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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1994-08-03, Page 3Feature Local musician boosts mental health BY DAVID SCOTT Expositor Staff A local musician has combined her singing/song-writing talents with her interest in positive mental health to create a music cassette entitled Let's Open the Window. A majority of the proceeds from the sale of each tape goes to the Cana- dian Mental Health Association's (CMHA) Huron Branch. Kim Souch, of Seaforth, wrote all ten songs on the recent recording. She performs lead vocals on eight of the songs and plays acoustic guitar on all tracks. The music ranges in style from folk and country to rock. The music deals with everything from a haunting song about teen runaways to a humourous children's song promoting self-esteem. There are songs for all ages. The song Tapestry of Time was inspired by the Interlink program of CMHA/Huron. The program teams up seniors with grade 5/6 student pen -pals. The song Living Colour was inspired by the CMHA self- esteem program. Souch's cassette comes with a lyrics booklet for listeners. "It's to create awareness of posi- tive mental health. People see the word 'mental' and they get scared. There's a stigma attached to it. The theme song, Let's Open the Win- dow, says be open-minded about mental health. It affects : veryone," said Souch. According to literature from the CMHA, mental illness will affect one in every three people in Canada alone. "Look at the rates of suicide and hospitalization. There's a lot of it because of stress," said Souch. Souch has volunteered with the Huron Branch of the CMHA for two years. She has been working part-time with the association on the music project and fundraising for nine months. The rest of her time she spends singing, writing songs and spending time with her husband, David, and her three children: David, Sarah and Richard. This is the first recording Souch has released for sale. She performed at the recent Literacy Festival in Clinton and wrote the theme song for the festival - The World is an Open Book. Souch has also written songs for Child Find, the child Historical feature DAVID SCOTT PHOTO WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS - Musician Kim Souch of Seaforth gets a little help with her guitar -playing from her sons Richard, left, and David, right. Souch just released a cassette for the Canadian Mental Health Association's Huron Branch which promotes positive mental health. identification organization. For the Let's Open the Window project, Kim assembled a group of talented musicians with the help of drummer, Jay Riehl, who produced the album along with David Kalmusky, who has played for four years with Terry Sumption. Riehl !;,and Kalmusky form the recording company Signature Sound. Richt played with Jim Witter, who has travelled across N i h America and has videos on CMT (Country Music Television). Bassist Ben White and background vocalist Kerry Moore also performed with Terry Sumption. Keyboard player on Let's Open the Window is Greg Dechert, who used to be a member of the rock band Bad Company. Marty Chambers, who plays in a Toronto band, played steel guitar for Souch's recording. She admits she learned a lot about the music world speriding time in the studio. "It is a long time to do taping - 'o er 60 hours of studio time." Souch has approached various `radio stations for airplay and pro- motion of the cassette. "I want to try to get on local TV shows and do interviews," said Souch. She is also considering the possibility of making a video for the title track of the tape, Let's Open the Window. Kim Souch is currently a member of a band called Neon Blue which just won the music competition at the Wingham Homecoming against 10 other musical groups. The band received $1,000 in prize money and eight hours of recording time. The Canadian Mental Health Association has been very support- ive of Kim Souch's project, she said. "The CMHA does a lot of educa- tion and stress management classes. They think the tape is great. It's a good way to send a message. They're helping to promote it in branches across Canada." One thousand copies of Let's Open the Window were made. (A limited supply of T-shirts were also printed). Tapes and shirts are avail- able for sale through Kim Souch at 527-1715 or through the Huron Branch of CMHA in Clinton at 482-9311. Foul play suspected in historic case BY TIM CUMMING Expositor Editor One of the tragic moments in Seaforth history was the case of Robert J. Baird who died in curious circumstances in a house near the Seaforth railway track, a short distance cast of the Coleman and Gouinlock's salt works. "On Thursday evening of last week, about 7 o'clock, word went 'round town that a man named Robert J. Baird had been mur- dered," reported The Huron Exposi- tor on Friday, September 25, 1874. It was reported that he had been found dead from 'attendant circum- stances,' and it was suspected his death was due to foul play. At a magistrates' hearing three individuals were ordered to appear before a Grand Jury. Mrs. Bridget Baird, wife of the deceased, and Sarah Monaghan, the wife of Joseph France, were later dis- charged. Joseph France went before the courts in the case of The Queen vs. Joseph France, Lawyer J. S. Sinclair, acting for the defendant, submitted that the Crown had failed to make a case. The judge, addressing the jury, stated that in his opinion the Crown had failed to establish that the deceased died by violence, and the prisoner ought to be acquitted. The jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty and Joseph France was also discharged. The early Iluron Expositor, not normally prone to sensationalism, had two months earlier announced 'Murder in Seaforth,' on the front page, in a day when local news was usually relegated to the back pages. The fact the paper didn't know if the death was murder, manslaughter or an accident seemed inconsequen- tial. It didn't stop the printing of more than three columns of text on the front page under the small print of its inflammatory headline. Today, a Canadian newspaper might be cautious about what it said about individuals involved in a legal case. The early journal, how- ever, was not shy about painting a negative picture of the individuals involved. The residents of the shanty were described as "intemperate and aban- doned characters." "Their house has frequently, of late, been the scene of carousals and quarrels, and the resort of worthless and drunken persons like themselves." The house was owned by Monaghan (a widow), her children, and France. "Taylor, 1 am murdered..." "Mrs. Monaghan and France had been living in the house together as man and wife for about two years, but had never been married," the newspaper stated. The account of the day was high- ly biased but it remains an imper- fect historical record of the inci- dent. According to the story, Robert Baird went to the Monaghans' home and remained there drinking with the others all day. By evening, they were joined by Mrs. Baird, and "all had a drunken carouse together." The report of the day (prior to the acquittal) conjectured that a disturb- ance had taken place leading to Baird's fatal injuries. He was found lying in a corner of the back kit- chen, on the floor, with his head resting on a pillow and a bundle of rags behind him. The one-time soldier in the Brit- ish army was only 60 when he died. Coroner Campbell held an inquest on the Friday, determining that the deceased carne to his death by violence, inflicted by some party or parties unknown. The justice system appears to have worked quickly in those days. On the Saturday information was laid with the Reeve against Joseph France, Sarah Monaghan and Bridget Baird, charging them with causing Mr. Baird's death. The three individuals were arrested and that evening were arraigned before the Reeve and Justices Strong and Bahia to answer to the charge named. They pleaded not guilty. "1 was there all the time and there was no shouting of murder." The newspaper really went over- board when reporting the details of the case. Before reporting the testi- mony of witness Minnie Garrety, the reporter felt compelled to describe her "rather sinister appear- ance." (Such prejudicial comments would be inconceivable today). According to her tale there was little drinking and no quarrels. The victim's daughter found her father's body, according to Garrety. "i was there all the time and there was no shouting of murder," she said. "i saw no marks on him." No, saki the witness, Mrs. Monaghan never told her'Baird had a black eye. "Baird and his wife were the only ones the worse of liquor in the house," she said. "I was sober all day and all night." The early account didn't let the words of the witness speak for themselves. The newspaper editor - "This witness gave her -• testimony very unwillingly and contradicted herself frequently..." ialized that, "this witness gave her testimony very unwillingly, and contradicted herself frequently." Certainly one of the mere poign- ant moments must have been when Mary Baird, a 'pale -faced little girl about 12,' took the stand. She tes- tified that she went with her mother at Thursday about five o'clock. When they arrived at the home Mrs. Monaghan and Minnie Garrety arose from the bed they were sleep- ing in. The Monaghan children were there at the house. Mr. Baird, too weak to go home, came inside to lay down. His young daughter put a pillow under his head. She left for an hour with 'Jeanie' Monaghan and they returned to find that her father was dcad. "I noticed father's eye was black when I first went in," she recalled. The girl didn't notice a broken chair and saw no one drink. While the events of Thursday evening were taking place James Ritchie was at home about 7 o'clock, having just finished supper. He thought he heard the cries, 'Murder' and 'My father is killed.' Ritchie was sure that Mrs. Baird, Mrs. Monaghan and France were drunk or, at least, 'not sober.' "Mrs. Monaghan and Mrs. Baird seemed to disagree and Mrs. Monaghan said to Mrs. Baird if she did not hold her tongue she would tell alt," the witness told the Magistrates' inquiry. France had told Ritchie that he and Baird had an argument about packing salt. I found a broken chair in the house, but the inmates of the house professed not to know how it had been broken," Ritchie swore under oath; The witness described in detail Baird's black eye, slightly -black ear with a large lump behind it, bruised arms and a rupture on the left side. "There was also an empty black boule lying under the stove," he said. "From the condition of all parties in the house when I saw them, I should say that there had been a drunken brawl." Thirteen -year-old Jane Monaghan testified that she heard a 'conversa- tion between the deceased and Joe France about packing salt but she said it wasn't a quarrel. She reaf- firmed that the adults were 'the worse of liquor.' She was later recalled and resworn at which time she admitted that Joe France and Mr. Baird were quarrelling. "Joe wanted Baird to go home and Baird said he would not go, and then Joe knocked him down and kicked him," she testified "All had a drunken carouse together..." (according to the newspaper account, which wasn't verbatim). Thomas Taylor, another witness, insisted that Mrs. Monaghan came to his door on the morning of the killing, crying tearfully, "Taylor, I am murdered." (The meaning of this early account is not clear). The children followed and begged him to go the Monaghan shanty, claim- ing that Joe French was beating Mr. Baird. Dr. Scou, in his testimony, described Baird's injuries in detail. He could not say with certainty how Baird had died, but did say he saw hairs on the broken chair. "It is my impression that the inmates of the house were all drunk when I got there," he said. The magistrates committed the prisoners to court as well as Minnie Garrety, "as she was unable to find bail to appear as a witness at the trial." At the next court appearance Dr. Scott said in his post mortem exam- ination the body was in a very advanced state of decomposition. He was sure the victim didn't die of heart disease but couldn't say "if the whole or any one of the wounds would cause death." The charge of murder was thrown out. The Grand Jury was composed of Malcolm McDiarmid, foreman; Wm. Chesney, Jas. Dallas, Tilos. Case, Edwin C. R. Davis, David Ellis, John Kirwahu, Samuel Pollock, Jas. Forrest, J. B. Seacord, Thos. Gibson, Thos. Gowinlock, Jas. McDowell, Jas. Garrick, David Johns, Thos. Kidd, Robt. Lumsden, Patrick Kelley, Robt. Morrison, Jas. Somerville, W. G. Smith, Felix Thomson, Wm. 'Turnbull, Sr., Richard Treleaven. THE HURON EXPOSITOR, August 3, 1994-3 COMING COMING SOON! SOON! (1,0 ent ber ker Schneiders BLUE RIBBON BOLOGNA 3:9 i SMOKED PORK CHOPS 4:9 PORK LOIN CHOPS 3 i 9.LB BRUCE PACKERS 2 89 BACON NIB. SALMON STEAKS c 99 41. ■ LB. LEAN GROUND /f 59 BEEF l � Le. OM1MIO DRIVER TRAINING EST. 1968 D.S.A.O. 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