Family History Mysteries

Ernest Bonner Page, under the stage name Professor Bonner, was a self-styled hypnotist, who toured the eastern states of Australia in the early part of the 20th century. His most famous act was when Bonner would hypnotise one of his men, Sam Williams. Sam would be blindfolded and while hypnotised, would ride a carriage through the streets to discover an article previously hidden by one of the town's gentlemen, usually the mayor or councillor. Sam would then be 'buried', causing him to sleep for 120 hours. Bonner would charge local people to view the burial. It would be publicised when Sam would be resurrected from the 'dead' and locals flocked to the circus tent.

Ernest Bonner Page, under the stage name Professor Bonner,was a self-styled hypnotist, who toured the eastern states of Australia in the early part of the 20th century.
His most famous act was when Bonner would hypnotise one of his men, Sam Williams. Sam would be blindfolded and while hypnotised, would ride a carriage through the streets to discover an article previously hidden by one of the town's gentlemen, usually the mayor or councillor. Sam would then be 'buried', causing him to sleep for 120 hours. Bonner would charge local people to view the burial. It would be publicised when Sam would be resurrected from the 'dead' and locals flocked to the circus tent.

Mary Kearney was a publican in Deniliquin NSW.
She tragically died in a fire at her establishment, the Commercial Hotel, in Deniliquin on the 14th February 1884.

Jockey Jack was a woman named May McDonald. In her early years she toured with circuses and buckjumping shows and then worked on properties. Jockey Jack got her nickname while working atGreg Greg station on the Upper Murray. The son of the station was Jack, and the family dubbed May as Jockey Jack because she rode as well as the other men, including Jack!
Acknowledgment to Marion Taylor of the Albury history group for the work she has done that was the basis of my episode.

On the afternoon of Tuesday 18 Sept 1883, Mr James Denham Pinnock, manager of the Ballarat branch of the Commercial Banking Company, prepared a gold shipment for transfer to the main office in Melbourne. The shipment contained 16 bars of gold (weighting over 120 pounds) and 670 pounds of mutilated notes which were sent to be destroyed.
The shipment went with Pinnock rail then by carriage to the head office in Collins St. It was 11pm so Alfred Corbett, a caretaker and messenger at head office secured the strong box in a lower bank vault until the morning.
At 10.20 the next morning Pinnock went to the safe and it was discovered pins had been inserted and bent into the keyhole. A locksmith was called, and when the safe was opened, it was empty!