Herbert William Fradd 1887

Herbert William Fradd was born on the 22^nd of November 1887 at Stony Gap in South Australia; the eldest of 7 children born to William Phillip and Hannah Tasker Fradd [nee Warner]  


Stony Gap was principally farming country situated about 10 miles south of Kooringa (Burra, South Australia).

The Harvest, Burra.

The first load of this season’s wheat was received at Burra and the yield is nearly 20 bushels per acre. I have seen a splendid sample brought in from Stony Gap which will go over 20 bushels per acre. A farmer residing in a Hundred of Bright notes that the crops in that district are really grand and the yield will be very large.  South Australian Register, November 29^th 1889

Herbert’s very early childhood would have been spent in and around Burra until his family moved to Minburra Station when Herbert was about 5 years old. Minburra Station in the Hundred of Waroonee was a pastoral township 91 miles north of Burra and 28 miles north east of Orroroo comprising of 175,558 acres.


Then in about 1896 the family moved to Beetaloo Valley where William brought a property and farmed sheep. Herbert’s father was quite often mentioned at agricultural shows in the district for champion merino sheep.

 

Fig. 1 Herbert William Fradd ~  21 Years Of Age 

Herbert married Edith Maud Hill of Clare on the 14^th October in 1914 and raised a family of 8 children, 5 in Laura and 3 in Crystal Brook. He was listed as living on West Terrace in Laura with the occupation of a Farm Labourer and was also a Shearer. He resided in Butlers Bridge in 1930 when he was charged with hindering police.

Scuffle In Hotel ~ Alleged Hindering ~Defendant Fined £2.

Herbert William Fradd pleaded not guilty at the Port Pirie Police Court yesterday when charged with having hindered Mounted Constable Tucker while in the execution of his duty in endeavoring to arrest an unknown man at the Port Pirie Hotel on Saturday, March 1^st.

Sergeant Thoroughgood conducted the prosecution, and Mr. C. K. Sparrow appeared for the defendant.

Mounted Constable Tucker, from Port Adelaide, told the Court that on Saturday, March 1^st with Constable Pearce, he entered the Pirie Hotel at about 5 p.m.

They went into the bar-room and he saw a man with a book in his hand, and witness believed him to be a bookmaker. Witness said to him: "I am a police constable” and made a grab at the book.

The man threw the book out of a window. Witness went to get the book when the man grabbed him by the neck, and pulled him back. The defendant then pulled his coat off and interfered.

Witness called to Pearce to get the book. The defendant pushed witness in the chest. Witness said: "I am a police constable, and tried to walk past him.
The defendant again pushed witness in the chest, and witness said: "You know who I am?" The defendant said: "I don't care who you are. You'll do me." Witness arrested the accused. On the way to the station, the accused said he had one or two drinks, but he did not mean anything.

Witness said: "Why did you pull your coat off?" The accused did not reply. Had the accused not interfered, witness would have been able to arrest the unknown man who disappeared.

In reply to Mr. Sparrow, witness said there were about 23 or 30 people in the bar at the time. “Had you told anyone there that you were not police officers that afternoon?” No.

Witness said “He did not notice the accused when he first entered the bar. He took particular notice of the unknown man with the book. He was standing with his back to the black board. Two men were standing in front of him” Witness then made a grab at the book.

You had a scuffle with the unknown man, didn't you? Yes.

“Didn't you make an attempt to get hold of him?”  I thought Pearce would stop and arrest the man, and I would get the book.”

Witness said the other man had hold of him round the neck. He freed himself.

You were a bit excited? Not more than ordinarily in the circumstances.

Witness said when he freed himself the accused pulled off his coat and interfered.

The accused, said witness, was very obstinate, and appeared to be excited.

Didn't you arrest somebody else that same afternoon? No.

Did Pearce? Not that I know of.

Isn't it a fact that you bumped into the accused, and he said: "Who are you bumping?" No.

Witness said there were several men bumping about at the time. He would not suggest that they were trying to hinder him. The accused had had a good spin. He pushed witness two or three times before he arrested him.

Corroborative evidence was given, by Mounted Constable Pearce, of Port Adelaide. Witness said when he rushed out the door to get the book he saw a man running in the alleyway. He ran after the man and caught him. The man had no book in his possession. Witness returned to the hotel where Tucker told him that he had arrested the defendant.

Witness said the unknown man with the book got the best of the scuffle with Tucker. "A man could not do much with a headlock on him."

Mr. Scott: Are you familiar with wrestling terms. Witness: Yes.
Mr. Sparrow: I understand that you are a welterweight champion boxer. Yes.

Herbert William Fradd, of Butlers Bridge, said he spent the best part of the afternoon in question at the Pirie Hotel. At about 5.10 there was a scuffle in the bar and he’d looked round, and walked over to where it was, and someone had pushed right into him. It was Constable Tucker but he did not know him at the time.

Defendant said "Who are you pushing?" Tucker said “If you don't get out of my road, I'll show you who I am". Defendant said "You'll do me."

Tucker then said: "Come outside."

When defendant went outside, Tucker arrested him.

Defendant did not know that Tucker was a police officer until he got outside. Tucker did not say he was a police officer until he got out side.

Defendant had taken off his coat inside the bar. Defendant was arrested and lodged in the cell.

Sergeant Thoroughgood: “How many drinks did you have that afternoon?”

Defendant: “I never took count of them. I may have had half a dozen”

“You had too much drink.” “No I did not”.

“Why did you pull off your coat?” “I thought" there was going to be a fight.”

Mr. Scott: “And you wanted to be in it?”

“Not necessarily. A man has got to look after himself.”

“Do you know if there is a book maker in the hotel?”  “I don't know; Im not interested in racing”.

Mr. Sparrow contended that there was insufficient evidence to show the defendant, had hindered the police.

The magistrate found the defendant guilty, and imposed a fine of £2 and costs.
The Recorder, Tuesday 4^th March 1930

Herbert was employed as a Waterworks Inspector with the Engineering &Water Supply Department when living at Crystal Brook. He umpired football matches and was a member of the Buffalo Lodge. 

Herbert died on the 19^th of March 1955 and was buried in the Crystal Brook Cemetery, South Australia.