Murder of Eleanor Louise Bockmann

Back of the Bockmann's home where Eleanore died

In 1922 18-year-old Herbert Cyril Curnow who went as Cyril had made friends with the sons of the Lawrance Bockmann through football. He would then met the Bockmann family by practicing at their home in Sandilands, South Australia, Australia. He would soon become infatuated with 17-year-old Eleanor Bockmann. He became friendly with her and accompanying her to Sunday School, Church, and local dances. The two began to date.

Their relationship was not a good one. Within two months they began to argue and Cyril was becoming increasingly jealous. He did not like it that Eleanor was friendly was other young me. One night he saw her walking down the street with a drunk young man. His arm was around her and this infuriated Cyril. In response she stated, "If you don't like it, you can lump it!"

On September 2, Cyril would stay with the Bockmann family while football finals were happening and on September 3 they would go to church . After church another argument erupted between the young couple. This was when Eleanor broke up with Cyril. He would continue to obsess over her. He would be staying at the Bockmann home

After breaking up with him Cyril began threatening Eleanor. He would tell her if he had a knife or gun he would use it on her and then kill himself. This made Eleanor tense and scared as she believed his words. 

On September 8, the family ate lunch together. Cyril would wait for Mr. Bockmann and Lawrance to go back to work. He would go and get the family's gun and bring it to the boy's room with him and clean and load it. It was noticed by Eleanor, her sister Gladys and cousin Alvera he had the gun. He left in the veranda in the kitchen.

Eleanor feared Cyril when she saw him with the gun. Eleanor would tell Gladys "Let's go up to the bedroom, he might shoot us." The sisters went upstairs to hide in their room and Alvera stayed downstairs in the dining room. Cyril would leave the home to get a drink and Alvera called out to the sisters that he was gone.

Eleanor would then go to the veranda and take the gun. She would hide it. When Cyril came back in and confronted Gladys about its whereabouts and she didn't know. She would tell Eleanor to get the gun, and she did and gave it back to Cyril. Eleanor would go back to her room to hide. Cyril would leave the home again and Gladys told Eleanor it was safe to come out. This time he went to the Stables. 

The three girls would then settle down in the dining room and mend stockings. Cyril would return back to the home and go back to the boy's room for a few minutes. He would come to the living room with his coat and hat on. The gun was in his hand.

He pointed the gun at Alvera first, she would stand up and scream "Auntie". He then pointed the gun at Gladys, and then the gun at Eleanor. "Please don't shoot me Cyril," was what Eleanor cried before he pulled the trigger. He shot her through her left side of her neck. He fled the house and she would hold her head down for a brief second and then held her neck and ran outside the back door. 

She would collapse next to the water tank. Gladys ran outside to get her father and brother. She screamed and told them that Eleanor had been shot. They got to the house in the cart. Their father would hold Eleanor in his arms as she died. 

He was found guilty at trial and was set to hang just after Christmas. His sentence would be commuted to life in prison. He would then be released from prison in 1935. 

SOURCES:

The Haunts of Adelaide 

The Register September 12, 1922

The Argus November 30, 1922

The Sydney Morning Herald November 30, 1922

Barrier Miner December 23, 1922

Kalgoorlie Miner December 23, 1922

The Mail March 16, 1935