Editing C. Y. O'Connor (section)

==Death==
[[Image:CY O'Connor, Fremantle Cemetery.jpg|175px|thumb|The grave of C. Y. O'Connor, [[Fremantle Cemetery]]]]
O'Connor was subjected to prolonged criticism by members of the press and also many members of the [[Parliament of Western Australia|Western Australian Parliament]] over the scheme.<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1224183.htm George Negus Tonight] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061101034533/http://www.abc.net.au/gnt/history/Transcripts/s1224183.htm |date=1 November 2006 }} Transcript of broadcast 6:30 pm on 18 October 2004. Retrieved 19 August 2006.</ref> John Forrest, always a supporter, had left Western Australian politics to become federal defence minister. Defamatory attacks by the press had wounded O'Connor.<ref name="ADB" />

Evans describes how political machinations and individual greed led to many libellous newspaper articles about O'Connor towards the end of the pipeline project. One article in particular in ''The Sunday Times'', 9 February 1902,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32722146|title=CORRUPTION BY CONTRACT – CHUMMY GOUSTON AND O'CONNOR. THE PIPE TRACK SCANDAL. Toadies and Tricksters Who Should be Tried. – West Australian Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1897–1902) – 9 Feb 1902|newspaper=West Australian Sunday Times|date=9 February 1902 |access-date=2016-04-10}}</ref> by its editor, [[Thomas Walker (Australian politician)|Thomas Walker]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1293&context=theses_hons|title=A paper for the people : The Sunday Times 1897–1905|last=Byers|first=Karen|date=1993|website=ECU Honours Thesis|page=12,32}}</ref> continuing a campaign against O'Connor by Walker's deceased predecessor [[Frederick Vosper]], is thought to have contributed to his death. Accusing O'Connor of corruption, it read, in part:

{{cquote|... And apart from any distinct charge of corruption this man has exhibited such gross blundering or something worse, in his management of great public works it is no exaggeration to say that he has robbed the taxpayer of this state of many millions of money&nbsp;... This crocodile imposter has been backed up in all his reckless extravagant juggling with public funds, in all his nefarious machinations behind the scenes by the kindred-souled editor of ''[[The West Australian]]''. —(Evans&nbsp;2001:219)
}}

The government conducted an inquiry into the scheme and found no basis for the press accusations of corruption or misdemeanours on the part of O'Connor.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/intranet/libpages.nsf/WebFiles/Royal+Commission+Coolgardie+water+scheme+1902/$FILE/Coolgardie+Water+Scheme+b.pdf|title=Royal Commission into the Coolgardie water scheme|publisher=Parliament of Western Australia|access-date=10 April 2016}}</ref> Thomas Walker claimed vindication as the Royal Commission into the Coolgardie Water Scheme found "of the degree to which his [O'Connor's] implicit trust had been misplaced [in Thomas C. Hodgson, the Engineer in Charge of the Coolgardie Water Scheme]<ref name=":1" />... unbalanced an already overstrained mind".<ref name=":0" />

It is claimed that local [[Noongar]] [[Aboriginal Australians|Aboriginal]] people, unhappy with his destruction of the limestone bar across the [[Swan River (Western Australia)|Swan River]] at [[Point Walter]], placed a curse on O'Connor. and that "... they sang him to make him crazy", and his suicide was the result.<ref>[http://www.drivewa.com/item/184/c-y-o-connor-tragic-brilliant-misunderstood-genius.html C.Y. O'Connor – tragic, brilliant, misunderstood, genius] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331072742/http://www.drivewa.com/item/184/c-y-o-connor-tragic-brilliant-misunderstood-genius.html |date=31 March 2012 }} www.drivewa.com Retrieved July 2011.</ref><ref>[http://www.creativespirits.info/australia/western-australia/fremantle/aboriginal-heritage#oconnor Aboriginal Heritage: CY O'Connor] www.creativespirits.info Retrieved July 2011.</ref> O'Connor took his own life on 10 March 1902 by shooting himself at the water's edge after riding his horse to [[South Fremantle, Western Australia|Robb Jetty]], south of Fremantle. Less than a year later, Forrest officially commissioned the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24740578|title=THE LATE MR. C. Y. O'CONNOR, C.M.G. – THE INQUEST. EVIDENCE OF MENTAL ABERRATION. DECEASED'S RESENTMENT OF ATTACKS.|date=14 March 1902|work=The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879–1954)|access-date=2016-04-10}}</ref>