Jenny

The tragedy that unfolded near Cottesloe in 1897, and the various reports that were told shed some light about the way in which Immigrants names were documented and became to be known.

Many would assimilate and eventually adopt an English name, and this story provides a good example of how newspapers often reported conflicting stories and differing names. Incidentally, the surname “Canale” or “Canali”, is commonly found in the Northern part of Italy.

At around 10am on the morning of 29 November 1897, three Italian fishermen named W. Canalli (also referred to as William Connelly or Connolly), A. Pressa (also referred to as Arthur Preffe or Pressl), and Frank Bussery (also referred to as Frank Buffers or Bussers), left Safety Bay for the purpose of fishing for schnapper at Thirsty Bay. They were in a fishing smack named Jeannie, or Jennie, or Jenny, owned by Captain Dalton, of Fremantle.

When they reached the spot where they hoped to get a haul of schnapper, they cast anchor and remained there overnight. The next day the weather was very wild, the boat being continually swamped with heavy seas, and the anchor was unable to keep the “smack” at a standstill in the face of the raging elements.

There are conflicting reports in the local newspaper articles about what happened next. Some stated the boat capsized at about 4pm and the three men all clung to the side of the boat for over an hour, before being washed up at Cottesloe Beach by the prevailing winds. Canalli became exhausted, lost his hold, and was drowned during this time.

The Police report states the boat was washed ashore at the bottom of Forrest Street in Cottesloe. The Daily News provided a conflicting report, and it better reflects the official Police findings, which states the occupants had become “powerless”, but falls short of declaring it had capsized stating, “eventually (the boat) got within “cooee” of Cottesloe Beach, but, seeing no one about, Canalli decided to try to swim ashore and take a tow-line. He had not gone far when it was seen that he was in difficulties, and Bussery jumped overboard to his assistance, but Canalli disappeared beneath the waters. Pressa, by dint of hard work, managed to get the boat in the direction of the spot where Bussery was floundering in the water, and he was taken into the boat. In the meantime, the state of affairs had been witnessed from the beach and while some went for Constable Huxtable, who was nearby, others hurried to the assistance of the men in the smack. Constable Huxtable was quickly on the scene, and he and others managed to bring Bussery and Pressa ashore. The former was in an exhausted state, and it was at first thought that he was dead. Efforts to restore animation were made, and although they were successful, the man continued in such a weak condition that it was considered advisable that he should be seen by a doctor.

A man named Black kindly put his horse and trap at the convenience of the police, and Constable Huxtable conveyed Bussery to the Cottesloe Police Station, whence he was taken by train to Perth, and lodged in the hospital. At a late hour last night, he had recovered consciousness, and was sleeping soundly. Pressa was none the worse for his adventures. It was ascertained by the police that Canalli, the man who was drowned, was unmarried, and had been residing for some time at the Union dining-rooms, Fremantle”.

Canalli’s body was recovered on 2 December 1897 by Constable Huxtable, near the same spot in the surf where the boat had washed ashore. An inquest was held at Jacoby’s Bohemia Hall on 3 and 8 December. A verdict of “Accidental death by drowning” was found with no cause attributable. He is buried in the East Perth Cemetery under the name “William Connelly”.

Frank Bussery appears later in the West Australian newspaper, where he uses the alias surname “Keisling”. He was found guilty and imprisoned to one month in prison for mistreating his horse, which he was using for his regular fish round.