HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-01-13, Page 13•G
.125.1-11 YEAR 2 THURSDAY,.JANUARY, ,
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This is the view most residents of, and ° Viet or? 'to,' G�oderich'
have of the Htron County Jail. The high stone well, surrounded
by trees . with the 'tops of ;buildings ericlosthIN by that wall
peeping over its . top. One of 'the• trees surroundingthe
compound figures with some•interest in the sto y of one of the
jails Most famous residents,' Steven Truscott. In his book,
written since his release from prison, Truscott relates one
incident when; his broth'er climbed one of the trees and enjoyed
a short visit with • the prisoner while he was exercising in the
confines of .the courtyard. The story.,.goes' that the young
Truscott narrowly escaped police when a neighbour noticed the• •
odd goings on and contacted; the Goderich Polipe Department.
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Through these .doors; and down the tong- tapered hallway '
behind them at least two' prisoners on note passed on their way
to the cell • block sentenced to death. In1911 Edward Jardine
was hanged after being convicted of the murder 8f Lizzie
Anderson. Hwwas tried before Justice Falconbridge and a jury,
convicted and- hanged by the neck until ' dead. Fourty-eight
years, Dater Steven Murray Truscott walked through the doors
under the same sentence but .escaped` the rope when his
sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by the Federal
Cabinet: He served time at Guelph Reformatory „and later •
Collins Bayand was freed on parole three years'.ago. °
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D ate itt foreboding appearance inwsome ways and the u,n peasantness of its
purpose the Huron
COunt+ Jail pevet the lets posseses a sort of rare architectural beauty. This view ..from the corner of
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andVictoria , St Streets Showing -the " "the Governors home to the right and bounded b ` ;he are:
Napier.ren, g _ y l
,. e _ ancien weather
rwsllt on the left basins to t1,arronstralta3 Its beauty Tsh watchtower, to�Iped ,t�� ah t
Nine, mounted above old stonewalls seems to portray a certain strength of character and symbol
of, authority in accordance rich its age,
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Th wall,as mostIsee it,.from 0outside
In addition to the courtyards and call blocks tl em elves this house is in fact part
' �: i is ' .r ..�.. Y �. .. .. Y', .. .. .
of he Huron Count Jain. Ctrl Ir111111 burlt provide levan aacomodataon for the
It y 9 '!�' top � 9 •. �.
"Governor"' of the jell, as,the 5upehntendent's position was called �n the past, �t
nt
served the# purpose un#il 7J8i In ,hrnuarr of that yttar the Huron County Branch
of the .Children's Aid Society took occupancy and the house has been useld as
C.A.S. °Maee since, Until 1968 the house. was connected to the other portions 'of'
• the fail by doorways but, when the C.A,,,5. moved in, re riiivattons were d en
among themithe doors joining the house with the rest 'of the builds were ...
of.lSurr� an Open ho beto bfficaell
.a *total 1h6retra►t+io+rr
of tours and ,convers*tlon provided, 'cove for. a fra us at thae when 'OW is i
overpowered a gun ,id and `eesIp`.,�
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