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Last Words: Asked if the hangman was an expert at his job. Then said to the hangman while he was adjusting the noose "See that you fix that properly, and don't make me suffer any pain". The Sheriff asked if he had anything to say; "No, nothing at all, only I hope that my fate will be a warning to others". Indicating the crowd he said "I will wave my handkerchief (held in his hands which were tied in front of him) to them". When the hangman tried to put the black cap on he protested "I hope you'll not put that on me; I'd rather not; I'd rather not". The hangman pulled the bolt as Allen said "Lord, have mercy on me".
Notes: Allan and 3 others bludgeoned nightwatchman Cornelius Driscoll at Kingston Brewery and Distillery. They stole money from an office safe and escaped in a small boat. They were arrested and identified as men who had been making inquiries as to the habits of the watchman. One of the men led authorities to the location of the loot on Wolfe Island. Two testified against him and in exchange were charged with manslaughter and received prison sentences. The third was tried for theft and received a prison sentence. The hanging was expected to take place at 7am. This was delayed as the priests were still praying with Allen. He than asked that it be confirmed there really was no reprieve. The Sheriff went to the local telegraph office and sent the query to Ottawa. By the time he received the reply that the sentence was to be carried out an hour had passed. When Allen was finally taken to the scaffold it was 11o'clock. He refused the black cap and died with a smile on his face, as he had said he would. The hanging took place within a walled jailyard but was witnessed by many spectators from rooftops. Four members of Allan's defence team acted as pallbears at his funeral.
Last Words: During his time in jail Allison learned to read and write. He wrote this statement and read it out immediately prior to his hanging. "I am sorry for my crime. I did it out of ill-will. I hope those whom I wronged will forgive me, and that no one will turn this up to my people. My sentence is just, and I hope God will have mercy on me."
Notes: Emma Orr had a reputation for cheating on her husband. Allison thought he had a chance with her but she refused his advances. He shot her and told her husband she must have ran off with another man. The famous detective John Murray was called in. He found Emma's body buried in a shallow grave not far from the farmhouse. In a nearby swamp he found another partially dug grave. He guessed that the first grave was temporary and the murderer would come back to finish the swamp grave. As Allison was a potential suspect Murray had his father followed. The senior Allison went to the swamp to finish the grave his son had told him about. Murray interrogated Allison for hours but he wouldn't confess. He told Allison his father had told Murray that his son had dropped his knife by the grave in the swamp. Allison said to Murray that that was impossible as he hadn't taken his knife with him. He then shut up when he realized Murray had fooled him.
Notes: A group of settlers were tried at Ancaster for obtaining arms from the United States and terrorizing their neighbors. 14 found guilty. Eight hanged, all together.
Last Words: No statement. A statement was given by the priest on behalf of the couple.
Notes: Mary and her husband Richard were convicted for killing their neighbor Mr Munro. The two families did not get along. On 16 May 1862 Munro was looking for a missing hen in the Aylwards' field when during a scuffle with Richard, Munro was shot. During the fight Mary approached and cut Munro with a scythe. Munro made it back home, refused medical help from a Native, and died a week later. They were the first married couple to be hanged side-by-side in Canada. The public execution was at the yard of the courthouse on Church St. They left behind 3 young children who were raised by adoptive families. She was from Ireland and her maiden name was O'Brien. This double-hanging took place 100 years and one day before the last hanging in Canada, also a double-hanging.
Last Words: To the jail physician in the crowd of witnesses: "So long, Johnson."
Notes: Shot his employer, farmer Robert Moulton, at Cloud Bay 9 May 1922. There was sympathy for Baldwin's mother as she was penniless and had a daughter suffering from a fatal illness. Local townspeople collected several hundred dollars for her to help pay for his funeral expenses.
Last Words: "Good-bye, Flo dear: be brave." (Not sure if this statement for his wife was made on the scaffold or in a letter or final meeting)
Notes: Birchall wasted an inheritance from his father and ran up a huge debt while studying at Oxford. He devised a scheme in which he would offer a partnership in a Canadian farm. He would take the victim to Canada to inspect the non-existant farm and murder him for his money. His advertisement for a partner drew two responses and he took both men to Canada. He left Douglas Pelly in Niagara Falls and continued on to the Woodstock area to show Fred Benwell "the farm". Birchall shot Benwell in Blenheim Swamp (now named Benwell Bog) and concealed the body. He returned to Pelly and told him Benwell had pulled out of the deal and was going home on his own. Benwell's body was found a few days later and John Murray, the "Great Canadian Detective", was called in. He had pictures of the victim, at this time unknown, published in North American and British newspapers. When Pelly saw the photo he started asking Birchall embarrassing questions. In order to avoid Pelly's suspicions, Birchall agreed to contact the authorities. He returned to Woodstock and after the awkward situation of identifying his own victim he was interviewed by Murray. In the following few days Murray investigated Birchall and uncovered lies in his statement. Birchall was arrested before he could murdered Pelly. The trial was one of the biggest in its time. This story of intrigue involving three men of well-known families in a trans-Atlantic murder plot made headlines around the world and especially in England.
Notes: Met a peddlar in Chatham. Led him to Long Woods, Kent County and killed him there. When arrested he had his victim's pack with him.
Notes: Raped and murdered Mildred Johnson. Bliss took her back to his home, raped her, strangled her with a tie and hit her with a wrench. At his pre-trial court appearance, Bliss indicated he would plead guilty. Judge Jeffrey cautioned him about the only possible sentence. Despite the warning Bliss pleaded guilty and the judge sentenced him to hang without trial.
Last Words: "Friends! Citizens of the world! By the grace of Almighty God, I bid you all good bye."
Notes: Started drinking on Christmas eve 1861 and continued through the New Year to January 5. He ordered his wife to fetch a pail of water, then followed her out the door and hit her with an ax handle. He attempted to cut off her head but the ax was too dull. His wife's son tried to intervene but had to flee when Boulton attacked him. Boulton said the murder was the culmination of quarrels the couple often had about the criminal conduct of her 3 sons from a previous marriage.
Notes: A woman who had been living with Boyd left him. Boyd went to the restaurant of Edward F. Wandle thinking she was there. After being made to leave the premises he bought a gun and returned. Boyd chased Wandle around the building and fired two shots into him. First execution within Don Jail, the previous ones had taken place in the yard.
Notes: Shot Cst Roy McQuillin on 11 dec 1930. McQuillin approached a stolen car when he was shot. Brockenshire was shot by police during the ensuing manhunt and was in hospital for awhile hovering between life and death. Another younger man involved in the crime was aquitted.
Last Words: No statement made at the gallows. Brown wrote a final statement which was read by Dr McNish to reporters after the execution: "I, Clark Brown, who am soon to appear before God my Maker, make this my last confession. I told the whole truth before of the murder of my poor father and sister. I kept nothing back, and I alone did the murder, and no one helped me to murder my father and sister. " After this he denied a series of poisonings of which he had been accused. He thanked the jail staff and concluded with: "I hope God has forgiven me. I cling to the firm belief that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin, and even I hope to be forgiven, through the sacrifice of the Son of God."
Notes: Murdered his sister and father at West Winchester on the night of 2 Sept 1879. In his confession he said he woke up in the middle of the night and decided to kill his father. He climbed out a window and retrieved an ax from a shed. He knocked on the door and when his father answer he bludgeoned him to death. One of his sisters looked out her bedroom door to see what was happening, so he killed her too. There were 27 applicants from Ottawa alone for the job of hangman. The person appointed was anonymous.
Notes: Brown was missing his left leg and used a wood peg leg. He escaped from a Texas jail where he was doing time for burglary. He snuck onto a train and ended up in London. He hit a railroad guard and shot Cst Toohey who was trying to arrest him for assault. He was involved in another gunfight in Ontario before escaping back to the United States where he was apprehended in Washington State. Brown was buried in an unmarked grave in the jailyard and was accidently dug up during the contruction of a parking lot in 1985. The skeleton was identified by the lack of a leg.
Last Words: "My friends, I want to say a few words to you. I have been a very bad man, and now I am going to die. I hope it will do you good, I hope this will be a lesson to you, and to all people, young and old, rich and poor, not to do those things that has brought me to my last end. Though I am innocent of the murder, I am going to suffer for it. Before two minutes are gone I shall be before my God, and I say with my last breath, I am innocent of the murder. I never committed a murder in my life, and I shall be before my God in a few minutes, And may the Lord have mercy on my soul. Amen."
Notes: On 1 Dec 1859 John Sheridan Hogan left the home of his mistress and crossed a bridge over the Don River. He was accosted by members of the "Brooks' Bush Gang" who demanded a toll. When Hogan recognized one of the gang he was beaten to death with a stone in a hankerchief and thrown in the river. Hogan wasn't missed for two months and at first searchers looked for him in the United States. Duck hunters found the body 16 months later, on 30 Mar 1861. Three members of the gang were tried and only Browne was found guilty. Ellen McGillich, a member of the gang, testified against Browne. Later she was arrested for an unrelated crime in Montreal and claimed she lied and Browne was innocent. Hogan participated in the 1837 rebellion, had been a political journalist and newpaper editor, and at the time of his murder was the member for Grey in the Ontario parliament.
Notes: On 16 Sept 1829, in Bayham Township, he shot Constable Timothy Conklin Pomeroy who was pursuing him for theft, arson and destroying cattle. During the hanging the rope broke on the first attempt, but he died on the second try. His skull was shown around the world before being displayed at Eldon House in London.
Notes: Byers approached Thomas Phillips at his barn and inquired about employment. During their conversation Byers hit Phillips in the head with a club and beat him to death. Byers then beat Mrs Phillips, causing serious injury. Their daughter saw what happened and escaped. Byers ransacked the house and left. He was apprehended the following day. Byers was hanged in front of a crowd of 5000.
Notes: Murdered his father William Campbell, age 86, during an argument on 21 Aug 1931 in Alliston. He punched him in the head and pushed him down the cellar stairs. He then went about his business for eight days. He then worried a relative might discover what he had done so he wrote out instructions for his own funeral and slit his throat and wrists. Police broke into his locked house and got him to the hospital. He was hanged in the jail coal shed. A rowdy crowd managed to break a door open but were pushed back by a guard.
Last Words: Through an interpreter he stated that he repented all of his sins, he believed God would pardon and save him, and he entrusted his children and property to his mother.
Notes: Struck his wife, Nancy Carrier, with an ax on 15 Apr 1880. Sheriff Smith could not bring himself to asked anyone to carry out the execution for money, so he performed as executioner.
Last Words: "I didn't do it, Sheriff. I say the same thing now as I did then. (referring to his two trials) I didn't do it."
Notes: On 23 Dec 1946 Chambers kidnapped 9 year old Marian Rusnak and took her to his dorm room at the Canadian Canners plant. He smothered her and hid her under his bed. The next day he destroyed her body in a plant furnace. He confessed to police following a suicide attempt. He had two trials and appeals were launched on the grounds that confession had been extracted under stress from the suicide attempt, and the fact that Rusnak's death was not proven as her body was never actually found. Chambers was buried in the Lincoln Jail yard.
Last Words: Prayed with the priest.
Notes: Dismembered Jessie Keith, a 14 year-old girl, in a woods near Listowel on 9 Oct 1894. He was actually apprehended by locals as he was a stranger to the area. He told a story they believed so they collected some money for him and sent him on his way. When the the famous Detective John Wilson Murray was called in he spent 2 days tracking Chatelle down. He admitted all the details and pleaded guilty. It is believed Chatelle was insane. He was hanged on Radclive's jerk-em up gallows. Among the 50 witnesses was the victim's father.
Last Words: "I hope God will forgive me. I forgive all who have injured me, and I hope everyone I have injured will forgive me. Oh God, forgive me. May God have mercy on my soul."
Notes: Murdered his wife. The hanging resulted in him being decapitated. Supposedly his friends sold his body to a medical clinic and buried an empty coffin. A death mask was made and can still be seen by the doorway of the former jail which is now the Oxford County Board of Health Building.
Last Words: "Let it be remembered that I die a martyr in the cause of liberty."
Notes: A rebel who attacked Windsor from Detroit. This small force killed 4 militia soldiers and set fires. This person was one of six hanged in London. Four others were executed earlier in Windsor.
Last Words: "Yes, friends, I have been used straight since I came here. I wish to thank Mr. Daw [the minister]. He has done me a great deal of good. I am innocent, so help me God."
Notes: Davis and William Emory's wife, Mary Martha, were having an affair. A few days before the murder, Davis approached Emory and was going to kill him. Emory pleaded for his life and promised he would leave his wife. Emory later decided to stand his ground. He armed himself with a rifle and went out to mow grass near a swamp in Marmora Township on 19 Sept 1889. It is thought that Davis surprised Emory and shot him with his own rifle. Mary Martha Emory was also tried but aquitted. The jury found she knew the crime would be committed but did not assist Davis in carrying it out. Radclive used his jerk-em-up gallows; Davis struggled for awhile and died a slow death by strangulation. Davis' grandfather was an aide-de-camp to Napoleon Boneparte. Two of Davis' brothers had been arrested years before on suspicion of murder, but were release.
Notes: Beat his wife and four of his children to death at their home in Balderson, Larnark County in Dec. 1828. He was about to kill his fifth child when the youngster gave him an innocent smile that unnerved him. After sparing his youngest child he set fire to the house. Murder was not suspected until the child, in the care of a neighbor, started singing a song about Daddy hitting Mommy. The injuries to the bodies were examined and Easby confessed. After his hanging, a local doctor supposedly retained Easby's skeleton and sold tanned pieces of his skin.
Last Words: No statement made.
Notes: Feener was wanted in connection with the death of Cathy Essers in New Brunswick. He was stopped in Ontario for a year old traffic fine while driving Essers' car. While being questioned about that case, Feener led police to the body of Kathleen Chouinor. On 5 Oct 1960 while on a date with Chouinor, he told her about Essers and said she had become nervous so he stabbed her. He threw her body out of his car and left her in a ditch outside of Timmins. He was convicted for murdering Chouinor. In the case of Essers, he was charged with offering indignity to a body. Less than two hours before his execution he wrote out a confession for the murder of Dolly Woods, a 17 year old from Kirkland Lake, in 1959. He gave directions to the location of her body in Quebec. Ontario police had been searching for her; after the confession Quebec police confirmed they were in possession of an unidentified skeleton found in the location provided by Feener.
Notes: Hanged for raping a 9 year-old girl. Another person later confessed to this crime. In 1846 Michigan used this case as an example when a ban on executions was incorporated into the state constitution.
Last Words: "I am sorry for the part I ought to be sorry for. If I have committed the murder, I am now about to suffer misery here and hereafter. Lord be merciful to me and take me to Thy rest."
Notes: On 14 Nov 1872 Fox argued with his employer, Mr Payne, for $45 owed for farm labour. Mr Payne said he would settle the account the following day. He went home to find his wife, Jane Payne, bludgeoned with a pickax and a distant relative, a boy named Doughty, missing. The boy was found dead on the farm with his throat cut. Fox also known as William Brenton. The anonymous hangman was the same one who executed David Nesbitt in Lindsay on 22 Dec 1873.
Last Words: On the scaffold requested that the spectators' view of him be blocked. The Sheriff replied that he didn't have the power to prohibit the public from seeing.
Notes: Fralick was attracted to 19 year-old Elizabeth York but she did not return his afffections. On the evening of 28 June 1863, York left her uncle's house in Richmond township to return to her nearby parents' home. Fralick waited by the road for her. He tried to put his arm around her and she slapped him. He punched her, beat her to death with a stone and threw her body over a fence so hogs wouldn't eat her. Her parents reported her missing the following day and her body was quickly found and taken to her family's house. Fralick was among the crowd that gathered. When people started voicing their opinion that Fralick was responsible he left. The following day York's friends asked him to view the body; during the trip to the York house he made comments about the murder scene that only the murderer would know. Just before he entered the house he took off running across a field and was soon apprehended. Others searched Fralick's house and found some of York's bloody clothes and blood on Fralick's hat. For his hanging his clothes were draped in a white cloak. To give more distance for the drop he was made to stand on a stool placed on the trapdoor. Two thousand spectators witnessed the hanging in the jailyard.
Notes: Shot Ben Johnston while robbing his store on 20 Jan 1921. Committed crime with his younger brother who testified against him and received a 20 year sentence.
Notes: On 20 Jan. 1848 Gaunt was cutting wood at the home of Mrs. Bell. He returned the following day to steal from the house. Bell came home and found him. He beat her with a piece of firewood and took off with some possessions. Gaunt was soon arrested with the stolen items which were identified by Bell's husband and a friend as belonging to her. He said he had returned to the house to get his saw. Tried 14 Apr. Hanged 6 May. Gaunt was 14 years old.
Last Words: Giovanezzi collapsed on the scaffold but the attending minister said that "Jimmie" had asked him to say he was sorry for any crime he had committed and asked for forgiveness.
Notes: Giovanezzi and a partner lured Mike Handyburn to a house with the promise of liquor. They assaulted and robbed him. Alex Dutky witnessed this and called police. He then attempted to defend Handyburn and was shot. Occurred 30 Mar 1919 in Guelph.
Notes: Goyette was being taken to task by his employer, Daniel Colligan, for improperly feeding the cows. Goyette killed Colligan and his son Thomas Colligan with an ax. Neighbors apprehended Goyette before he could kill the rest of the Colligan family. Crime occurred on 24 Jan 1904 near Alfred.
Notes: Attempted to desert to the United States in a boat he was supposed to be guarding. He was shot by a six man firing squad with full ceremony in front of his regiment, the 5th Regiment Of Foot.
Last Words: "I am guilty in one sense and innocent in another."
Notes: Poisoned his wife, Katie Tough, with prussic acid for insurance money. Crime occurred at his parents' Gravenhurst home on 6 Mar 1896. Hammond was offered the chance to plead guilty to a charge of manslaughter; he would have a chance of parole in about 12 years. He declined this as he did not want to spend years in prison.
Last Words: Upon being asked if he had a last statement; "No."
Notes: On 25 Mar 1889 Harvey was arrested for embezzling several hundred dollars from his employer. He was granted bail but didn't show up for court the following day. Police were dispatched to his house and found the bodies of Harvey's wife and two daughters, all had been shot in the head. It was later discovered that he had even picked up one of the girls from school to bring her home for the murder. The immediate concern was that Harvey would murder his son in Toronto. His son was summoned to Guelph. Harvey did travel to Toronto and sent a note to his son's boarding house requesting to meet him. He was arrested by Toronto police on the lookout for him. The executioner, a young labourer from the Sheriff's farm, bungled the hanging. The gallows was of a type with a counterweight that jerked the victim up; however, Harvey's neck was not broken and he strangled for 10 minutes before death was pronounce. The sight was so horrible that many witnesses and even the rookie hangman left the jailyard while Harvey was still struggling.
Last Words: "Have mercy, Oh Lord, help me."
Notes: Hendershott bought life insurance for his nephew, William Hendershott. He then had his farmhand, William Welter, arrange a "logging accident". This case was investigated by the famous detective John Murray. On the day of the murder Hendershott was visiting on the other end of Elgin County. When a telegram arrived announcing the "accident" he showed his friends the insurance policies which he was carrying in his pocket. He also mentioned details of the death that wouldn't have reached him yet, and only someone who planned the "accident" would have known. The fact that he had previously tried to buy a large life insurance policy for a homeless man didn't help his case. Hendershott was double-hanged with Welter and buried in the jailyard.
Notes: Jackson was a member of the Boyd bank robber gang. He was in a car with Valent Lesso when they were pulled over on 6 Mar 1952. Lesso shot and killed Sergeant Of Detectives Edmund Tong. Jackson was hanged with Lesso at Don Jail. They were to be hanged at 8 am but the executioner arrived at midnight. They were hanged back-to-back at 12:14 am. Jackson was hanged without his artificial leg, he hopped into position.
Notes: On 20 Sept 1910 17 year-old Elizabeth Anderson went to a fair and never didn't return home that night. Her father was in the search party that found her body a few days later in the cellar of an abandoned house across the street from the fair ground. She had suffered a blow to the skull, her throat was cut, and she had been sexually assaulted. Initially there were several suspects, including Jardin who was the last one seen talking to her before her disappearance. Jardine didn't help himself when at one point during the coroner's inquest he left town before giving his testimony.
Last Words: "I don't dread this rest, a bit, for I have no guilt to feel. I never did have. May God have mercy on me now."
Notes: Wearing a disguise he robbed his brother's house but was identified by his niece 13 year-old Mary Thomas who testified against him. She disappeared and was found near Delaware with her skull crushed. Thomas' 13 year-old daughter admitted to the crime but the evidence indicated a child could not have inflicted the wounds. The daughter was convicted of manslaughter and received 10 years. Thomas denied the murder and the fact that he hid behind his daughter did not help him. His was the last public execution in London.
Last Words: No statement made.
Notes: Beat his mother to death. It was known he would be hanged at 1 pm. Wagon-loads of spectators showed up at noon only to discover the hanging had taken place at 10. He struggled for a few minutes and at one point managed to grab the trapdoor. The executioner was a convict from Milton.
Last Words: "Pull it over my nose." (in reference to the noose)
Notes: Kisielewski and Stefan Ogrodowski were convicted of the shooting death of Joseph Borg in his restaurant during a robbery 02 Oct 1942. They were arrested in Detroit in connection with another crime. In court they claimed Detroit police beat a confession out of them; however, the judge ruled their confessions were admissable to the jury. Kisielewski claimed he had never been to Canada before. Kisielewski was hanged first, then Ogrodowski several minutes later.
Notes: Kowalski went to the home of Knot Trembluk on the night of 16 Feb 1919. He killed him and stole $700. Kowalski and his wife were arrested several hours later and she was found to have about $700 in her possession. Mrs Kowalski was tried and found not guilty and the seized money was returned to her. Kowalski murdered two of his jailors on Dec 1, two weeks before his hanging. After the hanging Arthur English told reporters he believed all executions in the country should be carried out in a single facility such as Kingston Penitentiary.
Notes: Partnered up with Emmanuel Lavictoire to murder people for life insurance. In January 1932 they stabbed Leo Bergeron in Larocque's barn with pitchforks. They then released a horse to make it look like Bergeron got trampled. A bloody pitchfork handle was found by the police on a rafter in the barn. It is thought the pair murdered Athanase Lamarche in 1930.
Notes: Partnered up with William Larocque to murder people for life insurance. In January 1932 they stabbed Leo Bergeron in Larocque's barn with pitchforks. They then released a horse to make it look like Bergeron got trampled. A bloody pitchfork handle was found by the police on a rafter in the barn. It is thought the pair murdered Athanase Lamarche in 1930.
Notes: Lesso was a member of the Boyd bank robber gang. On 06 Mar 1952 he was in a car with Leonard Jackson when they were pulled over. He shot and killed Sergeant Of Detectives Edmund Tong. Tong was able to identified Lesso as the shooter before he died. Lesso also went by the name Steve Suchan. He was hanged back-to-back with Jackson at Don Jail.
Last Words: "Well, boys, here goes an innocent soul."
Notes: Lindsley and his common-law wife Mary Craig ran a boarding house. He claimed that during an argument Craig shot at him and he shot back to defend himself. In front of his boarders he shot 4 or 5 times and also injured Craig's daughter. He attempted to kill himself, then fled the scene. He later gave himself up. He was also known as Fred Schultz, but admitted that both names were fake and never revealed his real name. Crime occurred 7 Aug 1901 in Sault St Marie.
Last Words: Left a written statement: "I thought I would write you a few lines before I die. I do not suppose anything I might say will cause you to change your minds regarding my guilt or innocence; and even if I could it would be too late to rectify mistakes and bring me back to earth again. God is my witness, that I am innocent of having had anything to do with the murder of Mr. Peter Lazier, and when I am hung for that crime the innocent is punished for the guilty. I die, bearing neither spite nor malice against any one; and my wishes are, that all my enemies may be forgiven as truly as I hope to be forgiven for all my sins. Believe me, I do not die a murderer, nor with a murderer's heart. If I knew who were guilty of the crime for which I am to suffer death, I would make it known. I have not owned a revolver for two years past, and I have not fired one off for upwards of one year. I did not have a gun in my hands for six weeks prior to my arrest, and I was not in Mr. Gilbert Jones' house nor on his premises in my life, to my knowledge. These are my last and dying words. George Louder. Picton Gaol. June 9, 1884"
Notes: Peter Laziet, a hops purchaser, was spending a night at the farm of Mr Jones. Armed robbers entered the house and shot him. Police followed tracks through the snow and which resulted in the arrest of Louder and Joseph Tompsett. They were convicted and hanged together, back to back, at Picton Court House.
Last Words: Love wrote his last statement and had the minister read it on the scaffold and release to the press. This is the last part: "For over twenty years the Spirit of God strove with me, but I refused to yield. And look at me now. Even at this late hour God has forgiven me, and I die in peace. But I leave the world with the awful thought that my life has been wasted. He has had mercy on my soul, and He is willing and able to save me now."
Notes: Love and his wife, Hannah Lucille had a reputation for constantly quarrelling about his use of tobacco and work. During one of these fights, on 9 Dec 1912 he cut her neck and hid her body in a crawlspace under the kitchen. Their son wondered where his mother was and eventually enlisted the neighbors to help him find her.
| Lucas, Arthur
Last Words: No statement made. Notes: Therland Crater was hiding in Toronto while waiting to testify at the trial of accused drug trafficker Gus Saunders in Detroit. On 17 Nov 1961 Lucas drove Saunders' car to Toronto and confronted Crater at his rooming house. He shot him and slit his thoat. Crater's girlfriend, Carolyn Newman was able to dial an operator before her throat was cut. Lucas drove back to Detroit, disposing of the gun on the way. While Lucas was in Toronto an officer had approached him on suspicion of pimping; he had told the officer he was from Detroit visiting his friend Therland Crater. The officer remembered Lucas' name. A week later he was arrested by Detroit police. His gun was found on the side of a highway in Toronto and he had left bloody clothes in his car and at his estranged wife's home. This case was the first murder trial for Lucas' defence attorney, Ross Mackay, who would go on to be a well known Toronto lawyer. By coincidence Mackay's second murder trial three weeks later was that of Ronald Turpin. Lucas and Turpin were the last two people executed in Canada. At a minute after midnight on 11 Dec 1962 the prisoners were taken to the gallows of the Don Jail, placed back to back on the trapdoor and hanged together. Just before his own death Salvation Army Chaplain Cyril Everitt said that Lucas was almost decapitated. |
Notes: On 02 Jan 1883 this servant boy was just beginning his chores when he attacked the family he worked for. He strangled Emma Cooke with a rope, then her mother when she tried to help. Next he grabbed an ax and killed the father, Ruggles Cooke. He went in the house with the ax and killed son George. His insanity defence didn't work.
Notes: On 7 May 1934 St Thomas officers Constable Colin McGregor and Sergeant Sam McKeown accompanied by visiting Michigan Police officer Detective Bert McCully went to 13 Queen St to arrest Fred MacTemple for bicycle theft. They entered the house and were greeted by Fred with one handgun and his father Frank with two handguns. They yelled that they wouldn't be taken by cops. Mckeown jumped Fred and Frank started shooting. He shot McGregor in the stomach and Mckeown took a shot to the wrist while struggling with Fred. Frank aimed at Mckeown, but missed and shot his son in the neck before escaping out the door. McGregor died the next day and Fred was in critical condition for awhile before making a recovery. During the manhunt it was suspected Frank might try to seek help from his friend, Dick Carnegie, near West Lorne. They warned him Frank might show up and staked out the house. Frank did visit and asked for help cleaning a wound he claimed he received in a hunting accident. Carnegie left the house to let police know Frank was inside. He returned and held Frank so he couldn't use his gun when the police entered. Both father and son were tried for murder, found guilty, and sentenced to hang despite the fact Fred didn't fire the fatal shot.
Last Words: "Sir, I just want to say you are hanging an innocent man."
Notes: Martin was unemployed, broke, and unable to find someone to adopt his 7 month old child. In dispair he threw his son out of a boat. His wife was also accused but aquitted.
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Last Words: "This is going to be harder on you than on me. Goodbye, Mr. Nelles, God bless you. Goodbye, boys." (Mr. Nelles was the minister) Notes: Shot Acting Detective Frank Williams on 19 Nov 1918. McCullough managed to escape from Don Jail's death row and hid in Toronto for a short time until his recapture. There was a huge public outcry for his repreive. Real name might have been Leroy Ward Fay Swart, born in Westville NY. |
Notes: With fellow servant 16 year old Grace Marks the pair killed Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper/mistress Nancy Montgomery. Marks received a prison sentence. Crime occurred near Kingston.
Last Words: Left a message with his minister for the press. It ended with: "Be careful of the company you keep, and above all things keep away from all forms of strong drink, which has been my undoing."
Notes: This married man fell in love with another woman. On 29 Oct 1909 he burned his Uxbridge house down with his wife, Mary, and sons Harold and Gordon inside. Later the wife's body was exhumed and it was found she had been poisoned with strychnine. He was charged with only the murder of his wife. His sons were not exhumed for examination.
Notes: Fred and his 17 year old son, Rodney, shot bank manager Walter Bridges during a robbery at the Royal Bank in Blind River 9 Oct 1957. Afterwards the pair hitchhiked to Delisle Saskatchewan and were arrested while working on a farm. Father and son were both sentenced to hang together but on 11 July Rodney's sentence was commuted to life in prison.
Notes: Leader of a group of rebels that attacked the Niagara penninsula in Upper Canada from Grand Island in June1838. The others of this group were sentenced to transportation to Tasmania.
Notes: Poisoned her patient, Mrs. Harriet Henry, with arsenic. Caught when she tried to sell the victim's silver spoons.
Last Words: "God bless my old friend, Slim."
Notes: With 3 other men robbed a bank in Melborne on 11 Apr 1921. Shot Russell Campbell who was attempting to stop them. He escaped from jail and was found in California. Shared the gallows with Clarence Topping.
Last Words: "I never see that man, I never did nothing!"
Notes: Murdered railway worker, George H. Tucker. Neby was an Albanian who didn't speak English. He was not provided with a translator at the trial and didn't know he was going to be hanged until the day before it took place. He left behind a wife and children back home in Albania.
Last Words: "Gentlemen, I am here, although I ought not to be here. I didn't mean to kill that man. I never meant no more to kill him than I meant to hurt any of you. I never had anything against that man; they used me up there [Central Prison] so bad I didn't know what I was doing. They abused me up there like a dog. I could not stand all that. I am sorry I killed the man, very sorry for his wife and children. [An initial report on the crime said that Rutledge was unmarried] I had no more intention of killing that man than I had of killing you. I did not know what I was doing. Mr. Howland, I am very much obliged to you for you kindness, and Mr. Gooderham. I ought not to be here at all. May God have mercy on my soul."
Notes: Neil was serving a two year term at Toronto's Central Prison for stealing a barrel of apples from a train. He believed he was about to be flogged for what he thought was a petty offence. He thought he might as well do something to deserve a flogging so on 13 Jan 1888 he tried to stabbed prison guard John Rutledge in the arm. Instead the knife went into the guard's gut and he died of inflammation two days later. He was tried and found guilty 11 days after Rutledge's death. He was hanged on a jerk 'em up gallows. The executioner was not named in the source but John Radclive had moved to Toronto the previous year and many of his first hangings used this unique type of gallows. Therefore, this was probably one of his first hangings in Canada. Neil confessed to his spiritual advisors that he had taken part in the beating and drownings of two victims in the previous two years. The confession for these unsolved crimes was released to the media after the execution.
Newell, Hugh Alexander William
Notes: Strangled his estranged wife, Aune Paavola, when she refused his request for a divorce. Newell wanted the Armed Forces dependant's allowance Paavola received to go to his current girlfriend. Crime occurred on Centre Island, Toronto on 29 Sept 1940. In a CBC radio interview in 1975 Al Baldwin, an inmate of the Don Jail at the time, said that it took 32 minutes for Newell to die and at one point 2 guards hung off of each of his legs. One of the witnesses was Jail Governor Walter Rayfield who was a WWI recipient of the Victoria Cross.
Last Words: "I have nothing to say."
Last Words: "Take it easy, I’m not used to this business."
Notes: Ogrodowski and Bruno Kisielewski were convicted of the shooting death of Joseph Borg in his restaurant during a robbery 02 Oct 1942. They were arrested in Detroit in connection with another crime. In court they claimed Detroit police beat a confession out of them; however, the judge ruled their confessions were admissable to the jury. Kisielewski was hanged first, then Ogrodowski several minutes later. Ogrodowski was the last person hanged in Essex county.
Last Words: "I forgive everybody in this world, and I hope the Lord will have mercy on me. My dear friends, pray, I beseech you, that the Lord may have mercy on my soul."
Notes: O'Leary was owed $40 from his employer, Mr Cole. Cole paid $22. O'Leary took him to court but claimed the whole $40. A co-worker named Kelly testified that Cole had paid $22 so the judge awarded only the difference. O'Leary was furious and was heard to say he would get Kelly. He stabbed Kelly on a deserted road and claimed self defence. Hanged with Fleming.
Last Words: "May this be a warning to you all."
Notes: Bartholomew London was a Loyalist who moved his family from Pennsylvannia to Saltfleet Township, Upper Canada in 1789. Bartholomew hired Mary Osborn as a housekeeper in about 1798. She was soon pregnant with his child and the pair wed. In 1800 Bartholomew hired George Nemires as a farmhand. The new employee and Mary began a love affair. When Bartholomew wrote a will favouring Mary and her children (their daughter and Mary's children from a previous marriage) she decided it was time for him to die. She began an argument with Bartholomew and Nemires attacked him with a hammer to "defend" Mary. A few weeks later when Bartholomew recovered, Nemires visited a doctor, using the alias Mr. Kerr of Long Point, to purchase Vitriol for an alleged sore. He asked if the dose was enough to kill. The doctor said it wasn't and when Nemires asked for a larger dose he was refused. This small dose was given to Bartholomew anyways, but didn't kill him. Nemires went to New York state and purchased arsenic and opium. These drugs were administered to Bartholomew in his whisky. The first two attempts didn't work but on the third dose he died. The doctor who initial prescribed the Vitriol heard of the suspicious death and remembered Nemires' questions of the drug's lethal properties. He visited Bartholomew's farm and ran into "Mr. Kerr of Long Point". Mary and George Nemires were arrested and tried in Niagara before Judge Alcock on Aug 14, 1801. Before their public hanging three days later, Nemires claimed Mary made him participate in the crime and that another unnamed neighbor was also responsible. Mary was the first woman hanged in Upper Canada.
Last Words: Over and John Moore asked Rev. Davidson to make a statement on their behalf. Davidson's words to the crowd were: "They have hope of mercy through Him who died for the Chief of sinners. They trust in Him and hope to be saved through Him."
Notes: Joseph Armstrong was released from jail and went to Over and John Moore, asking for their help in comitting a robbery. They lay in wait for mailman Lancelot Adams along his route between Paris and Brantford. When Adams drove by in his carriage Over fired a shot into his head. The three men dragged the body and the mailbags into a ravine and cut open the envelopes. They stole about $200 in cash. Armstrong's death sentence was commuted and Over and Moore were hanged together in front of a crowd of over 4000 spectators.
Notes: Sergeant Frederick Davidson was questioning Parnomarenko and Victor Gray about stolen license plates. Gray shot the officer and a giant manhunt ensued. Davidson, who died several days after the encounter, was able to identify photographs of both men and say that Parnomarenko had told Gray to "Give him some more!" Eleven days later Gray was killed in a shootout and Parnomarenko was captured. At his trial Parnomarenko testified that he had told Gray "Don't shoot anymore!"
Last Words: Cursed the arresting policeman and the hangman. Than asked "Give me a chew of tobacco."
Notes: On 8 Feb 1899 Parrott was drinking and arguing with his mother. She locked him out of the house. He then chased her into the street and smashed her head with an ax. She died the following day.
Last Words: "Lord Jesus, receive my soul."
Popovitch, Elizabeth and George
Elizabeth's Last Words: "God bless you all."
Notes: On Jun 16 1946 the Popovitchs took Louis Nato for a ride and beat and robbed him of $180. He was able to declare this couple had assaulted him before dying 5 days after the beating. Elizabeth had worked in Nato's store and had been his mistress for several years prior to her marriage. A last request for the couple to see each other prior to the execution was denied. George was hanged first, then Elizabeth 45 minutes later.
Notes: Quinn and William Ramesbottom were short of money. They drove from Sarnia to London in a stolen car and met up with John Traxler who planned the robbery of a nearby grocery store. Quinn would be the lookout at the door and Ramesbottom would do the holdup. Ramesbottom entered the shop of Samuel Weinstein at 536 Philip St. on 12 Jan 1932. He handed over money for gum and cigarettes and while Weinstein had the cash register open he pulled out his gun and demanded money. Weinstein fought with Ramesbottom and during the struggle the gun went off. Family members of Weinstein saw Ramesbottom as he fled the shop. He threw the gun in the Thames River and drove back to Sarnia where he was apprehended at a roadblock. Quinn ran back to Traxler's house where police soon found him. Ramesbottom did not get away with any money; the crime actually cost him almost a dollar for the merchandise he was paying for. It was thought Quinn's sentence would be reduced on account of him being a decorated WWI veteran, but he lost all appeals. Traxler received a prison sentence.
Notes: Ramesbottom and Henry Quinn were short of money. They drove from Sarnia to London in a stolen car and met up with John Traxler who planned the robbery of a nearby grocery store. Quinn would be the lookout at the door and Ramesbottom would do the holdup. Ramesbottom entered the shop of Samuel Weinstein at 536 Philip St. on 12 Jan 1932. He handed over money for gum and cigarettes and while Weinstein had the cash register open he pulled out his gun and demanded money. Weinstein fought with Ramesbottom and during the struggle the gun went off. Family members of Weinstein saw Ramesbottom as he fled the shop. He threw the gun in the Thames River and drove back to Sarnia where he was apprehended at a roadblock. Quinn ran back to Traxler's house where police soon found him. Ramesbottom did not get away with any money; the crime actually cost him almost a dollar for the merchandise he was paying for. It was thought his sentence would be reduced on account of his youth, but he lost all appeals. His scaffold was kept standing for the execution of Quinn two months later. Traxler received a prison sentence.
Last Word: No statement at the gallows. The night before his hanging he told a guard "I tell you it's a hard thing to face the music alone."
Notes: Five years before the execution Rice met two men, Frank Rutledge and Thomas Jones, while doing time in a Colorado prison. When the trio were released they formed the "Rutledge Gang" and made a plan to rob banks in Ontario and use Chicago as a base. They robbed a bank in Toronto and a second in Aurora before fleeing back to Chicago. There they were arrested and extradited back to Canada. On 4 Jun 1901, near the conclusion of their trial, they attempted to escape from the carriage that was taking them from court back to jail. The three prisoners were handcuffed together with Jones in the middle and two officers, Constables William Boyd and Walter Stewart sat across from them. Constable Lyman Bogart sat up front with the driver. Only Stewart was armed. As the carriage neared Sumach St on Gerrard St, someone walked up and threw a package through the window. Rutledge and Rice each reached their free hand into the bundle and pulled out a gun. Rice shot Boyd who was directly in front of him. Rutledge aimed at Stewart who put up his hands and told the prisoners to leave the carriage. The trio ran, firing shots into the carriage behind them. Stewart pulled out his gun and fired back hitting Jones twice. The other two men, dragging Jones with them, attempted to hijack a streetcar. Stewart (despite now being out of bullets) and Constable Bogart left the carriage and along with two jail guards attracted by the commotion entered the streetcar and beat the trio until they were disarmed. The streetcar continued on and dropped everyone off at the jail. Jones received serious injuries; he was shot through the arm and groin, and his arms which were still handcuffed to the other two men had been badly twisted during the fighting. He died two days later. Constable Boyd died in hospital an hour after the shooting. Five days their failed escape, Rice and Rutledge received lengthy sentences for the bank robberies. That same day Rutledge heard that no matter who fired the fatal shot, both him and Rice would be treated equally if found guilty of murder. In despair he threw himself of a balcony at the jail. Only Rice was left to stand trial for Boyd's murder. Rice's body was released to his mother and buried in Illinois.
Notes: Rowe and a partner stole some guns in Windsor and took a cab to London to sell them on 20 Nov 1950. They couldn't find the buyer and after driving around London for awhile the taxi driver grew suspicious that he wasn't going to get paid so he called police. The two men were running away when Rowe fired a shot through a garage. The bullet struck and killed Clair Galbraith who was working on his car. Rowe claimed he didn't know the gun was loaded and that he slipped on some grease. He never knew, saw or even realized he had killed Galbraith so the prosecution had to prove that Rowe fired while committing a crime. He was the last person executed in London. Buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetary.
Notes: Attacked and robbed Viola Jamieson in Flanders, Ont. on 10 Jun 1944 with the Skrypnyk brothers. To force her to reveal where her money was they burned her on a stove. Before leaving the scene they locked her and her sons in a root cellar. A son dug out of the cellar and went for help. She died on 02 Jul 1944. All three hanged 01 Mar 1945. Schmidt's father worked at a local lumber company and ironically helped load a shipment of wood on a truck that was destined for the gallows at the jail.
Notes: On 05 Jun 1885 arrived home to discover his common-law wife Mary Ann Stokes had cheated on him. In a drunken rage he stabbed her and she died two days later.
Last Words: "I want to thank God I'm saved."
Notes: Attacked and robbed Viola Jamieson in Flanders, Ont. on 10 Jun 1944 with William Schmidt. To force her to reveal where her money was they burned her on a stove. Before leaving the scene they locked her and her sons in a root cellar. A son dug out of the cellar and went for help. She died on 02 Jul 1944. All three hanged 01 Mar 1945.
Notes: Brutally battered his wife to death on 18 Feb 1890 at their home in London. He initially claimed she killed herself. He was hanged on a gallows of a design where a weight on the other end of the rope jerks the victim up, as opposed to the victim dropping through a trapdoor. Smith's neck was not broken and he slowly strangled to death. This device was not used in London again. Smith was from England.
Notes: On 23 Jan 1832 he killed his wife and children and claimed it was two men. He had previously been sentenced to death, in 1828 for stealing cattle, but was reprieved.
Last Words: Said something in Greek but no one present spoke the language.
Notes: Stefoff killed his half cousin, Evan Simoff. He smashed Simoff's head in with a hatchet in their boarding house and stole his moneybelt containing $104 (and overlooked $100 in gold sewn into a vest). He then left the house and reported to a neighbor that he had come home and found Simoff in this condition. Police detained Stefoff and found the large amount of money and bloodstains on his clothes. The money that had been collected by the Toronto Macedonian community to help send Simoff's brother-in-law back home. Stefoff was also wanted for crimes in Macedonia, a murder in Indiana and two murders in Erie County, New York. A newspaper article citing Stefoff's execution warned foreigners that it would be safer to trust their money to banks than to carry cash on their person and risk a violent encounter with a thief.
Last Words: "McKnight, I hope to goodness you've got the rope alright this time."
Notes: York's first execution in front of its first jail. Sullivan's friend, named Flannery forged a note with a value of three shillings and ninepence. He convinced a drunken Sullivan to cash the note so they could buy more whiskey. When the forgery was discovered Flannery escaped to the United States and left Sullivan to take the blame. The hangman held the end of the rope and pulled Sullivan off the ground. It broke on the first attempt.
Last Words: Left a written statement proclaiming his innocence. On the scaffold he said "I have been warned not to make a statement. Goodbye, gentlemen."
Notes: Shot Anthony Radzyk on 12 Jul 1907 in Hamilton.
Notes: Murdered a young Polish man named Olak Loutick. Hanged and buried at Peel County Jail, now Peel Heritage Complex. During construction in 1985 a body believed to be that of Swyryda was found and relocated to a Mississauga cemetary.
Notes: Taylor murdered 13 year-old Charles Dawson. After the hanging and coroner's inquest he would have been buried in the jailyard in accordance with the law. However, the site of the hanging was soon to be a public park as the jail was being relocated. An order-in-council was passed that allowed the family to claim the body.
Notes: Peter Laziet, a hops purchaser, was spending a night at the farm of Mr Jones. Armed robbers entered the house and shot him. Police followed tracks through the snow and which resulted in the arrest of Tompsett and George Louder. They were convicted and hanged together, back to back, at Picton Court House. Tompsett's noose slipped a bit and it took 14 minutes for him to die. It was generally thought the pair was innocent.
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Last Words: No statement made. Notes: Turpin was wanted by police in connection with a shooting incident at a party. After eluding police for 4 months Turpin decided to hide out in northern Ontario. He required money so on 12 Feb 1962 he stole $631 from the Red Rooster Restaurant. After leaving the scence he was pulled over by Officer Fred Nash on Danforth Rd. The two struggled, then both men pulled out guns and shot each other three times. More officers arrived as Turpin attempted to drive away in Nash's cruiser. Turpin's case was the second murder trial for his defence attorney, Ross Mackay, who by coincidence had just defended and lost Arthur Lucas' case. At trial Mackay attempted to portray Nash as a risk. He even had the Toronto chief of police on the stand to answer questions about an incident in which Nash got drunk at a bar and waved his gun at people. The day before the hanging Lucas and Turpin were told that they would probably be the last people executed in Canada. Turpin's reply was "Some consolation." At a minute past midnight on 11 Dec 1962 Lucas and Turpin were taken to the gallows of the Don Jail, placed back to back and hanged together. This was the last execution in Canada. |
Notes: Bludgeoned his employer, fellow Dutchman Joel Kamoen. Kamoen was last seen 23 dec 1929. Vandevelde was seen the following day near a pile of debris where the body was eventually found the following April. Vandevelde told people that Kamoen sold him the farm and had returned to the Netherlands.
Last Words: "God be merciful to me, a sinner."
Notes: He and his wife were in a drunken fight. They were arguing about him having gone to prison for not paying her support. She threw a teapot at him and he choked her. The murder took place at their Smith's Falls home on 30 Apr 1910.
Last Words: "Too tight, please! Goodbye everybody. Oh, Lord! Have mercy and compassion, have mercy and compassion."
Notes: William Welter carried out the murder of William Hendershott as planned by John Hendershott. The two Williams cut down a tree in a forest near Middlemarch. Welter then bashed Hendershott's head in with an ax and placed the body under the tree. He ran for help claiming Hendershott ran in front of the tree as it was falling. The famous detective John Murray was called in to investigate this "accident". Murray found blood at various places throughout the woods. The bloody ax used was found hidden inside a tree. Doctors agreed that the head appeared to be chopped and not crushed. Welter and John Hendershott were double-hanged and buried in the jailyard.
Last Words: "God save Ireland and God save my soul."
Notes: This Fenian sympathizer shot Thomas Darcy McGee. The crime is known as the only political assassination in Canadian history. This execution is often mistakenly called Canada's last public execution. Nicholas Melady was publicly hanged in Goderich in Dec 1869.
Notes: White needed money to get married and tried to collect several hundred dollars owed to him from his employers, John and Annie Milroy. When they couldn't pay he killed them with an ax and a chair. Chief Tom Wilson arrested and charged him and later witnessed the hanging. Coincidently White had once saved the lives of Chief Wilson's sons. The crime occurred in Branchton near Galt on 19 Aug 1939.
Notes: A rebel who attacked Windsor from Detroit. This small force killed 4 militia soldiers and set fires. This person was one of six executed in London. Four others were shot earlier in Windsor.
Last Words: "I wish to make several remarks. I wish to thank the Governor, the Deputy-Governor, and all the officers under them for the kind way they have used me. I wish to thank my counsel for the way in which they defended me. I am happy I got a fair trial, and I thank the public at large for what they have done for me. Also my clergyman. That's all."
Notes: Beat his wife, Ann, while drunk on the night of Sept 21/22 1877 at their home in Weston. Williams asked one of his drinking companions to collaborate on a story that Ann was accidently knocked down while the two men were scuffling. The man refused to say this. This case proceeded quite quickly. The trial was Oct 30 and Williams was executed 30 Nov, just over 2 months after the murder.
Last Words: "Good bye all. May the peace of God abide with you."
Notes: Murdered wife, Susannah White on 11 Aug 1875 in Peel Township. While on their way home from a flax bee he hit her in the head and threw her down a well. He sought assistance from a neighbor, claiming she had fallen in. There was suspicion of foul play so she was exhumed and the head wounds discovered. The murder weapon was thought to be a stick that he was witnessed to have place at the well earlier in the day. He believed his wife was being unfaithful. Many spectators observed the hanging from nearby roofs and trees. White was buried in the jail yard.
Notes: Arrived in Sandwich from Michigan. He wandered around town and than shot his wife. Tried 27 Sept 1858. Sentenced to be hanged 20 Feb 1859. He escaped from jail (it was thought the jailor released him), was recaptured and than hanged in a newly built jail.
Last Words: "I see a lot of young fellows here, some of them I know and some I don't, but I hope they will take warning from me and not go in my tracks and come to this. I am not worthy of this fate, but as it has to be done I must put up with it. I did not intend to do what I did. I hope to meet you all in a better world."
Notes: He and his nephew, William Young, saw Abel Macdonald with money. They waited for him up the road and ambushed him in his wagon. The pair beat him to death with a stick and stole $35. They made an escape from jail but both were recaptured. William received the death sentence with his uncle but it was commuted to life imprisonment; he served 16 years. The case was solved by Det. John Murray. During his imprisonment Young was wearing shackles that were riveted on. On the morning of the hanging the services of 2 blacksmiths were required to chisel the shackles off of him. During the execution the anonymous hangman broke the lever. He tried to use the lever to punch out the bolt. When that didn't work he hit the bolt with a hammer, sending it flying into the crowd but still the trap wouldn't open. Next, he sent for a sledge hammer and some people feared he was going to brain Young with it. He hit the trap with the sledge and it slowly gave way and dropped. Throughout the whole ordeal Young stood there with out saying anything, just his chest heaving. The minister patted him on the shoulder and told him to lean on Jesus. The victim's widow and children arrived too late for the hanging but they were permitted to see Young's body. Most of scaffold was previously used for the hanging of Blowes and King.
Notes: A rebel who attacked Windsor from Detroit. This small force killed 4 militia soldiers and set fires. This person was one of four executed on orders from the militia commander, Colonel John Prince. More rebels were sent to London and 6 were hanged there.