Thanks to the super-diligent Debra Fasano, we now have links to two news reports concerning Keith Mangnoson’s first disappearance in 1940 (though with his name cunningly mis-spelled as “Magnussen”). Rather than being “early in the year” (as per the inquest report discussed before), Mangnoson actually disappeared on 1st October 1940, which explains away the slight timing discrepancies that I was a little uncomfortable with before.
Seeing as these reports have apparently gone unseen for 73 years, I think it’s worth reprinting them both in full here. The first report was from the front page of the Murray Pioneer and Australian River Record, Thursday 10th October 1940:
LOST IN THE BUSH
Searchers Save Life By a Few Hours
Keith Magnussen aged 33 years, has to thank the brothers Hall for finding him after he had been lost in the dense mallee bush in Maggea district last week. The young men were a section of a party looking for Magnussen. They saw in the distance an old horse trough, and riding up to it, found Magnussen lying in it in a semi-conscious condition and apparently dying.
On Wednesday last week a report was received by ‘phone at the Swan Reach police station by M.C. Ridge that a man named Keith Magnussen had disappeared in a mysterious fashion on Tuesday. M.C. Ridge, a capable officer, once stationed at Alawoona, immediately sought the services of Black Tracker Jimmy James, living on the opposite side of the river.
Both policeman and tracker then proceeded by car to Maggea, where they found that Magnussen had been employed for four months by Jack Dutton, a well known wood carter and cutter who is also postmaster at Maggea.Story of Disappearance
On Tuesday, it was learnt, Ernest Cook and a lad of Maggea, went out, accompanied by Magnussen, to inspect wood the latter had cut. The heaps were situated in dense mallee which covers a wide area of the district. They drove the lorry to three of the heaps and commenced loading them up, prior to carting them into Maggea. While this […….one] Magnussen said, “There is a fourth heap over there,” pointing to thick mallee some distance away. “I will walk over to that heap and wait there for you.” He then walked out of sight of the wood carters, who went on with their work.
Later, Cook drove his truck to the heap of wood, but could see no trace of Magnussen. Cook and the lad circled round the heap and peered through the scrub but could see no trace of Magnussen. They called out many times but there was no answer. After hunting round the wood stack without finding a trace of Magnussen. Cook went back to the Maggea post office and ‘phoned the Swan Reach police.Search Party
On the following day a search party was organized. It consisted of M.C. Ridge, Jimmy James, the Rev. G. H. Bayley (a clergyman bushman), Messrs. J. Dutton, E. Hendrlck, and others. The search continued until dark; the whole of the country being combed thoroughly without the lost man being found, though Jimmy James was still on what he thought was the man’s tracks.
M.C. Ridge then returned to Swan Reach, and Sergeant McElroy, of Loxton, took his place in charge of the search party. In company with P.C. Liebelt, the sergeant in his car went to Maggea and the search continued during the day.
At about noon on the Thursday, Maurice and Ross Hall, two keen-eyed bushmen who live at Wunkar, rode close to an old stone horse trough. They fancied they saw something peculiar looking in the trough. They rode up to it and saw a man apparently dead lying in it. Dismounting, the horsemen saw it was Magnussen in what looked to them, to be a dying condition.
Magnussen had no hat on and was dressed in dark clothes. He wore tan shoes and was semi-conscious. He could not speak when questioned, but revived slightly when given water with brandy in it. His head and arms were then bathed, and after a while he was placed in Henrick’s buckboard and taken to the Loxton Hospital.Temporary Loss of Memory?
Dr. Tanko found Magnussen in a very bad way, but thanks to the treatment received he recovered and is now reported to be making satisfactory progress.
From what can be ascertained Magnussen’s mind is a blank as to what happened to him after he had reached the Wood heap and walked some distance from it.
The second (and slightly later) report (from The Bunyip, Friday 18th October 1940, p.5) merely summarizes the first report, but I reproduce it here for the sake of completeness:-
LOST IN THE BUSH.
Last week the police at Swan Reach were advised that Keith Magnussen, 31 years, was lost in the bush out from Alawoona. The officer, with Tracker Jimmy James, went out and made an all-day search without result. Next day a full party was organised, and two young men, Brothers Hall, found the wanderer in an old horse trough in a semi-conscious condition and apparently dying. Magnussen was taken to hospital and is recovering.
The story is that Magnussen, with two others, went out to inspect wood that he had been cutting, the site being dense mallee. The lorry was driven to three heaps and loading commenced and Magnussen went off to locate the fourth heap. Later, the carters found the fourth heap, but could not locate Magnussen. They searched and hallo’ed without result, and after some hours drove to Maggea Post Office and advised the police. This was on Tuesday. At about noon on Thursday the brothers Hall, working with the search party, rode close to an old stone horse trough, and were struck by the peculiar something which appeared in the trough. It was Magnussen. He had no hat on, but otherwise was dressed. He could, not speak when questioned, but revived slightly when water and brandy were administered. He was then bathed with water brought by the party; and was taken to Loxton Hospital. The doctor found the sufferer in a very bad way. From what can now be learned, Magnussen’s mind became a blank after he had left to seek the fourth heap, and he had roamed off aimlessly into the bush.