Biography

The deceased was found by Peter McLaughlan with his throat gashed, half a mile from Gaffney and party's camp, where he was staying on his way to Linden. He was thirty-nine years of age. Salmon was found alive, but was unable to speak, and at 7.30 on 12 September, he died. He had been brought in from Mount Remarkable.

The jury of the Coroner's Inquest held at Kookynie on 17 September 1908, brought in a verdict of "Suicide while of unsound mind."

The deceased had spent his first 25 years living in South Australia before arriving in Western Australia. His father, Manus Salmon, was born about 1865 in Ireland. He married Ellen Vaughan on 3 June 1857 and his second marriage, in 12 February 1881 was to Mary Neagle. The children born to the first marriage were: Margaret born 25 December 1865; Michael 19 December 1868; Minnie born 18 May 1872; Edward born 7 July 1874. A further ten children were fathered by Manus in his second marriage. Manus died 23 February 1922 at Croydon, South Australia. Ellen died 29 January 1915 at Hindmarsh, South Australia.