Blowering Road
Jones's Bridge
Tumut. NSW
GORED BY A BULLOCK. TUMUT RESIDENT'S DEATH, TUMUT (N.S.W.), Wednesday. - Mrs. Oddy, aged 62 years, a very old resident of the district, was gored to death by a bullock yesterday. She was walking along the road, when she was overtaken by a bullock that had got away from the mob.
When the drover reached the spot be found Mrs. Oddy lying on the road, terribly gored in the neck. Death quickly followed. The same beast shortly afterwards attacked a road repairer, who saved himself by scrambling through a fence, but his clothes were torn by the bullock's attack. - (Ref- Examiner Thursday 11 December 1913) - The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901-1929) Thursday 11 December 1913)
BULLOCK KILLS WOMAN.ROAD REPAIRER'S ESCAPE.TUMUT (NSW) Wednesday - Mrs Oddy, aged 72 years, a very old resident of Blowering, was yesterday gored to death by a wild bullock.
She was walking along the road when the beast overtook her. It was one of a lot being driven to town, and had broken away. After being brought back, it was left near the road and the drover went after others which had got into a paddock close by.
The accident was not witnessed by anybody. The drover found the woman on returning. He telephoned for a doctor, but Mrs Oddy had been terribly gored in the neck. Death quickly followed. Afterwards the same beast charged a maintenance man named Snowden who got through a fence. His clothes were torn by the bullocks horn as he slipped through the rails. -
DEATH OF MRS ODDY
10 December 1913 (from Tumut and Adelong Times, 3 Jan 1913)
We sadly regret to record the death of that old and highly respected resident of Blowering, Mrs c Oddy, which occurred under the most harrowing circumstances at about 4 o’clock on Tuesday afternoon last.
She had walked from her home to her son’s place near Jones’ Bridge, a distance of about a mile, and after staying there a while she left, but had not got far along the road when an infuriated bullock charged her, inflicting a ghastly wound with it’s horn in the woman’s neck, apparently severing the jugular vein.
Shortly before this the animal made for Mr. H. Snowden, maintenance man on the road, but he managed to get through a fence, still he had a very narrow escape, for he felt the bullocks hot breath on his shoulder as he slid to safety, and finding that is shirt was much torn, he concluded the garment had come in contact with the bullocks horns.
He then wisely took the precaution of warning children coming from the Blowering school to keep off the road, or no doubt further accidents would have happened.
The animal was left on the roadway by Mr J Wilkinson, (son of the P. M. of Sydney), who was taking it with 16 others to Yellowin, but there was nothing to indicate that it was of so vicious a nature, which had brought about by its having been chased by the drover a short time previously.
When he got to Jones’ Bridge he found trouble in getting the cattle to cross, and the one question scampered away in fright after getting over the bridge. After some trouble it was brought back again, and in the meantime the others strayed in Mr. F. Oddy’s hill paddock.
It was while Mr. Wilkinson was away after these that the damage was done, and it all occurred within a few minutes. The beast was left standing quietly enough, and on returning with the rest of the mob Mr Wilkinson found that it had got away. In going in pursuit he came upon the prostrate form of Mrs. Oddy who was then still alive, and he hurried to Mr. J. T. Wilkinson’s residence to telephone for the doctor to come out.
Help was obtained, and the injured lady was taken back to her son’s place, but by the time she arrived there life was about extinct. The greatest of sorrow is felt towards the members of the family in their sore affliction and it is intensified from the fact that troubles have been great with them for some time past, beginning with the death of a member about ten years ago, who accidently shot himself getting through a fence with a rifle; then another member got his arm broken, two years ago, and he has not yet got the proper use of it; and just over a year ago the aged father died.
The mother was 72 years of age at the time of her death.
An inquiry held by Coroner Shelley on the following morning, when facts as given above were elicited, and a verdict returned accordingly.
It is reasonable to assert that no blame was attachable to the young man who was driving the cattle, for until they got to the bridge none of them exhibited any indications of being dangerous. The heat of the weather and excitement after being chased was the cause of the animal’s viciousness.
The umbrella the deceased was carrying was all broken and torn to shreds, so evidently it was the means of distracting the brute’s attention from its victim after giving her the prod in the neck.
(Ref- The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848-1954) Thursday 11 December 1913) -
(Ref - The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860-1954) Thursday 11 December 1913 p 5 Article) -
(Ref - The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879-1954) Thursday 11 December 1913 p 7 Article) -
(Ref- orlie Western Argus (WA : 1896-1916) Tuesday 16 December 1913 p 34 Article) -
(Ref- Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909-1954) Saturday 13 December 1913 p 3 Article) -
(Ref- Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878-1954) Thursday 11 December 1913 p 7 Article) -
(Ref- The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864-1933) Thursday 11 December 1913 p 7 Article)