Murder of Agnes, Maude, Eddie, Dorrie, Hughie, and Winnie Ching

27-year-old George David Silva who was of Cingalese decent was working as a farmhand for Charles Ching at Alligator Creek about 20 miles away from Mackay, Queensland, Australia. On November 16, 1911, Charles was away from the home at the time for supplies and money for George's wages. The three oldest children Florence, Henry and Henrietta were not living in the home at the time.

Maud (17) the daughter of Charles and Agnes (45) rejected George's advances. This angered George and went after the family. He shot Agnes and Maude in the neck with a revolver and a muzzle-loading rifle. He had beaten Hughie (5) and Winnie's (1) skulls in.  He dragged the bodies to the sitting room and placed them by a colored table and a table cloth placed on top of them.

He then took Dolly (8) and Teddy (10) away from the home and was witnessed by Grace Carey a schoolgirl who would walk home with the Ching Children. Once they got a mile and 1/2 he had shot and bashed both of their skulls in.

After the murder, he locked the door and waited for Charles. He told him that the family went to visit a neighbor and George and Charles had made dinner together in the kitchen house.  When his family didn't return Charles went to the neighbor he thought they were at. The neighbor stated they weren't there and to open a window for access to the house. So George and Charles did just that. Inside he found four members of his family dead. Two of the children were still missing.

George went to get the police and was carrying the bloody clothes that he wore during the attack. On the way, he burned the clothes, but they were later found.

George had tried to pass the blame to two neighbors named Dooley Khan and Charles Butler. There was no evidence to support that the two had killed the family. But after fearing a lynch mob would go after him, either way, he confessed to killing the family. He stated that Agnes wouldn't let him marry Maude.

George was found guilty and was executed on June 10, 1912. He was hanged at Boggo Road Gaol in Brisbane. 

SOURCES:

Murderpedia