Tragedy on the Turf

On 19 March 1906, the gold-mining township of Bulong celebrated St Patrick’s Day with an “exempted mixed sports meeting” that drew crowds to the local recreation reserve. What should have been a day of festive competition ended in a tragedy that exposed the “loose and incompetent” standards of early goldfields racing and led to a high-profile manslaughter trial in the Kalgoorlie Circuit Court.^{1 2 3}

The day’s final event was the Forced Handicap. Albert James Windsor, a well-regarded 18-year-old jockey, was given the mount on a horse named Umber. Tensions were high before the start; Windsor reportedly told his stepfather and Umber’s owner, John Coen, that other jockeys had threatened him, saying, “They would settle me this time”. Windsor was so apprehensive that he unsuccessfully attempted to swap his starting position to the outside rail to avoid being “blocked”.^{4 5 6}

As the field turned into the straight, Philosopher and Little Katie led, with Umber trailing by two lengths. Umber made a spirited run on the inside, drawing level with the leaders near the post. Witnesses testified that the rider of Philosopher, Victor Perry, deliberately pulled his horse across the track to block Umber’s path. The interference was so severe that Umber was “wilfully bored” off the course and into the surrounding crowd. In the ensuing chaos, Umber fell, striking several spectators before rolling over Windsor.^{7 8}

Windsor was rushed to Bulong Hospital and later transferred to Kalgoorlie. He had sustained a fractured spine, leaving his body paralysed below the waist. Despite his clear intellect until the end, his condition was hopeless; he succumbed to respiratory failure on 2 April 1906.^{9 10}

Victor Perry, who had fled Bulong an hour after the race, was eventually arrested and charged with manslaughter. His trial opened in June 1906 before Mr Justice Burnside. The prosecution presented a damning case, including testimony from John Coen that Perry had offered to “pull” (deliberately lose) his horse earlier that day for a fee, which Coen had refused.^{11 12}

Perry’s defence argued that the incident was a mere racing accident, claiming Philosopher had a “bad mouth” and had swerved naturally toward the rails. However, the jury was not convinced by the claim that a horse would naturally swerve nearly nine yards across a 35-foot track.¹³

On 22 June 1906, the jury returned a verdict of guilty. They added a “strong recommendation to mercy,” citing the “remarkably dangerous” nature of the Bulong course and the “general loose methods” of the meeting’s stewards. Justice Burnside, while acknowledging the jury’s recommendation, sentenced Perry to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour in Fremantle Gaol. He remarked that Perry had “deliberately infringed” the rules of sport to prevent a competitor from winning, resulting in a disastrous loss of life.^{14 15}

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Sources

1. ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER (1906, June 22). Coolgardie Miner (WA : 1894 – 1911), p. 4. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article218120555 ↩︎
2. Wikipedia (2022). Bulong, Western Australia. Retrieved 18 Mar 2026 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulong,_Western_Australia ↩︎
3. BULONG MANSLAUGHTER CASE. (1906, June 26). Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 – 1916), p. 12. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33036171 ↩︎
4. The Bulong Racing Fatality. (1906, May 1). Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 – 1916), p. 18. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33034239 ↩︎
5. Bulong Racing Fatality. (1906, April 12). The Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1954), p. 6. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89619313 ↩︎
6. Bulong Racing Fatality. (1906, April 11). The Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1954), p. 6. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89626477 ↩︎
7. MANSLAUGHTER (1906, April 11). The Evening Star (Boulder, WA : 1898 – 1921), p. 3 (SECOND EDITION). Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article204551063 ↩︎
8. The Bulong Racing Fatality. (1906, May 1). Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 – 1916), p. 18. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33034239 ↩︎
9. ibid ↩︎
10. Bulong Racing Fatality. (1906, April 11). The Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1954), p. 6. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89626477 ↩︎
11. The Bulong Racing Fatality. (1906, April 25). The Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1954), p. 4. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article89627506 ↩︎
12. ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER (1906, June 22). Coolgardie Miner (WA : 1894 – 1911), p. 4. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article218120555 ↩︎
13. ibid ↩︎
14. ibid ↩︎
15. BULONG MANSLAUGHTER CASE. (1906, June 26). Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 – 1916), p. 12. Retrieved March 18, 2026, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33036171 ↩︎