Colin Campbell Eadie Ross (11 October 1892 – 24 April 1922) was an Australian wine-bar owner who was wrongfully convicted and executed for the murder of a child, which became known as the Gun Alley Murder, despite evidence of his innocence. Following his execution, efforts were made to clear his name, but it was not until the 1990s that the key evidence was re-examined using modern forensic techniques, in which the results confirmed Ross's innocence. As a result, an appeal for mercy was made to Victoria's Chief Justice in 2006, and on 27 May 2008 the Governor of Victoria pardoned Ross in what is believed to be an Australian legal first.
Life
Colin Ross was born in Fitzroy North, Melbourne, Victoria, the third of five children born to Thomas and Elizabeth Ross. Thomas Ross died in 1900 leaving his wife to care for the five young children, including one who was newborn. Consequently, none of the children were well educated, each one leaving school as early as possible to find work to help support the family. Colin began working at a local quarry at the age of 11, and over the following years he worked as a labourer and later as a wardsman at the Broadmeadows army hospital. In 1920, Elizabeth Ross became the manager of the Donnybrook Hotel, thirty kilometres north of Melbourne, with Colin as partner and another of her sons, Ronald, as licensee.
During this time, Colin Ross began a relationship with Lily May Brown, who worked in a Melbourne hotel. On 5 March 1920, Ross asked Brown to marry him, and when she refused he produced a revolver. He followed her onto a tram and continued to threaten her until she agreed to meet him later in the day. Instead, Brown contacted police and a plain-clothes detective was present when she kept her appointment with Ross. He was charged with using threatening words and for carrying firearms without permission. On the charge of using threatening words he was sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment, which was suspended on his entering into a twelve-month good behaviour bond, and was fined for carrying the firearm.
In April 1921 the Ross family returned to Melbourne, where Colin, with his brothers Stanley and Ronald, bought a wine shop at the Eastern Arcade in the business centre of Melbourne. After the purchase of the shop, renamed "The Australian Wine Saloon", the Ross brothers continued the employment of its barmaid, Ivy Matthews. She later commented that the saloon had previously attracted a quiet and respectable clientele, but that the Ross brothers were willing to serve anyone, which resulted in the saloon being frequented by alcoholics and criminals. Other tenants in the building resented the intrusion of the wine bar's customers, who reportedly drank to excess, vomited and urinated in the arcade, and made lewd comments to passing women.
On 13 October 1921, one of the saloon's customers was robbed in the outdoor lavatory of the premises, and was shot during a struggle with his assailant. His wound was not serious, but he was unable to give an account of events to police due to the large amount of alcohol he had consumed. An investigation revealed that his assailant was a young English traveller, Frank Walsh, who had spent most of his money and who had been approached by Colin Ross to rob the customer on the understanding that the proceeds would be shared between them. Ross and Walsh were arrested and charged with armed robbery. Ross's comments to police incriminated Matthews, who had until that point refused to discuss the matter. Following a visit by Ross's mother, Matthews began to his behalf, and at the same time began referring to herself as the saloon's manager and drawing money from the saloon's account. Ross made no further attempt to draw Matthews to the attention of police. He was acquitted of the armed robbery charge, but Walsh was sentenced to six months hard labour. Following Ross's acquittal, his brother Stanley confronted Matthews and dismissed her from her position.
Murder
On the afternoon of 30 December 1921, 12-year old Alma Tirtschke's grandmother sent her on an errand. She was to collect a package of meat from a butcher's shop in Swanston Street, Melbourne, and take it a short distance to Collins Street to deliver it to her aunt. The errand should have taken no more than fifteen minutes and when Alma, who was known to be reliable and obedient, failed to return home, her grandmother became alarmed. She was reported as missing, and the police, along with the Tirtschke family, searched for Alma through the night. Early the next morning, Alma's naked body was found in Gun Alley, a laneway off Little Collins Street, near the address Alma had been sent to. She had been raped and strangled.