The Spectre on the Stairs: Parramatta: NSW

[KANACKI]

Greeting again from the dark side the faint echos of the past. To all those who walk in footsteps of twilight zone Between life and death. Grab a seat around the lost camp fire of lost souls. Old kanacki has a yarn to tell of a forgotten ghost story of a place now long exists.

Yet the question remain can a ghost haunting a house in the past haunt a new building of the 21st century. If so does ghost see the new building or still visualized the house they lived in during life? If so do they can even perceive the living in future existing?

Where dies time start and where does time finish? Will we all end up being just lost memories for people in future to discover by chance?

The following tale I have to give a big pat on the back to Headless finding this story dating back to 1866. A haunted house in 1866 a crumbling ruin back then. Today nothing exist only the cold steel glass and concrete streets of bustling Parramatta. My how time merges people in places even in 21st century we walk in the footsteps of overs their lives their passions their vices. their joy , their happiness and their sadness.

If only we how and where to look back into the dark past of of lingering ghostly memories so grab a brew and stare into the flames of the lost ghost stories and enjoy.

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The following Ghost story was published Published by Sydney Mail NSW Sat 29 Dec 1866

Its is one of the oldest ghost stories in Australia. Sadly few know of it? I wonder if the people today that live and work in that very spot even know about it?

THE SPECTRE ON THE STAIRS

It was very nearly opposite the stable entrance of the old Red Cow Inn, in George street. It stood for many years, a most melancholy looking wreck, in the most busy part of this, the principal street of the pretty little town of Parramatta. The dilapidated building was the more remarkable from its appearance being marked contrast with the neat houses and well kept gardens that surrounded it.

There was a small enclosure in front of the house, where once there had been a garden, but the railings were broken down, the gate hanging hopelessly by one hinge, the plants smothered and strangled by the rank grass that grew unchecked and uncropped upon the ground, for animals of every kind, even to the wandering goats seemed to shun the spot.

There was a verandah to the first floor, forming a portico to the ground floor, but the woodwork that composed it was rotting and crumbling to dust, and the paint had long since peeled off and disappeared from it. The glass in the windows was nearly all broken, and the sashes were all but falling to pieces. In fact, nothing could well be more wretched and miserable than its general appearance, and nothing could better come up to the idea of a haunted house.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Of course it was haunted. Everybody in Parramatta at the time I speak of— some twenty five years ago—knew it, and could swear to it. The youngsters would no more think of walking past it after dark, and even grown people regarded it suspiciously as they passed. Noises had been heard and things had been seen in the house, which from the very vagueness of the accounts given, lent a deeper mystery to the whole affair.

My friend, from whom I have this account, and whom I will call Fox, was exceedingly sceptical about ghosts in general, but more particularly about this ghost. So many tales and rumours reached him on the subject when he set himself to inquire into it, that at last he and another equally as sceptical as himself determined to beat up the quarters of the ghost, and to see what he was really made of.

There is one peculiarity about ghosts, and that is, that they have a morbid prejudice against appearing to two persons when in each other's company ; and as Fox had from his reading learnt this, he and his friend decided that one should remain on watch in the street, whilst the other awaited the appearance of the spirit, if there was one, in the house, and held a private interview with it. I will now, as nearly as I can remember, narrate, in Fox's own words, the circumstances that occurred.

'Midnight,' said he, being the orthodox time at which ghosts usually appear, my friend and I proceeded to the house at about half-past 11. There was no difficulty in entering, for the windows which were what are called French-lights, were all broken, without fastenings and partly off their hinges. We examined the door, but that was perfectly fast, the catch of the lock and the ends of the bolts being so rusted to the ironwork into which they fitted, as in each case to form one solid piece, and so to be immovable. The same might be said of the back door, and the one window at the back had a shutter to it, which we managed to secure.

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

After this scrutiny my friend left, and then as well as I was able, I closed and secured the front windows. This I managed to do in such a way that they could not be opened wide enough to admit any person without sufficient noise being made to put me on my guard.

It was a bright moonlight night, and as I passed through the different rooms everything could be seen almost as clearly as by day. The appearance of the rooms was anything but encouraging, and, although I had not the slightest dread or thought of any supernatural appearance, I confess that I wished that my friend and not I had to pass the stipulated hour in such uncomfortable quarters. The plaster from the ceilings and walls had nearly all fallen down upon the floors, where it had rotted and formed a thick coating of soil.

Having taken the precautions I have mentioned, I went upstairs and visited the rooms above. These I found to be even more ruinous and wretched than those below, for the leakage through the roof had added very materially to the general decay

To be continued......

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The stairs as I ascended cracked under my tread, bending at every step as though they would have given way with me. The windows, however, were in a better state of preservation, so upstairs I determined to keep my watch. I looked out, and under the portico of the Inn opposite, I saw my friend walking to and fro, with his eye on the house. I filled and lighted my pipe and sitting on the window sill had a smoke.

I had hardly finished it when the bell of St John's struck midnight. I looked out and saw the Inn shut up for the night, and as the door closed with a bang, I felt for the first time a sensation of— I hardly know what to call it— but a kind of uneasiness creeping over me.

What caused it I could not say, but uneasy I certainly had become. My first pipe had made the time pass over pretty well, so I determined to try the effect of a second. I drew out my knife and tobacco, and was cutting away at the latter when I heard a noise at the street door. There was no mistake, it was some one putting a key into the lock.
 
‘ You won't get much good by that,' thought I, as I remembered how the door was bolted and the ironwork rusted but the thought had hardly passed through my mind when I heard the lock turn and the door open. The key was then taken out of the lock, and the door again closed with a loud bang.

'Hilloo!' thought I, 'what does this mean?  I thought the wards of the lock were immovable.

I went to the head of the stairs and listened, and plainly heard footsteps in the passage.
‘ It must be Alfred,' thought I ; so I called him by name, but received no answer. The footsteps had ceased for an instant, just about as long as it would take a person to hang up a cloak or a hat in the passage.

They were then resumed, and now I heard them mounting the stairs, up and up, and up, they came, and though I looked over, and the moonlight shone in clear upon the staircase, nothing could be seen. Still up, and up, came the steps, wearily and heavily, like those of a person who was tired, or an elderly man who ascended with
difficulty. Up and up still, until they sounded within a stair or two of where I stood.

I don't know how it was, but I drew back from the centre of the stairway where I was standing.
The action was quite involuntary on my part, and I became ashamed of myself immediately after. Before I could resume my position, however, the footsteps had passed me, and as the sound was emitted from the stair on which I stood, I felt a cold chill run through me as though an icy blast had blown upon me. The footsteps passed me seemed to go into the room I had just quitted, and there ceased.

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The whole affair had come upon me so suddenly that I had been completely taken by surprise.
No time had been given me to reflect and I was consequently taken at a disadvantage.

Now however, that my attention was no longer distracted, I reasoned the matter with myself, and soon decided upon the course to take. Without the slightest hesitation I walked into the room in which the sounds had been last heard. Nothing was to be seen, although I looked carefully around. To tell the truth I did not expect to see
anything, for I had seen nothing pass me on the stairs. I waited for a few minutes, expecting the sound of footsteps to be resumed. As they were not, I determined to satisfy myself in regard to the door.
Down stairs I went, and again examined it.

Although I used all my strength, I could not draw back either the catch of the door, or either of the bolts, whilst as a proof that no key had been used, there were thick cobwebs over the keyhole. I was still standing pondering over the matter, and trying, though unsuccessfully, to find some solution for it, when once more I heard the footsteps in the room above.

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

This time, thought I, if there is anything coming down, I will stop it or it shall go through or over me. I went up the stairs and took my position on the stair, next below the landing halfway up, when there was a turn or traverse. The footsteps were descending, and, determined to test the matter unmistakably, I laid hold of the banisters with one hand, whilst with the other I touched the wall, thus entirely barring the way.

Down came the footsteps, when within three stairs of the landing, I thought I saw the shadowy form of a man. This became more distinct as it neared me, until when the step reached the landing just one stair above where I stood, I saw plainly and unmistakably a male figure.

It was that of a man rather beyond middle age. His dark hair, thickly grizzled, hung in heavy massive curls from his head, almost on to his shoulders. His dress appeared to be a blue jacket, with a dark vest and black trousers. His white shirt was unbuttoned at the throat, with a red and yellow silk handkerchief hanging loosely in a tutor's knot round the neck. The face was deadly pale, and the mouth was compressed, and the teeth clenched in fierce determination. The eyes, though bright and glaring, were utterly meaningless ; there was no expression at all in them, but they were fixed on me with a dull stony stare, much more difficult to encounter than would have been an expression of passion of any kind.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

All this I took in at a glance, as the two last stairs were descended, for there was no cessation. As it reached the landing the figure turned to continue its descent, and then I met it face to face, and almost touching me. That dead, dull, meaningless stare was more than I could bear, and with a gesture of aversion I put up my hand to keep the horrible spectre off me. My hand met with no resistance but seemed to pass clean through the object before me, and touched the wall behind it, as the steps sounded on the stair on which I was standing, and the spectre passed from my sight leaving me again with that deadly chill that I had previously experienced.

For an instant a feeling of intense horror and disgust overcame me. By a violent effort, however, I once more obtained command over myself, turned myself round and looked towards where the footsteps now sounded on the lowest stair. Nothing, however, was to be seen, and nothing more did I see though I heard the step in the hall, heard the key applied and the locked turned, and heard the door opened and after wards closed with a slam.

Only by a strong exercise of will did I save myself from fainting. My legs refused their office and I was fain to sit down on the stair until I had in some measure recovered myself. A few minutes sufficed for this, and then I rejoined my friend, whom I found outside. He was still on watch where I had last seen him, had never taken his eyes off the door, and affirmed positively that it had neither opened nor shut. I told him all I had seen, but this only made him the more anxious to take his turn of watching.

The next evening he was early on the ground, and with me carefully examined every corner and crevice, more particularly the door. I left him in high spirit, but, after waiting till 1 o'clock, and finding he did not return I went to look for him. Lucky it was that I did so, for I found him in the passage writhing in a fit, and it was only by the greatest difficulty he was restored to consciousness, and some months before he regained perfect health. Though I often asked him as to what he had seen, I could never get him to say a word upon the subject.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

Here is a picture of the red Cow Inn below. For those who cannot see the rare photo I suggest you get signing up to the forum to get a fantastic insight into haunted places Australia.

In colonial times most visitors to Parramatta would have had to choose between stopping over at one of its two most famous inns, The ‘Red Cow’ or the ‘Woolpack’. The first of these stood at the rear of the site of the present Commercial Bank in George street. While the name ‘Red Cow’ seems a little prosaic it was actually a very literal reference to the many red cows grazing in the pastures around the newly formed town.

The earliest reference I could find to the inn was an 1803 advertisement posted by John Williams, a draper, who advertised his shop as being ‘… opposite the RED COW.’ One of its earliest functions was a supper held within its walls in October, 1814, to celebrate the victories of Wellington over the Napoleonic forces in Spain.

To be continued....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

After Charles Walker died in 1826 the ‘Red Cow’ was run for many years by his widow Hannah Walker. And during this period many famous figures from Australia’s past visited the hotel on a regular basis. This period saw the inn’s ‘Long House’ serve as both a function centre and a community hall. In fact by 1831 it was so embedded in the structure of the town that a local meeting at the courthouse to petition the King about land sale regulations was reconvened by the sheriff  to … Mrs. Walker’s long room, adjoining that most comfortable of temporary domiciles for man and beast, to wit, the Red Cow Inn, where some about 145 persons crowded in and enjoyed the luxury of a “boiling alive” for some hours after.

The hotel’s sprawling design enabled it to combine functions like the one mentioned above with a very personal and intimate touch. In 1889  ‘The Illustrated Sydney News’ quoted one visitor’s impressions of the residence and gardens,

To be continued.....

Kanacki

    As to the ‘ Woolpack’s ‘ companion Inn, the ‘ Red Cow,’ the following notice occurs of it in its best days: ‘After passing a particularly pretty garden, in which stood a long, low house with a spacious piazza in front, I was surprised by my husband’s driving up to the door, and still more so on finding that this was our inn where we had engaged rooms. My belief, that it was a private residence was natural enough, for the sign of the “Red Cow” on the roof had escaped my notice; but we were most comfortably accommodated in every way.

    The garden was full of beautiful flowers particularly the bright scarlet blossoms of the pomegranate, the soft and fragrant oleander, the quantities of pink and crimson China roses. An enormous prickly-pear (I think it “must be twenty feet high) grew near the house, and was full of yellow blossoms and dark red fruit, in picking up some of which to taste, I stuck my gloves so full of the fine, penetrating prickles that it was some days before I extracted them all from my hands. Two beautiful birds were living tame in the garden, they were called curlew, but I doubt if correctly; and several of the native parrots were caged in the verandah.’

Later owners were Messrs. V. Carr and P. Hayes, who erected a bakery at the rear of the inn. He was a big contractor supplying all the Government institutions with bread and turning out, it is said, two thousand loaves daily.

The final owner of the property before it was sold to the Commercial Banking Company in 1873 was J. Fulton. By this time however it had seen its day and was more a venerable relic of the early years of the colony rather than a viable business.The ‘Red Cow’ was eventually demolished to make way for the Commercial Bank Building.

[KANACKI]

While all these buildings do not exist anymore. This haunting is there any chance of finding out about the identity of this alleged ghost?

Star and Working Man's Guardian (Parramatta, NSW : 1844 - 1845), Saturday 24 May 1845, page 1 reported a murdered of a women in 1845.

DREADFUL MURDER.

At an early hour of Monday morning, the vicinity of King and George Streets, was thrown into considerable excitement by the circumstance of a most atrocious murder having been committed on an aged female named Hoadley, an old colonist, and well known in this locality as the landlady of the range of premises

situate between George and York Streets, one of which is a small cottage formerlv occupied as the " Sun " printing office, in which she resided. The first discovery of the dreadful deed, was made by a girl who had been adopted by her as a daughter, and who slept with her in a back tenement — being awoke by hearing the deceased groan heavily, and on reaching her hand out, finding it covered with blood which proceeded from Mrs. Hoadley's head, when she immediately started up and at this moment perceived a man leaving the room by the window, and who sub sequently climbing up the side of the front house contrived to get over the roof, and effected his escape.

On an alarm being given and assistance procured —it was discovered that an entrance had been effected by the removal of a pane of glass, by which the murderer had been enabled to enter the room, in which was found a hammer taken from the yard, where the de ceased kept it for the purpose of breaking her coals, and which had been the instrument employed for the commission of the murder, as the deceased's head was found to be in many places, such had been the violence of the blows inflicted, literally stove in — and although on the arrival of the Infirmary Surgeons, Dr. M'Crae, and Mr. Nathan, she was still alive, death succeeded within a very few hours afterwards.

For a time, not the slightest suspicion rested upon any person as being the perpetrator of the murder, but the circumstance of the pane removed, not being the nearest the latch for opening the window, but one which from having been newly put in, 'and the putty consequently the easier to remove — it was evident that it was some person acquainted with this circumstance, and suspicion then lighted on a man named Skinner, who had some short time previously been a resident with his Step-father and Mother, who then lived in the front premises. The Police succeeded in tracking him to Paddington, his step-parents' present abode, and on taking him into custody, marks of blood were

discovered on his trousers, and at the roots of the nails on his right hand. Ann Cadman his mother, and her husband, were also apprehended, although the latter, as , will be seen by the inquest, was discharged — and made a witness. On being brought into the town, a private watchman employed in King-street, identified him as having seen him at an early hour of the morning coming from the direction of Mrs. Hoadley's premises, and an old silk handkerchief found in Mrs. Hoadley's yard, which had been left behind in the hurry of escape, was identified by Skinner's Mother as her property.

The deceased was known to be possessed of a considerable sum of money, and to be in the habit of keeping a large sum on the premises, which is supposed to have been the exciting cause for the deed — but the murderer had failed in his object as what money she had was found concealed under the bed.

to be continued......

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The room in which Mrs. Hoadley was mtirdered is at the rear of a small cottage situate between the premises occupied by Mr. Heydon, the auctioneer, and Mr. Paterson, a gun smith, in King-street, and behind the cottage is a yard surrounded by high walls, and the only entrance to the deceased's sleeping room is through the front of the cottage; in the corner of the yard before alluded to, stood a water butt, by mounting upon which any person could easily get on the roof of the cottage, and passing over it, drop into King-street, and this is the course by which the murderer is supposed to have entered and effected his escape.

While the jury were viewing the premises the prisoner Skinner was taken into the room (sorry bad language is unacceptable on this forum) the de ceased lay, and shown the body, he seemed to endeavour to give a vacant stare at it, and on being told to touch it, laid his hand on that of the murdered woman, but while doing so, his lips quivered several times, and a faint whisper of "Oh God, oh. God" escaped from him.

 On the return of the jury to the inquest room, Skinker and the woman Cadman were placed at the bar, and the evidence proceeded with. Rosina Wilson deposed that she was the adopted child of the deceased. She knew both Skinner and Cadman, as they and the husband of the latter had lived in 'a room at the deceased's, and had left a week since, in consequence of the female prisoner's and husband's drunkenness.

 While staying there she used to wash and clean out the room and do all a servant's work for the deceased.  Skinner had no opportunity of knowing anything about the room where the deceased slept, hut had of the outside one and the yard. "On Sunday fortnight William Cadman put a pane of glass into the bedroom window, and Skinner came home just as he had finished doing so.

The Female prisoner knew that Mrs. Hoadley kept her money under her head in bed, as she had seen it taken from there by her and the prisoner had taken it from that place herself. Witness had a small black dog, which the prisoner used to feed, but one day she said she wanted neither cats nor dogs about the place, and on the fol lowing day. the animal was gone, but the prisoner being taxed some few days afterwards by the witness with having stolen it, she promised to bring it back, but had never done so On Tuesday week the prisoner was at the deceased's house, when he saw William Cadman putting in the pane of glass on the outside : both the glass and putty had been got by the female prisoner.

During the night of Sunday, witness, who was in bed with the deceased, was awoke by hearing a gurgling noise in her throat ; there was a small floating light burning in the room, and, on awakening, witness touched the deceased, and said what ails you, mother," and at that moment saw a man come from behind the door leading into the parlour, where the the hammer was found, and jumped out of the bedroom window, which witness had herself fastened before going to bed. T

he man had on white trousers of the same appearance as those now worn by Skinner; but his head and arms were out of window before she could sec them, Nothing at that moment struck her.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

who the person was; perceiving blood about the deceased's head, she jurapt up, ran out and called Mr. Cassidy, who lives in the front part of cottage, then Mr. Paterson, then Mr. Heydon, and seeing the watchman; told him what had occurred, and bid him go into the yard and see if the murderer was there, he however, seemed timid, and waited until Mr. Paterson came, At this stage of the proceedings the hammer with which the deceased had been murdered was produced : it was one of the kind used by tinsmiths, and a formidable instrument, the head being about four inches in length, with two flat circular ends of an inch and a half in diameter : it had blood on it.

The witness identified it as belonging to the deceased, and that it used to lie in the coal-hole in the yard, where any person could get at it ; it had been used by herself as late as seven o'clock on Sunday evening ; Mr. Heydon picked it up. The handkerchief now produced witness had seen on the head of the female prisoner at the time she was living at the deceased's, but at that time there were no holes in it as now ; she saw it picked up near the water cask in the yard, and was certain that Gadman on leaving the premises had not left it behind her, as from her (the witness) cleaning the house she would have found it ; the finding of the handkerchief and the hammer first led her to suspect the murder had been committed either by Cadman or Skinner ; the legs and size of the body of the man seen escaping agreed with Skinner's.

It was about four o'clock when the murder was committed ; the deceased died about half-past seven. At the time the two prisoners lived at the deceased's they were frequently together in the yard. During this witness's examination Skinner stated that on the day when the pane of glass wa3 put in, he only found his mother out, he having just arrived from the country.

The female prisoner asked Miss Wilson if she had ever known her steal money from the deceased, which was answered in the negative. She then denied knowing where Mrs. Hoadley kept her money, but immediately afterwards stated that when finding it in making the bed (which she sometimes did) under the pillow, she always gave it to the deceased. Michael Cassidy deposed: he kept a wine store in the front part of the cottage ; was awoke on Monday morning by the witness Wilson, who said .her mother was dying or dead ; he then went and saw the deceased and examined the front door, the only way from the street to the deceased's bed room ; found it closed, and asking Wilson who had done the deed, she said she had never seen anybody more like Mrs. Cadman's son that the person she saw escaping through the window.

 Witness saw a pane of glass which had been cut from the window; went for Dr. MCrae. Mr, Heydon, auctioneer, deposed he was awoke by the last witness's knocking at his door, and asking fo.i a light, as Mrs. Hoadley was dying — and on getting up and giving it he was informed of what had occurred, and went into the deceased's room where she was and found her in bed supported by Mrs. Pattison.

The hammer was then found and it had the same marks of blood on it as now, the putty on it is part of that which the pane is cut out of the pane cut out was the most distant from the catch fastening the window, and would not have been selected by a stranger was present when the handkerchief was found in the yard, and it was then tied as if it had been rolled round the head of some person.

The hankerchief was here tried on Skinner's head, so as to allow the holes to be opposite the eyes, and it was evident they had been made for that purpose, so as to form a mask, which it doubtless had been used as. Mr. Heydon subsequently stated that a will made by the deceased had been found and lodged with Mr. Norton, one of the Executors.

Sergeant Burrowes, of the Sydney Police, deposed that from information received, he went to the residence of the female prisoner Cadman, with whom and her husband, Skinner resided, at Paddington Cadman and her husband were at breakfast, and Skinner up stairs in bed, and he took the whole of them into custody. After sending the two men away, the female prisoner was asked what time Skinner came home, she stated that it must have been about one o'clock, and that he had, left home on the Sunday afternoon about five o'clock.

Skinner had however, previously told witness he had been at home since ten o'clock on the preceding, night, and that when apprehended never asked for what lie was taken into custody, although both William and Ann Cadman, repeatedly asked if anything was wrong, A pair of white moleskin trousers.

To be continued.....

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

very wet and very much dirtied about the bottom of the legs, were hanging before the fire to dry. On arrival at the watch-house, the prisoner's boots were examined, they were also very wet and muddy, and there was something very like blood near the bottom of his right hand pocket, there was blood on the right hand round the nail of the forefinger, also across the inside of the fingers of the same hand from the second joint, which he accounted for by stating that he had been picking his nose and it had bled.

(A glove which had been placed on the prisoner's hand to prevent him rubbing out these marks, was now taken off, and his hand examined by Burrowes, who however stated that the marks of blood were nearly all gone, except a little on the forefinger). The female prisoner owned the handkerchief with the holes in it as her property it was taken out to Paddington by a constable, and shewn to her, as if it had been found in Skinner's bed ; she described it before it was opened, as having holes in it, which had occurred through rats eating it while she was residing at Mrs. Hoadley's.

Cadman here stated that she and her husband were in bed by seven o'clock on Sunday evening. Mr. Charles Nathan, surgeon, deposed that he had about five o'clock on Monday morning, been called to attend the deceased, whom he found lying in her bed, the pillows of which were saturated with blood she was breathing very hard from pressure of the brain, the skull being fractured in three places, and sunk in about half an-inch.

The other Infirmary Surgeon, Dr. M'Crae, was sent for, and brought the trepanning instruments with him, and though the operation was commenced it was immediately given up, as it was found the deceased was fast sinking. There were three wounds on the left side of the head the anterior one had evidently been given by the hammer produced, as the end of it fitted into the indentation of the wound, the posterior one, apparently by the side of the hammer, as there was blood on it which corresponded with the appearance — and the third wound, about half an inch in diameter, had been produced by a portion of the fractured skull projecting through it, and from which the brain protruded — either of the wounds would cause death.

Mr. Nathan's evidence was corroborated by Doctor M'Crae. John Hope, private watchman in King-street, deposed that he was talking, about four o'clock on Monday morning, with another watchman, at Woolley's corner, when a man ran very quick and light past them from the, direction of the deceased's house, up King-street towards Pitt-street  he was dressed like Skinner, whom he had picked out from a number of meu at the Police Office, as being the man who had passed him.

Edward Hobbs, licensed hawker, residing in Elizabeth-street, deposed that Skinner had been with him from five till eleven o'clock on Sunday night, and on leaving got some Lucifer Matches, and stated he was not then going home, but was going up the town for an hour or two. Henry Gardiner, assigned messenger to the South Head Stockade, deposed that about ten minutes to five o'clock on Monday morning, he met close to Lyons' Terrace, running very quick, a person whose dress was similar to Skinner's, but Skinner appeared too tall for the person he met.

He called to him but he did not return an answer, and kept on running. Constable Carrol, deposed as to the finding of the handkerchief and shewing it to the female prisoner, who on owning it, stated she had had it since her first husband's death, when the handkerchief was found lying near the water cask it was quite dry, whereas if it had been lying there all night, it would have been wet or damp.

William Cadman, who had at first been taken into custody but subsequently discharged, was now examined he deposed that Skinner lived in the house with him and his wife, who stated herself to be his Mother that Skinner left home about five o'clock on Sunday afternoon, dressed in dirty white moleskin trousers, a blue jacket, and cabbage-tree hat, and on his return home, being asked what time it was said it was near five, and on the female prisoner asking him where he bad been until that time, he gave her a very surly answer, and said " don't be blowing me up, to let the people hear you." He then got a candle from witness' bed side, lighted it with some matches he had in his pocket, and after stating as an excuse for being so long out, that he had fallen into a water hole, went to bed ; witness was positive as to the time, from his having spoken to a neighbour about an hour afterwards,

when the latter then said it was six o'clock, a circumstance which the neighbour alluded to confirmed. Sergeant Moore, of the Sydney Police, deposed that on searching, after the deceased's death, he found under the bolster of the bed, her pocket containing one £10 note, one £5 note, two half-sovereigns in gold eighteen shillings in silver, and four-pence halfpenny in copper.

Sergeant Coyle deposed to finding the pane of glass by the side of the yard, where it had been carefully placed . It fitted the aperture from whence it had been removed, and the putty around it was quite fresh. This closed the evidence, and the coroner in summing up, passed a well merited compliment on the Police for the activity they had displayed as within a few hours after the commission of the deed, all persons supposed to be implicated had been secured, and a vast mass of facts all tending to detect the really guilty parties, collected.

After going over the material parts of the evidence, which affected Skinner as a principal he called the attention of the Jury to the consideration of that portion affecting the woman Cadman, as to her knowledge of the deceased's having large sums of money in her possession, and where she kept it also respecting the handkerchief, and whether or not it had been given by her to Skinner, to use as a mask, or been innocently lent it to him, or whether he had taken it without her knowledge, or if she had advised or counselled him to commit the deed, she was equally guilty with him.

The Jury then retired, and after being absent for about a quarter of an hour returned. The Coroner stated he felt it his duty to call their notice to the circumstance of the little dog being taken away, and not being returned.

One of the jury however, stated that as it appeared she had been in the habit of feeding the dog it might have followed her. The Foreman then returned their finding of-Wilful Murder, against John Skinner and acquitted Ann Cadman. Skinner was then remanded to Sydney Gaol, under committal for trial, The inquiry lasted five hours, during the whole of which, such was the intense interest prevailing, that although the room was crowded to suffocation?

Was the alleged ghost sighting in 1866 was the ghost of Skinner letting himself in to Hoadley house to murder her for her money i9n 1845. and removing the pane to make it looked like look like a random break in murder?

No one knows for sure but  Hoadley house was across the road from the Red Cow inn?

Today all the building lost to hist buried under the new modern Parramata in the picture below.

Does Skinners ghost haunt the 21 century building in place of the original building?

Or is house the ghost almost lost to history?

Kanacki