Corporal Archibald McArthur and indecent assault on Sadie Moss, storekeeper of Sydney Rd., Fawkner

This story (perhaps I should say saga) began with the short article you see below. 

Age, 27 May 1915 

I thought the research and the story would be straight forward, but nothing could be further from the truth. It took me in many unexpected directions, both forward and backward in time and also geographically.

So over the next few blog entries I'll share the story with you. Prepare to be amazed! (I was.)

To begin with, this 'Extraordinary case at Coburg'.

Corporal Archibald McArthur of the military camp at Broadmeadows was charged in Coburg Court on 25 May 1915 with having indecently assaulted Mrs S. Moss, storekeeper, Sydney Rd., Fawkner on 15 May. And as you can see here, Pte Archibald Vincent McArthur (from Mornington) of 14th Battalion lets it be known that he is NOT the same person.  .

The solider in question is 42 Pte Archibald George McArthur, A Coy, 22 Battalion. He was an 18 year old clerk from St Kilda and had only signed up a fortnight before the assault. At his court appearance he was fined £2 for common assault and his army papers were cancelled. The case even made it into Hansard.

(Images courtesy National Archives of Australia)

The press reported the case widely. The Brunswick and Coburg Leader gave an account of the assault under the headline 'Unlawful and indecent assault'. Other papers followed. It seems that a group of young soldiers came into Douglas's Store in Sydney Road, Fawkner at about 9pm on the 15 May and began to harass Mrs Sadie Moss who was serving them. McArthur and his friends 'had refreshments' and 'used filthy language' then McArthur 'behaved as if he wanted to ravish her', we are told. Mrs Moss said that when she told them to go, he tried to kiss her. She also said that he'd lifted up her clothes and undone his own clothes. This he denied.

At first the magistrates at the Coburg Court dismissed the case and discharged McArthur. Ephraim Moss, the defendant's husband, was outraged, wanted McArthur charged with attempted rape and caused such a stir that he was ordered to leave the court. Moss was supported by Cr Cash JP and also by the Sub-Inspector of Police who thought it was a 'scandalous, outrageous decision.' 

The case stirred enough moral outrage that a public meeting was called for 19 July 1915 at Coburg Town Hall to protest the current spate of sexual crimes, such as the one outlined here. Mrs Singleton was to preside at that meeting and the speakers were to be Vida Goldstein and Cecilia John. 

But there the trail runs out. Was the meeting ever held? I couldn't find any reference to it in the newspapers.

Finally, was this case a beat up? Making an example of a soldier at a time of moral panic? (Broadmeadows Camp had not been open very long and was constantly in the news.) We'll never know.

(Sources: Age, 26 May 1917, Argus, 26 May 1915, Age, 27 May 1915, Brunswick and Coburg Leader, 28 May 1915, Woman Voter, 10 June 1915, Woman Voter, 15 July 1915)

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And if you're wondering what happened to Archibald McArthur:

On 29 April 1916 he re-enlisted as 2224 Pte Archibald George McArthur. He said he'd never served before or been discharged before. He said he’d never been convicted by a civil power. And this was accepted.

He embarked on 1 August 1916 with the 4th Reinforcements, 59 Battalion but failed to re-embark in Fremantle on 15 May 1916 (along with three other soldiers). He left on another ship and arrived in France in December 1916. He had 56 days treatment for VD in late 1917. He went to Officer Training at Aldershot in January and February 1918 (as Batman to an officer attending the Senior Officer School at Aldershot). He was awarded the MM in June 1918. He remained in England for most of 1919. He transferred to the Australian Corps School in January 1919, broke his left ankle and was hospitalised until the end of April 1919. He finally returned to Australia in November 1919 and was discharged in Melbourne in early February 1920. There’s a note in his dossier saying he died on 30 September 1951.

In the next installment of this saga, I'll fill in some of the backstory relating to Sadie and Ephraim Moss of Fawkner.