timings of
police on the beat officers tasked with safeguarding this particular area of Melbourne had a
set routine between 1: and 2:00 a.m. they headed to the nearby Town Hall police Depot for meal and a drink before going
back out the Killer's movement seemed incredibly well timed to fit this Gap the officer on the beat that night
was required to check every lane and alley on the Block less than an hour after the sex
worker left a Gun Alley the officer reached the top of the alley and peered into the
darkness not noticing anything odd he continued on his route had he performed his duties properly and gone into the
alley he might have come across Alma's body and possibly her killer even if the killer had already
fled it was likely he'd still been in the vicinity and there would have been a greater chance of him being
caught with her long golden red hair freckled face and school uniform Alma turki cut a memorable figure and several
witnesses recalled seeing her on the afternoon of her disappearance after picking up the
parcel from her uncle's butcher Elma was seen walking in the direction of her aunt's flat on Collin
Street unlike the exclusive and opulent Precinct that it is today in the 1920s the colins street area was regarded as a
disreputable part of Melbourne in the words of the Herald newspaper its atmosphere was squalled
and depressing the streets were lined with decrepit dated buildings crammed between
cheap and gloomy lodging houses the age newspaper described it as an unsavory quarter of
undesirables a witness saw Alma slowly turn up a little Colin Street looking up at the buildings as if she was
lost had she continued up little Colin Street and taken her left she would have reached her
destination however at 2:30 someone else spotted her on Burke Street this meant she'd taken a ride a mother and daughter
incidentally trailed Elma for a short distance until she entered the Eastern arcade a two-level building next to the
Eastern market across the road from Gun Alley the arcade served as a thoroughfare from Burke to little Collin
Street its long narrow enclosed Court interior was mostly desolate many of the shops within were
empty save for 50 or so business between both floors including a tobacconist a herbalist and secondhand
dealers drab dark and Dusty the building red of mustiness neglected Grime had crusted
over the ornate glass doed roof preventing sunlight from pouring in and cobwebs dangled from all corners and
crevices the arcade inhabitants were rough most were On The Fringe of society and or living in poverty but there were
other unconventional characters like fortune tellers and mediums as the age described from the early days of
Melbourne this section of the city has been the haunt of Thieves and gamblers and other people of low type A Haven for
evil characters most of the arcades regulars were suspicious of police and reluctant
to speak with them there was no no known reason for Elma to enter the Eastern arcade elma's
grandmother suggested she might have gone in to use the public restroom whatever the case it was
unlikely Elma was aware of the arcade's Seedy reputation towards the little Colin
Street exit of the Eastern arcade was a bar called the Australian wine Saloon it too Drew in a bad crowd anyone
was served there regardless of age customers were often spotted around little Colin Street at all hours in
varying states of intoxication vomiting urinating and confronting passes by the Australian wine Saloon was owned
and operated by a man named Colin Ross shortly before 300 p.m. on Friday December 30 Colin briefly stepped out of
his Saloon and happened to see Elma turki she paced around as if looking for somebody before exiting the
arcade the next sighting of Elma was as she crossed little Colin Street just a few hundred met from where she'd started
her journey it had taken her 90 minutes to walk in a circle around a city block even more troubling when Witnesses
described elma's demeanor they used words like nervous agitated and even frightened
[Music] elma's Journey would have taken her past some slum dwellings on little Colin
Street investigators considered whether an unscrupulous loiterer had lured her away or maybe she'd been stalked by a
predator who pounced at an opportunistic moment given elma's unsettled State she
might have known she was being followed and had been wandering around trying to give her purua the
slip Elma was obedient and introverted in nature with a soft way of speaking if something were a Miss she didn't have
the tenacity to confront the problem head on in the words of her uncle John though of a bright disposition Elma
was somewhat reserved and did not make friends readily like some girls she lacked the vivacious manner that
encourages a chance acquaintance by the time elma's body was discovered her killer had a ible Head
Start despite the lack of clues or evidence investigators were certain the mystery would be solved within
days the Victorian government offered a250 reward for information that led to a conviction an amount that was deemed
woefully inadequate by the local populace given the urgency of this situation they expected a far higher and
more tempting offer if the investigation took too long the Killer could flee the state or Worse
strike again but by Tuesday January 3 1922 4 days after elma's body was discovered
there still hadn't been any arrests Elma turki was laid to rest that day her small coffin was adorned with
white flowers with six of her friends acting as paw bearers Alma's graving family traveled
with her body in the hearse that took her to her final resting place a plot alongside her recently deceased
Grandfather at Brighton Cemetery after elma's funeral her loved ones went to Gun Alley for a moment of
private reflection they were confronted by a large crowd of strangers gawking at the
crime scene Gun Alley had been chaotic since the discovery of elma's body a Non-Stop
influx of locals Out of Towners police and news reporters flooded the small area at all
hours within the first week of January 1922 thousands of people pushed their way through the tight space to observe
the area lay flowers condemn the perpetrator and swap theories a line of people nearly 100 m
long stretched from the Alley's entrance with inconvenienced business owners threatening to hose the onlookers if
they didn't disperse similar crowds also descended on the Eastern arcade storming into
shops and lodgings shouting let us at them pull the place down Elma tury's murder was the first
crime in Melbourne to create such hysteria the Press covered the story exhaustively releasing detailed updates
about the investigation every morning and afternoon that included evidence uncovered and witness
accounts the people of Australia were left reeling how did a killer strike in broader daylight on the bustling streets
of Melbourne's Theater District mothers used Alma's death as a warning to their own children even
though no one fully knew what she'd experienced or by whom the one thing people did know was
that her killer was a cold-blooded careful Predator as fear gripped the city members of Melbourne's criminal
underworld offered their help by sending the message to the Poli you tell us who you want and we'll
get him for you an article in the age newspaper asserted the circumstances of the case
are of such a tragic and revolting character that the whole Community should leave no stone unturned to
discover the criminal the issue for police wasn't that they weren't getting enough tips
it's that they were getting too many Melbourne citizens reported all sorts of suspicious Behavior including a man who
changed his outfit three times in one day police were spoken to about everything from worrisome dreams to
Clairvoyant Visions the constant pylon ran the risk of key information being overlooked even though the crime scene
had been thoroughly examined and cleared by authorities amateur sleuths mudded The Waters by inundating gun Ali and
handing over anything they came across from buttons to a piece of ribbon one man even handed over a parcel
of sausages he found behind a drain pipe thinking it could have been the meat Elma turki had collected from the
butcher prior to her murder in actuality all of these items had been strewn there by hoers wanting
to stir up some drama detectives also began receiving Anonymous death threats warning them to
drop the inquiry these two were suspected to be from pranksters despite the chaos the police
encouraged the community to keep information pouring in on Thursday January 5 Someone who
lived near little Collin Street called in claiming they had important information relating to the
case several detectives piled into a police car and sped towards the destination as they approached the
corner of Lonsdale and exhibition streets a man staggered in front of of their car the driver swerved to avoid
them causing the vehicle's front wheels to lock and scared the car overturned throwing two
officers from their seats and leaving a third pinned underneath the officers only sustained
broken bones and relatively minor injuries but the entire Fiasco was reported by the Press who had been
casting Victoria Police in a mostly negative light from the outset of the turki investigation the detectives involved in
the car accident were described as utterly incompetent and on a wild goose chase the police car involved in the
crash was an old obsolete vehicle that had earned the nickname among officers as the suicide car due to its poor and
dangerous State its continued usage highlighted the problems Victoria Police faced in
the wake of Alma turki's murder for starters investigators hadn't been supplied with electric torches
instead they relied on matches to search the dark Alleyways and other locations the same went for the officer
who had been tasked with checking Gun Alley on the night of the crime if he'd had better resources some questioned how
things could have worked out differently then there was the matter of the police photographer who shared his
Services across all government departments as researcher Kevin Morgan explained in his book Gun Alley it was
not uncommon for police to be told on making application for the photographer services that he had been dispatched to
Country Victoria to photograph new fruit picking techniques or new harvesting equipment and that he would not be back
in Melbourne for several days as a result gun Aly wasn't photographed for the purpose of the
homicide investigation until mid January 192 2 weeks after Elma turki was killed this meant no photographs had
been taken of her body in situ or in the Mory at the time it was the sole duty of
detectives to examined and interpret a crime scene even though forensic Sciences were not entirely new few in
Victoria were trained in its most recent developments not only did the police lack the expertise they needed they also
lacked to Manpower when elma's body was first discovered only three officers were
dispatched to Gun Alley this was barely enough to maintain the Integrity of the crime scene let alone close off the
surrounding area to search for the killer curious onlookers and news reporters had trudged their way through
the alley before it could be cordoned off and guarded with the limited resources they had it took the police
days to properly examine the crime scene not to mention the greater area as Victoria Police faced growing
criticism the government upped the reward in elma's case to £1,000 this was one of the biggest
rewards ever offered in Australian history enough to buy several houses and live a comfortable
life the increase was well received by the community it served as both a face saving strategy for the government and a
timely distraction of the underlying issues that plagued the police meanwhile the relationship
between the police and the Press remained Rocky while both were sad on identifying Alma's killer and worked in
tandem at times the press's criticism hurt relations within days of elma's murder
they'd portrayed the police as having failed in gloriously for not making any arrests they started demanding a royal
commission into the police's incompetence and the public had a little confidence in law enforcement as a
result the pressure on detectives to solve the case quickly was immense one detective told the
press any day now we expect to get our men the editor of the arus newspaper doubted this writing as each day passes
the Grievous disappointment of the public at the failure of the police to track down the murderer of Alma turki
grows more profound the detective and police forces of Melbourne are on trial and no matter
how exacting they may find the ordeal they must realize that the public will not tolerate failure on their
part working on the theory that alus killer had to be local to the area surrounding Gun Alley police questioned
various frequenters of the Eastern arcade among them was the proprietor of the Australian wine Saloon 28-year-old
Colin Ross who had reported seeing Elma walk past his Saloon at around 2:30 p.m. the mother and daughter who saw
Rama enter the Eastern arcade verified Colin's account they not only saw Rama but also remember seeing Colin Ross as
he stepped outside of his establishment to observe the arcade when they glanced back both Almer
and Colin were gone the Australian wine Saloon took up two shop floors of the arcade's ground
level inside the entrance an arched doorway on the right led to the neighboring shop floor where the saloon
parlor was located to the left sat the bar behind the bar was a small curtained off room that contained a couch with two
blankets on it as well as the opening to The Cellar according to the staff this was a
private room used only by Colin Ross if the curtain was closed that meant no one was allowed to
enter Colin had first reported his sighting of Alor to two detectives who visited his Saloon the day after the
12-year-old's body was discovered when one detective asked him how much do you know Ross he
replied I don't know anything at all over the days that followed Colin and other arcade regulars were
questioned several times elaborating on his movements from Friday December 30 Colin said that he'd arrived at his
Saloon at around 2:00 p.m. the bar was quiet so he wandered out the front to take in the happenings
around the Eastern arcade that's when he glimpsed to Alma turki walk past Colin then went back into his
Saloon and remained there until closing time at 6: p.m. at 6:10 he traveled to the suburb
of footz cray where he lived with with his mother and brothers he ate dinner before heading
back to the city Colin had planned to meet his friend gladus at the Eastern arcade at
900 p.m. arriving early he wandered around little Colin Street aimlessly for 15 minutes before catching up with gladus
and taking her to the Australian wine Saloon given it was after hours they were the only two
inside they stayed there until 10:45 at which point Colin locked the place up and walked to gladus the roughly
20-minute journey to her flat on King Street he then went to Spencer Street Station and took a train home where he
stayed for the rest of the night glattus confirmed Colin's version of events but she said they left the
saloon at 10:20 p.m. 25 minutes earlier than what Colin had stated according to gladus the pair
spoke outside of her flat for a while before parting ways at 11:15 gladus watched Colin walk off and
was under the impression that he was heading home although Colin Ross was simply
being questioned in relation to the Alat turki case rumors quickly spread that police had placed him under arrest for
her murder a 3,000 strong crowd gathered at the entrance of the Eastern arcade shouting for officers to bring him out
the building was locked down as officers on Horseback arrived to disperse The Angry
Crowd for the general public who absorbed all of their information about the case from the Press Colin Ross was
exactly the type of man who would kill Alma turki there was no doubt about that a little under 2 years earlier in
March 1920 police received a call from Colin 's then girlfriend Lily she claimed that Colin had
threatened her with a revolver after she rejected his marriage proposal saying that he'd have her dead or
alive terrified Lily had accepted his proposal just to Plate him but then called the police as soon as he
left colum was charged with using threatening words towards a young woman and carrying firearms without
permission he avoided a 14-day stinting in jail by agreeing to a 12-month good behavior bond with A5
fine more recently a patron of the Australian wine Saloon was robbed of his cash and shot in the
shoulder several people were suspected of being involved in the crime including Colin Ross and he was subsequently
charged with armed robbery yet the victim had been heavily intoxicated and couldn't recall who was
responsible for his injuries invest tigators were left with conflicting accounts from the
disreputable accused who lobed blame at each other and Colin was ultimately acquitted a criminal with a penchant for
violent acts Colin Ross fit the bill of a killer he had a Burly strong figure and could have easily intimidated and
overpowered little Alma turki he matched the police's suspect profile being a local business owner
familiar with the area yet they hadn't uncovered anything to justify his arrest for Alma's
murder detectives quizzed Colin about his relationship with women through their inquiries they'd been told that
Colin was known to boast about his sexual prowess claiming that he was quote the largest sexually made man he
allegedly said that if his sexual partners didn't do what he wanted them to he would quote strangle the bastards
though police never revealed their sources for this information it was no secret that theyd questioned many sex
workers in the aftermath of Alma's murder and Colin was known to engage their services when confronted with these
statements Colin asserted it was all lies he seemed perplexed that anyone would say these things about him so much
so that he arrived at Police Headquarters to find out who had detectives refused to tell Colin their
sources and asked why he was so anxious to know Colin replied that he didn't believe anyone said those things about
him if they had Colin said that he'd quote warm them up sensing an opportunity detectives
tried to provoke Colin in the hopes he might react by doing something that implicated him in Alma tur's
murder replying to Colin's and the many complaints they'd received from neighboring businesses regarding
the saloon Rowdy patrons Colin had no choice but to close the establishment down by the time detectives got around
to Examining The Saloon on Tuesday January 3 4 days had passed since elma's body was
found by then the entire building had already been completely emptied and gutted 2 weeks later on Thursday January
12th detectives visited Colin Ross at home they noticed a pair of blankets folded up under a pillow on his couch
one brownish red in color the other a gray blue Colin said the blankets had previously been in his Saloon slung over
a couch in the curtained off room behind the bar looking at the brown blanket one of
the detectives noticed a long red hair stuck to it the blanket were confiscated for
further analysis all up a total of 22 red hairs were recovered on the brown blanket the blue blanket also contained
five red hairs as well as two Seamon stains prior to Elma tury's burial a lock of her hair had been placed inside
an envelope to Aid with future investigations an analyst compared the hairs found on the blankets to
Almer They concluded that all of the hairs had derived from the scalp of the same
[Music] person at the police station Colin Ross maintained that on Friday December 30
he'd walked his friend glattus back to her flat before catching the train home he added that he got home at around
midnight and went straight to bed once again detectives switched their line of questioning to Colin's personal
life they said a source had told them that Colin had a habit of exposing himself when drunk Colin denied this
saying that is a lie and I do not believe any person told you that the interviewing detective Fred
pigot responded do you think I am lying Colin moldered over before replying I won't say that
his response intrigued detectives as it wasn't an outright Denial in a way his koi answer seemed like an
admission for detective pigot this was a huge step in the right direction what Colin didn't know was
that someone had already come forward implicating him in elma's Murder Olive Maddox was a sex worker by
trade and a regular visitor at the Australian wine Saloon she considered Colin Ross a friend even though he'd
unsuccessfully propositioned her for sex on multiple occasions Olive had told police that
she'd been at Colin's Saloon at 5:00 p.m. on Friday December 30 after ordering a drink she stood in the
archway to The Parlor to see if she recognized anyone inside sitting alone in a corner was a
young woman wearing a dress with red hair flowing down from under her hat she had a glass in front of her but
olive wasn't sure what it contained according to Olive she approached Colin Ross at the bar and
told him there was a girl in The Parlor who appeared too young to be drinking there Colin smiled and responded
sarcastically oh well if she wants it she can have it Oliver left the saloon shortly after
noting that the girl was still there when she returned almost an hour later it was 5 minutes till closing time and
neither the girl nor Colin Ross were anywhere to be seen Olive claimed to have crossed paths
with Colin Ross again 6 days later on Thursday January 5th when he asked for her thoughts on Alma tury's
murder Olive didn't know much about it but Colin had plenty to say he started lambasting Elma claiming the papers were
making her out to be goody goody when she was in in fact quote a cheeky little devil he said that the little girl was
at an age where she wanted a man Colin's comments Disturbed Olive but she couldn't say with certainty that the
girl she'd seen in his Saloon had been Elma turki while they bore a resemblance and
the girl had been wearing clothes that fit the description of elma's school uniform The Parlor had been poorly lit
so she couldn't be entirely sure but olive maddox's account was just one piece of a damning puzzle forming
against Colin detectives had learned that Olive wasn't the only one who claimed to have
seen a girl matching Alma turki's description at the Australian wine Saloon Ivy Matthews was a bartender and
former employee of Colin Ross she told the police that on December 30 she' dropped into the saloon
at around 3:00 p.m. as she approached the bar Colin emerged from his private room leaving the
curtain open long enough for Ivy to catch a glimpse of a young red-headed girl sitting on a chair
inside Ivy wasn't sure what to make of the situation she wondered whether the girl's mother was also in the room just
out of sight Ivy watched Colin pour a glass of wine before returning back behind the
curtain she left the saloon shortly after but her observations continued to bother
her Ivy already thought Colin Ross was a pervert she claimed to have previously seen him follow and accost children
around the arcade and had warned him to leave them alone according to iy when she learned
of Alma tur's murder on December 31 she immediately confronted Colin at work about the girl she'd seen in his back
room Colin swiftly ushered Ivy outside and onto little Colin street so they could
talk privately he admitted that he'd been standing outside his Saloon when Elmer
approached and asked him for a drink he said that he led her inside and into the
back room Colin assured Ivy that he didn't do anything to Elma but implied that she'd
been with men before he said he'd intended to move her on when his bar closed but she would
leave but Colin soon changed his tune he allegedly broke down telling Ivy that he
suffered from a disease where being in the presence of a child caused him to lose his
head he confessed that he' quote ravished Elma and that without meaning to she was dead before he knew
it afterwards he wrapped elma's body in the blankets from the back room and went
home he drove back to to The Saloon in the early hours of the morning and used his car to move elma's body to Gun
Alley as Colin told Ivy this he was visibly destroyed according to Ivy he said that
after killing Amma he'd felt like getting a knife and finishing [Music] himself interviewing detectives
presented Colin Ross with the allegations from Olive Maddox and iy Matthews he called them deliberately
lies saying you can get nothing on me Colin Ross was nevertheless charged with the murder of
Alki as he was led away for processing his relaxed attitude faltered and he began yelling about a frame
up his mother and brothers accepted his assertions of innocence and contacted a lawyer Colin was scheduled to appear in
court the next day by then news of arrest had made headlines making him the most hated man in
Australia a large Angry Crowd amassed at the city court calling for Colin's head
as the police tried in vain to disperse them Colin was transported into the building via a direct passage from the
police station cells to bypass the Raging mob Colin appeared optimistic about his
situation though wept after briefly speaking with his mother his nerves kicked in once he was in front of the
judges detective Fred pigot detailed the case against the accused he spoke of Colin siding of amor at the Eastern
arcade but added nothing further simply saying there is other evidence which at this stage the police do not wish to
disclose a coronial inquest into Alma's death was scheduled to determine if Colin Ross would stand trial for her
murder he objected to being remanded in custody until then telling the court that he'd prefer to be out so Witnesses
could come to him and prove his whereabouts on the night Elma was killed the remark was Ill considered as
it only further cemented the judge's belief that Colin needed to be remanded Colin
pleaded but there is no reason why I should be here with that his mother read abruptly
stood up in the public gallery and announced I can prove where he was one of Ed Sons quietened her and
pulled her back down to her seat Colin Ross was remanded until the coronial inquest as he left the dock in an
apparent State of Shock he remarked sarcastically this is a great country there's no doubt about
it [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] no one had seen them Colin LED Elma into
the private room behind the bar closed the curtain and offered her a drink of sweet
wine she refused at first but Colin eventually persuaded her to take a sip the two proceeded to talk for several
hours during which Amma consumed two more glasses of wine at one point Colin left to speak
with another bar Patron after closing up shop he returned to the back room to find that Elma had
fallen asleep Colin allegedly told Sydney Harding that he couldn't resist the temptation he began molesting Elma
during which she stirred awake and cried out Colin covered her mouth with his hand and proceeded to rape
her at some point during the attack Elma fainted Colin left the back room for a moment during which Elma regained ious
nness and began crying out he rushed back and tried to pacify her but she wouldn't settle not knowing
what came over him he began choking her Colin allegedly told Sydney that when he came back to his senses he
lifted elma's arm and it flopped lifelessly confirming she was dead he calmed down and tried to
think Elma looked horrible and it was bleeding badly Colin grabbed a bucket full of
water and cleaned her body then the scene he had plans to meet his friend a gladus at 9:00 p.m. and he knew it would
be suspicious if he cancelled he took a gladus to The Saloon where she remained blissfully unaware
that a child's body lay hidden just meters away according to Sydney Colin said he
then walked glad home and caught public transport back to his place in foot cray
along the way he made himself as conspicuous as possible to establish as many aliis as he
could in the early morning hours Colin stole a bicycle from a neighboring home and rode the 10 km back to the Eastern
arcade after walking around the building to check that the coast was clear he went inside the saloon he stripped
elma's body naked and wrapped it in a coat before carrying her body across the road road to Gun Alley and leaving it
there on his way home Colin stopped on foot's cray Road and tore elma's clothing into strips he scattered the
pieces as he rode onwards throwing each of her shoes into two nearby Rivers after returning the bicycle to
his neighbor's house he went home Colin allegedly told Sydney that the only other person he' told this to
was his lawyer who'd advised him to keep keep his mouth shut he said he trusted Sydney and felt good about his
case once it was all over he intended to sue for compensation unless he lost in which
case he'd take his own life the inquest into the death of Alat turki took place on Wednesday January 25
a little under a month after she was killed an angry mob in circled the building forming the largest crowd the
court had ever seen this time the police came prepared they kept the peace as detectives Witnesses and members of
Colin Ross's family were hurried inside followed by the Shackled man himself each of the cas's witnesses took
the stand to reiterate what they'd seen or heard Colin stared unflinchingly as Ivy
Matthews and Sydney Harding detailed the alleged confessions he'd made to them every so often his lips would curl into
a smile after hearing testimony from Witnesses case detectives and a forensic analyst Colin refused the opportunity to
take the stand the coroner then handed down their findings concluding that Colin Ross was
responsible for Alma tur's death and committing him to stand trial for her murder
in the meantime a woman came forward to hand something over to police she'd been traveling along foots
Gray Road when she came across a 6-in square piece of blue fabric in the gutter the police believed it was part
of the dress yurki was wearing on the day she was murdered the discovery added validity to
the alleged confession that Colin Ross gave to his fellow inmate Sydney Harding and only strengthened that cas against
him the trial commenced the following month in February having established itself as
one of the most infamous criminal cases in Victoria's history the courtroom was packed those who missed out on a seat
lingered outside the court waiting for minute by minute updates foral berans the trial was just
a formality the general consensus was that Colin Ross was guilty Colin was ushered into the courtroom
where he staunchly announced his Declaration of not guilty all the witnesses who testified
at the coronial inquest reappeared for the murder trial they more or less provided the
same testimony albeit with some additional details that filled in the blanks the prosecution also presented
two new Witnesses the first of whom was a man named Francis Upton on Friday December 30 1921 Francis said
he'd been drinking heavily at the Australian wine Saloon he ended up passing out in the nearby Flag Staff
Gardens once he regained Consciousness it was a little after midnight and he was feeling sober wanting another drink
Francis headed back to the Australian wine Saloon and noticed a light on inside he approached to The Saloon and
overheard a woman's voice say from within oh my God darling how are we going to get rid of
it Francis tried the door it was unlocked he heard Colin Ross's panicked voice say there is somebody
here Colin then appeared at the door clearly rattled he held a small Taw against one arm and his hands were
stained red Francis asked him for wine Colin rushed to the bar grabbed a bottle and
thrusted at Francis pushing him away and retreating back into the saloon without
asking for payment outside the arcade Francis noticed the wine bottle had the same red
staining on it as Colin's hands the bottle was still sealed leading Francis to suspect the staining
wasn't wine but perhaps blood he took a swig from the bottle and left it on the corner of William and
flender streets the second new prosecution witness was Joseph Dunston another man
who had been on remand with Colin Ross Joseph testified that he was once reading a book in the prison yard when
he saw Colin and Sydney Harding walking back and forth in deep conversation Joseph overheard Colin
saying things like I was talking to the girl if they find any wine inside her that ain't to say I gave it to her and
no a bike Joseph heard Sydney ask how was she dressed this testimony further supported
Sydney Harding's allegations that Colin had confessed to killing Alma turki primed by the press the public
viewed Colin Ross contentiously seemingly utterly unap getic and unaffected in court he chewed
on lollies and joked with his lawyers during breaks whenever Colin was escorted through the angry mob he shouted at them
playfully bye-bye unlike at the coronial inquest Colin opted to take the stand at his
trial he cut the figure of a Gruff and angry Thug he denied all accusations leveled against him and repeated his
unchanged vert ver of events Colin said the police were trying to pin elma's murder on him as payback
for the armed robbery case they lost against him years prior the trial concluded on its fifth
day Colin sat composed and listened intently to the prosecution's closing remarks that described him as a
desperate man facing a desperate charge and prepared to say anything desperate the jury deliberated for a day
before presenting their verdict guilty Colin stared blankly ahead as the announcement was
made asked if he had anything to argue against receiving the death penalty Colin
responded I still maintain that I am an innocent man and that my evidence is correct if I am hanged I will be hanged
an innocent man my life has been sworn Away by desper [Music] people the judge sentenced Colin Ross to
death by hanging Colin reasserted his innocence several times over but the judge
interrupted him saying and may God have mercy on your soul outside Court the massive crowd
erupted in Cheers For the First Time Colin appeared distraught and nearly collapsed as he
was led to a waiting van as he passed the crowd yelled scoundrel serves you right hanging is too good for
you the conviction heralded a celebration in Melbourne unlike any criminal trial in the history of the
state Colin endeavored to appeal his conviction but was ultimately unsuccessful he was sent to the Gallows
on Monday April 24 1922 almost 4 months after Alma 's murder his final words were I am now face to face with my maker
and I swear by almighty God that I am an innocent man I never committed the crime
and I don't know who did I never confessed to anyone I ask God to forgive those who
have sworn my life [Music] away to continued next [Music] [Music] week for

Case 278: Alma Tirtschke

*** Content Warning: Extreme sexual violence, captivity ***

[Part 1 of 2]

When 12-year-old Alma Tirtschke failed to return home after running an errand for her family, they were immediately concerned. Alma was a dutiful child who did what she was told and respected her elders.

Alma’s final movements were retraced to an infamous saloon in the heart of Melbourne and its problematic owner, a man named Colin Ross.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Milly Raso Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources, please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-278-alma-tirtschke-part-1

Brief Summary

The episode covers the murder of Elma Turki and the trial of Colin Ross, who was convicted and executed for her death.

Key points

The Dilemma of Elizabeth Turki. Elizabeth faces a tough decision about a house purchase, seeking guidance from a spiritualist.
Elma's Mysterious Disappearance. Elma goes missing after running an errand, sparking concern from her family.
The Tragic Discovery. Elma's body is found in Gun Alley, leading to a murder investigation.
Elma's Body Discovered. Elma's body is found, igniting a city-wide investigation and panic.
Community Outrage. The public's frustration grows as the investigation stalls, leading to demands for action.
Colin Ross Under Suspicion. Colin Ross, a local saloon owner, becomes a key suspect in Elma's murder.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Have you found my girl?

Elizabeth's desperate question to the police officers.

3:54WatchMar 30, 2024

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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Horrific discovery in Gun Alley shocks 1920s Melbourne (Part 1/2) | Forensic Files