John Thomas Biggar BARKLIMORE

A serial killer, Albert Moss, in the area at the time of the disappearance was rumoured to have killed John, along with several others whose remains were found at intervals along Brummagen Creek between Narromine/Dubbo in 1938. Moss was arrested and jailed in what is now known as Old Dubbo Gaol.

*Editor's note - This information comes from John's granddaughter Jane -

Apparently Albert Moss was alleged to be in the area with a pushbike at the time as an itinerant worker (or murderer, as I believe it to be true).

John Thomas was on his way out to Burnamwood Well on 01/01/1920 (about 18 miles from the homestead at "Innesowen") to pick up a couple of "poddy calves" and either move them or bring them home with him. Dad (8yrs.old) remembers wanting to go with him as he took him the fresh eggs his mother had packed for him for the trip. John must have been intending to make the trip over a few days, as it would have been well up in the 40's plus at that time of the year.

Stockmen were alerted when he hadn't returned on time and then a search was mounted. The police had black trackers to assist, but apparently the tracker dogs were in Victoria at the time and it was considered too far and would take too long to get them to Cobar. Remember they would have been about 100mls. from town searching for him.

The searchers found the buggy in readiness to go, with the horse/horses in their harness and their "winkers" on and the two orphaned calves tied up in the back as if he must have been ready to leave and return home when he was set upon.

There is an old timbered well on the site, an old set of cattle yards and a steam driven pumping engine, all of which were in use, in those days. All of these were thoroughly searched of course, but I wonder how thoroughly?

In 1970 the two shearers I mentioned earlier were actually hunting around for old bottles to add to their collection and when they asked Dad's permission to search any old camp sites on the property. When he showed them the spot and explained that this was the last known whereabouts of his father 50yrs.before, they decided that looking for his missing father at the site was much more interesting.

They proceeded to search everywhere and started to delve into the old hollow tree stumps that are everywhere and when they pulled the rusty kerosene tins out of one of them, (because this in itself would have seemed peculiar to anyone) there were the bones ( in the form of two large hands and the rib bones, which had been sawn through and burnt, the ebonite pipe stem and the six teeth. This is all that was found at the time of the search in 1970.

This was also the last time the police were in touch.

Can't help wondering where the rest of the bones are.

The results at the time said "the bones appear to be that of a large marsupial" (a pipe smoking variety with a denture!)

Whether the rumours were true or not, I don't know, but Moss was supposed to have told his cell mate at the time that there were actually "a baker's dozen" of his victims and the 13th one was in or near a well in the above area mentioned, although this was along tome afterwards.

If anyone reading has any knowledge or information about this very old case PLEASE let me know. John's son Thomas and his granddaughter Jane are anxious to know more about what happened.