Goderich Signal Star, 2017-06-14, Page 7Wednesday, June 14, 2017 • Signal Star 7
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A terrible crime
The murder of
Lizzie Anderson
The ultimate sanc-
tion that the state
can impose on its
citizenry is the power
over life and death. That
penalty has been exer-
cised three times in
I luron County.
William Mahone was
executed for murder in
1861. Nicholas Melady's
hanging in 1869 has the
dubious distinction of
being the last public
hanging in the Dominion.
The third and last exe-
cution that occurred at
the Huron County Gaol
was that of 22 -year old
Edward Jardine in 1911.
On Sept. 20, 1910, the
Goderich Industrial Exhi-
bition held at the Agricul-
tural Fair Grounds was
enjoying record attend-
ance and fine weather.
Lizzie Anderson, a
17 -year-old girl, left her
Saltford home to enjoy an
outing at the fair.
As the fair shut down
for the evening, William,
Lizzie's brother, became
worried when she failed
to arrive at their pre-
arranged meeting at the
Britannia Street gate.
William sent for his
father and began an
unsuccessful search that
evening.
The next morning,
Lizzie's father, Wes
Anderson, aroused a
search party and scoured
the area around the fair-
grounds. In the basement
of an abandoned house
southwest of the fair-
ground's Eldon Street
entrance, the remains of
Lizzie Anderson were
discovered.
The headline in The
Huron Signal proclaimed
"A Terrible Crime" as the
paper detailed the grue-
some discovery.
Lizzie Anderson's par-
tially clad body indicated
Huron History
David Yates
a violent struggle. Her
head was pattered and
her throat had been
slashed with a knife.
Local law enforcement
tried in vain to keep curi-
ous onlookers from
entering the crime scene.
Detective Greer arrived
from Toronto to assist the
Crown attorney and local
police in the investiga-
tion. After questioning an
Italian, two Poles and a
suspected drug addict,
suspicion fell upon
21 -year-old Edward Jar-
dine. He was the last per-
son seen with Lizzie the
evening of her
disappearance.
The Jardine family lived
on Widder Street in 1910.
Edward was one of seven
sons of Eliza Jardine.
If the 1901 census is
correct, Eliza was born in
1863 and was barely 14
when she had her first
son in 1877. She was a
widow before she was 40.
Eyewitnesses saw Jar-
dine with Lizzy until
almost 10 p.m..on the
evening of her disappear-
ance walking towards the
abandoned house.
After telling a confused
tale of his whereabouts,
young Edward was for-
mally charged with
Lizzie's murder.
'Ihe subsequent trial
was held in April 1911 at
the Goderich Court-
house. In order to insure
a fair trial, the jury was
selected from Huron men
from outside the Goder-
ich vicinity. The presiding
judge was none other
than Sir William Falcon -
bridge, Chief Justice of
Ontario.
According to the
Gaol courtyard where Edward Jardine was hanged.
'Huron Signal; "there was
a great rush for admit-
tance" as spectators
crammed the courtroom.
The Signal was surprised
at the number of women
present considering the
graphic evidence that was
to be heard.
It was remarked by all
that Edward Jardine, the
defendant, seemed aloof
as he sat in the prisoner's
docket 'chewing gum.'
'Ihe Crown's case was
clear: Edward, after hav-
ing given Lizzie 15 cents
for dinner, asked her to
escort him to the aban-
doned house for a foul
purpose.
Unsuspecting Lizzie, a
friend of Jardine's, went
with him. When she tried
to rebuff his improper
advances, he struck her on
the head and, after she
protested, he cut her throat
to keep her from talking.
Young Lizzie died
defending the purity of
womanhood from a
depraved 'maniac.' It was
a tale of malicious lust
calculated to shock and
outrage the courtroom.
I)r. Bruce Smith, the
provincial inspector of
prisons who examined
Jardine, called him asex-
ual pervert.' Dr. Smith
alleged that Jardine con-
fessed to killing Ander-
son. Jardine, according to
Dr. Smith, told him that,
"the devil got possession
of me" and admitted to
slashing Lizzie across the
throat. It was pretty
damning testimony. His
Lordship instructed the
jury to return a verdict of
'guilty' or 'not guilty' by
reason of insanity.
At noon, the Chief Jus-
tice dismissed court.
Upon His Lordship's
return at 1:15, the jury
was already waiting. A
verdict had been reached
in less than an hour. The
foreman announced to a
crowded courtroom that
they had found the
defendant guilty.
'Ihe ritual charge con-
demning the prisoner to
be hanged was delivered.
Chief Justice Falconbridge
admonished Jardine to
prepare for eternity.
Even though it was
acknowledged that Jar-
dine was 'weak mentally;
the Dominion Minister of
Justice confirmed the
sentence. The execution
would proceed on June
16, 1911.
Arthur English, a.k.a.
Arthur Ellis, soon to be
named Canada's official
hangman, paid his first
and last official visit to
Huron County. Mr. Ellis'
predecessor had just died
of an alcohol related dis-
ease in February.
Rev George Ross of
Knox Church received Jar-
dine into the Presbyterian
faith and wrote down his
last testament the night
before his execution. Jar-
dine's final statement, as
taken down by Rev. Ross,
was an exhortation to his
'chums' to attend Sunday
school regularly.
I lis last wish was to be
buried in the Colborne
cemetery next to his
Contributed photo
father. This wish was
granted. It is revealing
about either his state of
mind or his lack of etluca-
tion that he could not
write it out himself.
Although the execution
was not public, crowds
gathered outside the gaol
walls. Just before 8 a.m.,
Edward Jardine, fully
composed, was taken
from his cell.
The procession from his
cell to the opening of the
gallows trap took less
than a minute. However,
it would take another.
eight and a half minutes
for Jardine to die.
The hangman's rope
was cut up and presented
as souvenirs to local dig-
nitaries and participants.
A life had been
exchanged for a life.
As far as the local opin-
ion was concerned the
matter had ended. Justice
appeared to have been
served. However, for two
1 luron County families,
there would never he
finality.