Village Squire, 1976-06, Page 13A beautiful wooden roll-top desk is one of the
period pieces in the governor's quarters.
place in the building on Feburary 8, 1842 with
Dr. William (Tiger) Dunlop, M.P. as first
warden. But perhaps the councillors didn't
think much of the neighbours because
meetings were held infrequently in the
courtroom with many being at Rattenbury's
Hotel. Court was still held in the room
however until a courthouse was completed in
1858.
The restoration work of the past year shows
the change in the decor over the 130 years.
Cells were originally constructed of hand-
hewn pine logs, about a foot square which ran
between the stone central corridor walls. A
different form of cell door was used than in
later years and this can be seen from the
notches in the walls where the hinges were
fastened. Later, the existing wrought iron
doors in their cast iron frames were installed.
Then the walls were upgraded by the
addition of lath and plaster over the logs. It
was found necessary to cover the plaster with
boards in some cells to prevent malicious
damage by the prisoners. This restored cell
shows the only remaining "leg iron" in the
building which was used until 1950.
The jail is famous, or infamous, for two
highly publicized events: the last public
hanging in Canada in 1865 and the stay of
Stephen Truscott. Yet that public hanging is
one of only two that ever took place there, the
last being in 1911. Popular myth had it that
the bodies of the hanged were buried in the
courtyards. Indeed the body of the last
hanged man was buried there for a short
time but was later claimed by friends and
-ernoved.
There were few escapes from the jail. The
walls reach 20 feet or more in height and are"
planted on footings that are eight feet below
ground level. The top of the exercise yard
walls were further barricaded with a ridge of
loose stone which both impeded the possible
escape of a prisoner and prevented the
WE SPECIALI7.E IN
THE TEENAGE TRADE
7 MAIN ST. SEAFORTH
seepage of water down intc the walls. Still, at
least one prisoner managed to get out by
using a table and several chairs stacked one
on top of the other to scale the walls.
The octagonal configuration of the jail
made it possible for the jailer to be in the
central hall, in close communications with all
area around the perimenter. A buzzer system
was also installed to sound the alarm if a
guard needed help.
The airiest portion of the building is the
third floor where the original courthouse and
council chambers was. Originally it was
heated by huge box stoves. In later years this
area was used mainly as an overflow area,
when the prison was full.
The portion of the jail which has been
restored the fullest is the governors house.
The contrast to the conditions in the jail is
astounding. The house is large, spacious,
with the warm feeling of aged wood. It was
constructed in 1900. Its comfort makes it
seem like another world only a few feet away
from the prison.
The restoration has seen the repainting and
wallpapering in period decorating style and
the furnishing with antiques of the time.
The governor had one big financial
obligation: to provide Christmas dinner for all
the prisoners in the building on December 25.
Any prisoner who was unlucky enough to
spend the holiday in jail was at least rewarded
with the one big feast of the year.
Officially, there was a great deal of
isolation in the jail. No one except a doctor or
minister was allowed beyond the waiting
room. For many years any prisoner who was
ill was treated right in the jail but after about
....JUNE 20 ISA SPECIAL DAY FOR
Give Him a Gift
He Can Wear
Chose from our large
selection of
Shirts
Ties
Slacks
Sweaters
Jackets
Sport Shirts
Or let him choose his own
with a gift certificate
MAIN CORNER,
CLINTON
VILLAGE SQUIRE/JUNE 1976, 11