The Mysterious and Sinister Case of Mary Schippan

Today we will be looking at a case from the very start of the 20th century so sit back as we go to Australia on the 7th of February 1854 a ship from Germany docked in Adelaide South Australia among the passengers with the ship and family consisting of Mr Martin ship and his wife Anna and their two young boys 5-year-old Martin and three-year-old matys after a 4mon journey the ship and settled in the Barosa Valley region eventually settling in the locality of ttta which is about 70 mi from Adelaide the family came from Germany but they’re actually wendish a culture characterized by a rich Heritage of Slavic Traditions language music and Customs like many immigrants who came to Australia from Germany in the 1850s Martin and an shiam established a farm within a close-nit community centered around the Lutheran Faith they worked alongside fellow settlers who shared their values and relied on the church for both worship and social Gatherings however tragedy struck when soon after arriving in South Australia Anna died this had a profound effect on Martin who turned to drinking as a means of coping with his grief the once vibrant and hopeful Man became increasingly withdrawn and despondent struggling to find solace in the wake of his devastating personal loss both boys helped on the farm and grew into hardworking and responsible young men they’re Adept at handling the demands of Rural Life and contributing to the family’s livelihood

In 1874 matth who is now 24 years old began courting a lady named Johanna Louise Elizabeth D like matthys Johanna had also come to Australia as a child after spending her first 10 years in Prussia the courtship was quite short and they married on the 23rd of July 1874 at the Lutheran Chapel in Eden Valley before starting their new life together in totter life was good for them and they seemed to find contentment in the Simplicity of their daily routines over the next few years Johanna gave birth to seven children the first Pauline austa was born in 1875 next came Maria known to everyone as Mary she was followed by KL Frederick Henrik Yohan and August vilhelm who was better known as Gustav next came vham Johan and their last child was Johanna Elizabeth affectionately known as Bera

Mata shien was a Stern and disciplined man deeply devoted to his family’s welfare and dedicated to his farm he expected his children to contribute and uphold strong moral values however his temper and demanding nature occasionally caused tensions within the family in 1896 he was arrested and charged with shooting with intent and causing Grievous bodily harm to Carl August Hartwig a 20-year-old who lived on a nearby Farm during the trial which began on the 11th of August it was alleged that Mr shien was provoked by KL Hartwick and three other teenage boys he then in a fit of rage shot the young man in the left leg between the knee and the ankle however despite the serious accusations when all the evidence was heard the jury deliberated for only 10 minutes before Del ing a verdict of not guilty following his time in court matthus shien became increasingly reclusive channeling all his energy and focus into his farm the trial and the subsequent public scrutiny seemed to have had a profound impact on him leading him to withdraw from social interactions

In 1899 another tragedy struck the shien family Pauline shien matys and johanna’s eldest child fell seriously ill with IA despite efforts to care for her her condition worsened on the 6th of December she died at the young age of 24 paulene’s death was a devastating blow to the family and they struggled to cope with their loss as the months passed the two eldest boys Carl and hendrik found work on farms away from Twitter and left the family home the girls Mary and Bertha started working for a fruit preserving Factory named Smith and sons while 18-year-old Gustav and 15-year-old vilhelm assisted their father on the farm at the end of December 1901 Mattis and Johanna traveled to Eden Valley a small town in the barasa ranges about 20 km from twit they plan to stay there for a few days leaving behind their four children that lived at home to look after the house and the farm this Arrangement Was Not Unusual as Mr and Mrs ship and often left them in charge for short periods they were accustomed to handling Farm duties in their parents’ absence demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility and capability that year matthys had started building a new house for the family he also constructed new farm buildings including a Tin Shed behind the house where Gustav and velm would usually sleep

On the morning of the 1st of January Gustaf Rose early and went hunting while his brother and two sisters remained at home he successfully shot several parrots and returned by 8:00 a.m. just in time for breakfast he spent the rest of the day attending to the Sheep his brother also spent much of the afternoon away from the house and they both returned around the same time after having something to eat their sisters went to bed the two boys exhausted from their day’s work retired to the Tin Shed and quickly fell asleep however just a few hours later the boys were startled awake by screams coming from the main house while they tried to make sense of what was going on Mary suddenly appeared she was visibly shaken and told her brothers that that she had been awakened by a sensation of a heavy weight on her chest she said that when she opened her eyes she saw a man looming over her although finding it difficult to speak she went on to say how she had began to struggle desperate to get out of the man’s grip and while doing so she had her head slammed into something in the room now breathing quite heavily she added that during the altercation she heard something fall on the floor the distinct metallic clink of an object made her believe it was a knife she then said that as the man turned his attention to trying to find the object she fled she told her brothers that they could not go back into the house as she feared that the Intruder was still inside instead she told them that they needed to run to the nearest neighbor for help Gustav quickly got up and ran the one kilometer to the house of Mr Hank leaving Mary and vilhelm in the sheds however when Mr Hank opened his door and gusta told him that there was a strange man in their house he just Shrugged his shoulders and told him that it was probably only someone playing a trick he then said that if they really needed assistance they should fetch the Constable gustaff ran back to the shed where Mary and vilhelm were waiting although quite afraid the three of them went over to the house cautiously they lit the lamp and could make out that there was blood on the kitchen floor but they could not see Bera they shouted her name but received no reply the bedroom door was closed and they were scared to open it now fr thre ened the three of them went to the house of Mr Lambert the local constable and asked him to come at once

When Constable Lambert reached the ship and home he cautiously went inside he opened the bedroom door and was met with a gruesome sight lying on the floor in a pool of blood was 13-year-old Bera shien it was instantly clear how she had died her throat had been cut knowing that there was nothing more he could do at that hour conable Lambert took Mary and the boys back to his home for the night when the sun rose on the second of January he passed the news on to Constable mry who then sent a telegram to the police commissioner informing him of the incident word was sent to matys and Johanna shippen and they immediately set off home the following day Bera was laid to rest at the sedan Cemetery as words spread about the callous murder of a young girl public outrage grew and the authorities faced mounting pressure to solve the mystery and bring the perpetrator to Justice the heinous crime committed against such a young and vulnerable girl had shocked the community

The police Enlisted the help of renowned native Australian tracker considered the best in his field despite finding no evidence of any stranger near the ship and property he did identify Mr mat shien’s Footprints which he determined to be no more than 2 days old however the police dismissed this finding as they knew that at the time Mr shien was 20 km away at her relative’s house in flaxman Valley on the 9th of January Mr Jay Mulligan the local coroner arrived to conduct an examination into bera’s murder he meticulously inspected the scene Gathering crucial evidence his findings were then presented to a jury of six men who formed part of an official inquest into the crime the jury was responsible for examining the evidence and helping to determine the circumstances surrounding bera’s tragic death but corer told the inquest that Bera died due to a cut to her throats and it was his opinion that she would have died within seconds of receiving the Fatal cut he said that the young girl was covered in various scrapes and abrasions which suggested that she had vant tried to defend herself he advised that two knives are found inside the home as was a bowl of water that contained a slight trace of blood in the kitchen a blood soaked towel was discovered which had some hair upon it this was significant because when Mary was examined following the Fateful murder it was clear that she had been involved in an altercation she had a bruise on her right shoulder scrapes on her elbows and scratches across the upper portion of her right arm her Knuckles and legs were also bruised Mary had been wearing a pink blouse and a blue skirt which were scrutinized in great detail curiously several blood stains were found on the skirts

During the inquest Mary confirmed that she had another blouse that was blue and this was important as a bloodstained blue cuff and sleeve fragment had been discovered beneath bir’s body yet that was all that was found no other part of the blue blouse was ever located additionally there were inconsistencies regarding Mary’s hair when she had been examined by the doctor he noted that her hair had very recently been washed this seemed strange as it was confirmed that she had not washed her hair while staying at Constable Lambert’s residence these discrepancies led to further questions how did Mary get blood on her if she hadn’t been near ber of that night and where and when did she wash her hair could this all have been an attempt to conceal evidence the timing and circumstances seemed suspicious raising doubts about her actions and intentions and some suggested that she might have been trying to hide something the authorities press Mary and her family about the blood stains but they maintained that these were only present as Mary had been helping with the slaughtering of the sheep earlier in the week

Constable Lambert told the inquest that there had been no signs that anyone had forced entry into the house and Gustaf shien confirmed that went out on the farm on the 1st of January he had not seen any strangers about however it was St ated that after the conable had found the poor dead girl he just locked the door and returned with the three ship and children to his house leaving the crime scene unprotected and unwatched it was suggested that the perpetrator may have been able to return to the property to conceal any traces of the crime an important evidence might have been removed the jury carefully considered all the evidence presented especially the physical evidence which included Mary’s injuries and the blood stains on her clothes after an hour of deliberation they reached a conclusion they handed the verdict to Mr malagan asserting that it was their opinion that it was in fact Mary shippen and not a stranger who had murdered Bera the verdict stunned the courtroom into profound silence leaving everyone momentarily speechless Spectators exchanged bewildered glances but their murmers and Whispers were conspicuously absent Mary sat emotionless her face devoid of any reaction however a few moments later she began to sob her face now in the hands of the legal system she was taken into custody and would stand trial for bera’s murder

The community already shaken by the brutal crime was now gripped by the Revelation that the young lady was accused of killing her own sister the case was already Sensational but now became a media frenzy newspapers across South Australia published details accounts of the investigation the inquest and the jury’s decision the notion of a sister accused of such a heinous act captivated The public’s imagination and the story was widely covered sparking intense debates and discussions in households across Australia the impending trial promised to be a dramatic and emotionally charged event it highlighted not only the tragic loss of a young life but also the complexities of family relationships and The Quest For Justice in a tight-knit community the trial would scrutinize every aspect of the ship and family’s life laying be their private sorrows and struggles to the scrutiny of the public and the the Press alike

Mary’s trial began in March 1902 it was held in Adelaide and lasted 6 days Mary was represented by Sir Josiah Simmon a gentleman who is considered one of the best barristers in South Australia a neighbor of the shippens had helped pay the fee but money wasn’t his only motivator he believed that his client was innocent of the crime for which she had been charged and was convinced that the true perpetrator was in fact a man named Gustaf nka a 21-year-old laborer who had been conducting an improper relationship with Mary Gustaf nka had been interviewed by detective Fraser following the murder and when in court repeated much of the statement that he had given at the time he said that he had been keeping company with Mary for about 12 months and that he was at the ship and farm on the Sunday before New Year’s Day He said I came on Sunday afternoon and only Mary was home Mr and Mrs shippen were away over the hills he added that when Bertha returned home that day she was with him and Mary for a while in the kitchen and he jokingly asked her if she would like to go to town with him when asked how Bertha replied he said that she told him to ask Mary and then she went to bed and that he never saw her alive again

When challenged about his whereabouts on the night of the murder he said that he was in the house of Mr schan ofelt in Carrington Street in Adelaide this in fact was confirmed by Mr Shelt who told the court that he had employed the young man to take a wagon from from sedan to Adelaide on the 31st of December 1901 he added that he saw him again at different times during the following day and again at 9 and 11: p.m. he also said that he saw him again on both the 2 and the 3rd of January this meant that if Mr nka was in adels he could not have killed Bera shien despite having a seemingly solid Alibi for the night of the murder which had been heard by everyone in courts so Josiah Simmon still somehow managed to cause suspicion on Gustaf nitka he convincingly argued that not only had the young man treated Mary poorly but also driven a wedge between the two sisters he skillfully manipulated the evidence to create a compelling narrative that cast significant doubt on the young man’s character and motives he even highlighted that Mr nitka was engaged to another young woman from a wealthier family presenting her as a far better Prospect for marriage these intricate details and personal grievances painted a vivid picture of his potential to commit such an act which somehow managed to overshadow the strength of his Alibi

When all the evidence had been heard the jury was sent out to deliberate they spent 2 hours going over what they heard before returning with their verdict they found the defendant Miss Mary shien not guilty her family and supporters nodded in approval and Mary glanced at her Barrister and offered a warm smile silently conveying her gratitude and relief however she was deeply affected by the ordeal and after the trial she returned to the farm but rarely ventured out instead she lived as a recluse shunning the community and retreating into Solitude despite there never being any concrete evidence linking Gustaf nitka to the crime following the trial and under the weight of extreme public scrutiny and suspicion he decided to change his name and relocate far from Twitter his departure was an attempt to escape the shadow of the accusations and rebuild his life away from the place where his reputation had been so tarnished

In 1919 Mary’s life took a further tragic turn when she contracted tuberculosis by July of that same year she succumbed to the illness passing away in the care of her mother and her brother Gustav her death marked the quiet end of a Life overshadowed by sorrow and isolation over a 100 years later the question still lingers who killed Bera shien did her older sister snap that night or did an intruder sneak inside and turned the quart family home into a house of horrors some believed that the person responsible was in fact mat shien he had a reputation for having a terrible temper and it is said that Bera had threatened to expose him as he had murdered a local pedler who had visited their home to sell goods and became a bit too friendly with Mrs shien but how could matys have committed the murder if he was away with his wife there are claims that he got up that night rode on horseback down from Eden Valley Cut bera’s Throat Thro and rode back again it was said that one of the ship and horses was still wet with perspiration in the morning following the murder while the other remained dry however many familiar with the area argued that it would have been impossible for matthys to cover such a distance and then return again over such rough Terrain in the middle of the night

The ship and family continued living in their house for a few years but the weight of their daughter’s tragic murder grew too heavy in 1908 they made the decision to relocate to the small village of light pass in 1911 Mata shien died and there are rumors that he confessed to the crime on his deathbed that these claims remained unverified and speculative meanwhile many who have studied the case in detail believe that Mary shien got away with murder their analysis of the evidence and circumstances surrounding the incident leads them to suspect that Mary rather than matthys or an unknown Intruder was a true perpetrator of this heinous act the debate however continues and the true identity of Bertha shien killer remains shrouded in mystery hello everyone and thank you so much for listening as usual please leave any comments or feedback you may have and I hope to see you all again in the next brief case