HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1972-01-13, Page 174
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Jail Iast
b
y °
W.E. Elliott
r 1 Huron county's 134-year•old
- jail, " at present leased to
Province, stands: oh a site . which
• cost the municipality just about
$500. The building_itself cost
• $23,612• when 'constructedin
1841„
It's construction was part of a
deal .with the government of the
Province ''of Canada,\' which
Passed legislation setting up an
administrative area comprising
Huron and some townships now
in Bruce and Perth. Negotiations'
were conducted by the
magistrates in this area. They
obtained , the jail site from the
Canada Company, owner of the
Huron Tract, and it has always
1111._.
been said that this was
"granted." Evidently it was not W.
exactly free:
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Curiously no record is found
of the land transfer' in; or about
1839, when the''site was cleared.
• It was July 9, 1861 when the
c o rrl p a n yew sold to the
Municipality of Huron and
Bruce lots '503, 504,.x+505, 585 •
and 586 comprising an acre and
a .''quarter. From this it seems
likely that the jail stood for a
period of about "20 years on a
site the county .did not own.
County minutes also, show that
in 1861 the Warden was'
authorized to. purchase Lots 502
and 584 (ad• ining the jail) from
the Canada 'Company "in order
to carry - out improvements'
recommended by the board of
prison inspectors."
The; soriginal-' lots, 503, 504,
505.'585, and 586, were
conveyed, ran ' behalf of the
Company', by Frederick Widder
and William, B: " Robinson,
Toronto, in consideration of five
shillings. "lawful ' money, of the
Province . of Canada." Witnesses
were" Thomas Collier and Alfred
W. Otter.
1Vlaybe we ho lu d enLflr�ce iu
on the sale price; it was a partner
in 14.361 •
A jail in every county town' of
Ontario is no longer . needed,
Hon. Allan Grossman said' when
in Goderich seven years ago. last
November. The Reform
Institutions Minister visited the
jail "here and reported that it had
the •same•probl'ems as most other
county jails in the province:
overc.rowdirtg ' anti • hated
facilities, lack of_ treatment and
classification facilities and
inadequate segregation•-»` of
inmates. •
At that time, the talk.was of
regional jails, for . example- "a
• three=county unit, for Goderich,
• _ Walkerton -and -Owen -Sound am
in the alternative a four -county
unit : for ` Goderich, Stratford,
• London and St. Thomas. A more
recent plan' ,is providing' Elgin
and .Mlddlesex with a regional -
jail, at $3,000,000 or some such`
amount.
The 130 -year-old jail in
Goderich, now to be closed, cost
..4,868 pounds sterling, which at
the . rate long in use would be ,
$23,672. The original estimate.
- was -2,680 pounds. • The
magistrates, governing authority
prior to county 'organization,
had ideas of their own; „their
Toronto architect, Thomas
Young, finally left them to
ti finish the job. -
- The magistrates -notably
Dan Lizars and William B. Rich, • _
had. `petitioned the .Legislative -
Assembly for an administrative
area, and Dr. WiUiarrt Dunlop,
elected member in -1841.
tfit ie ed' in getting -legislation
promising this when "a`suita'ble
jail and' courthouse" were
provided. •
Anticipating a favorable
outcome, , William , Geary
stumped and cleared the site in
the Fall of 1839. Geary was a
contractor, active in land
transactions,.`and_ had, married. a
daughter'
arried..adaughter of William B. 'Rich. He
operateti''stages to Stratford and
London', so probably .used hdises
r.in,clearing the wooded site. °
William„ r a"y of . 'Goderich,
lowest. tenderer,, gcit_.the_building
contract. He erected stone Walls
• two.. feet Y thick, from the
Maitland River quarry, and when
a better stone was desired Tor
the copings, ,Dan Lizars Was
dispatched to Port- Huron t, to
negotiate with a” quarry there.
The magistrates -Thoughtfully
provided for 'a chapel in the
central tower, but when. "their
0
found `there was.no 'Money ,for
construction or ° rental , of a
courthouse; they' assigned the'
chap L to the jndges,� In ' their •
capacity of buliding, inspectors,
they : decided the tower roof
A , . _should 'he seven inches 'steeper,
• to Garry off railh .water, and: that
was Where they parted company .r.
with the architect. ,
The magistrates .at this time
included three from"that partof
the Huron District which is now
e in Perth: John' Corry, Wilson
Daly and Robert. Donkin, The
other were John MacDonald, -
'William Robertson, W...• B. Rich,
John Bignall, Henry Ransford,
Iienry, Hfyndman,. Isaac
Adamsonr, Daniel 'Piers, Capt.
Robert G. Dunlop William
Fisher°Gooding, William Dunlop
and Thomas Mercer Jones..
;The Canada Company, owner
of 1,100,000 acres in the Huron`
Tract, granted the jail ,site, and
the directors-: in.London
approvti„ loan of 1,300. pounds.
towar • construction of . the
building. This was soon .spent,
and application was ' made for a
further 1;000. pounds. It was
rejected by Thomas Mercer.,
Jones' one of the magistrates but
also T„ .Canada Company`
Commissioner.' Remainder of the
money. was' raised on the "credit
of the District'
Henry Ransford,, treasurer,
complained that • the Canada
Company: ' charged the District
"the Canadian rate :of interest,
8%," for money he said could be
borrowed . in England for three
or four.' . „
The ex -chapel on the top
floor of "" the- jail was -soon 'in
disfavor with visiting judges,
who complained• ofl,1he awkward
access and jail 'odors. They
began to hold court , in the •.
dining -room of the British
Exchange 'Hotel on market
sgtia're; and= vere'-stifl--ddoirrysa
-when the -first courthouse was
' --eonlpieted-in-4856: T'hereg'is'ter-
of the 4 `British" has borne' the.
' signatures .of . Sir • Beverley "
Robinson,: Sir Richard
• Cartwright. • Sir H. L. 'Lengevin,
Sir Adam •Wilson,. Sir Matthew
Cameron, Sir. John Thompson,
Sir Thomas Galt, Major-General
Luard 'and distinguished.
counsel. Proprietors' ' of the
e•
Rattenbury, Thomas • Dark,
' George Hobson, Sam Dutton
and J. J, Wright. -
'First, meeting of the newly
• constituted, Huron .council was '
held in February, 1842, at
Rattenbury' 'S Hotel, for which
„the . innkeeper- 'received•= --•two•- -.. --
pounds. Councillors present ''
•
-were William •Chalk, Archibald
Dickson, J.. C. W. Daley, John
Galt, George• Gordon, Andrew
Helmer, . John , Holm9s, Robert
Hodgins, : James Hodgins, John
Hawkins, John McIntosh,
William McConnell, Willian_••
Geary aridbJohn-Sebring.
By late Spring of 1841,
-almost . everyone in town and
surrounding area had visited the
new jail at least once. So much •
• mud was carried in that Charles
Sleek, ,newly appointed. jailer (at
60 pounds pet, annum) obtained ,
an order to' keep visitors out,
This order seems to have been
continued: in effect for 130
years'
In 1911, Edward Jardine was
hanged in; this jail after being
convicted of the murder of
Lizzie, Anderson -rife was . tried
before- Chief Justice
Falconbridge and a jury, with.
George -T Blackstock as Crown
prosecutor,,and L. E. :Dancey as
defence counsel.
Forty-eight' years later, on
June .12, 1959, the jail received
another youth:, accused "of a
similar crime. „Steven Murray
Truscott, charged with the, •
murder of .Lynne Harper at the
`RCAF° Station at Clinton,
received a preliminary hearing in
July: 'At "fit September • assize
presided over by Mr. Justice R.
I'. Ferguson, a jury convicted,
hint, recommending mercy. He -
was sentenced to be hanged. An
appeal. to the appellate division
of Ontario. Supreme Court was
rejected in the' following.
January. The sentencewas
coinibuted by federal cabinet to
life imprisonment. Truscott was
Sent to Guelph Reformatory and
later 'Collins' Bay. Ile was freed
E
4.4
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PRQMoTE YOUR E: M' EN R SSTHROUGH •.
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$IG,NAL-STAR -`
I. ° ENTERTAINMENT PAGES, ,
GET RESULT$. - THE SUREST WAY
Olt
, PLAN - to attend IIce-Nick 72 •
presented by Goderitrh Figure'
Skating Club, February 4 and 5
= at the Arena: Junior Carnival --
Alice in Wonderland. Seniors- -
Oliver. Heated stands. 52-,1,2
COME to Blyth d, Lions Club.
Bingo every Saturday bight ,at
8:30 p.m., Community Hall:
Admission $1.00. 12 regular`
karnes, $10.00 each: Two
Share -The -Wealth games. One'
$25,00 special: $12;5.00 jackpot,
if taken in 60 cal)s, if not takes,
$10.00 added each night, 50% of
' take to full card if `jackpot not
taken. --- T •
E.....- , 1
Ei THE AUXILIARY of Alexandra
• Marine and General Hospital gill
▪ meet at the Hospital'on Monday,
January 17, at 2:30 p.m. 2 '
BENEFIT STAG for Helmut.
° Krohrner, Legion Hall, Friday,
"' January 14. Admission $1:00.
nc`
NEXT TRAVELOGUE
TUESDAY, FEB. 8
IRELAND
Bob O'Reilly
13TH KINETTE Mardi Gras,
February 5, Saltford Valley Hall;
Tickets available now, Phone
524-6635, - 1;2,3,4. „
RECEPTION, for
Mr.' and Mrs.
Wm. 'Reid (nee Debby Baxter)
will be held at 146 West Street,
Goderich, on the evening gf
January 15, 1972. Friends and
relatives welcome. -- 1,2 n
THE FAMILY of Mr. land,.Mrs:
Marcel Lassaline invite friends,
relatives and neighbors to .a
reception in honor Of their
parents' 25th • Wedding
Anniversary 'at Saltford Valley
Hall- on Saturday, January 15,
from 9:00 AO' • Please no
gifts. 2
YOU ARE invited to attend the.
Child .,Health Clirc, . Court
House, -Goderich, on' Saturday,
January. 15, 1972 from' 9:30 to
11:30 a.m. for': 1. Health
Su rve i.l l ance 2. ` Anaemia
.'Screening •3, Immunization 4.
Hearing "Screening 5. Fluoride
brushing of children's teeth- to
prevent cavities for ages 3 to 5
years• - 2 • '
TE
,;
BETA Sigma „Phi Hard Times
Dance, Saturday, January 22,
1972, 9 ‘p.m. to 1 a.m., Saltford
r a ey a ,'Witff—DI§T— "oc ey
Unlimited. . $8.00 per couple, .
1e -f r•es-h-rrrents "-and ..._-._lu-nch_-
included. For "tickets.' phone
5-24-8308. - 2;3
50Q CARD' PARTY, Saturday,
January.. 15, 8:30 p•m,• at
ForrhstersHall, , Benmiller.
Sponsored. by •L 1901 and 86.
Lunch andprizes. Weather.
Rermittings Phone ' 524-8036.
1,2
-BINGO:
Every' Saturday Night
LEGION HALL
starting,
time -00 p.m.
T �a,
ASK FOR AN'
APPOINTMENT
thr'.ry•N, if Ma,/ alto
If you have a hearing problem,
contact The Zenith Hearing -Aid
Service by calling RIECK,,,
PHARMAC 524-7241; 14 be
Square. FRE TESTING: NO
OBLIGATIO •
THE GODERICH Art Club will
hold •i.ts month meeting af the
.Studio on Caledonia Terrace;°
"Tuesday, January 18, at 8 p.m.
•All • trnembers ' and interested
pars 4a.arednvitest - 2e�
" agl4.�w•�w
-Available„from Any Kinsmen
a
Bridge score? 4.
I
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a '
0
There *ere five and a half U
4= tables in play . at the Goderich
Duplicate Bridge, Club Tuesday,
M.- January 4. Winners and their
scores were as follows: tied first
and second were Ray Fisher and
Tom Eadie with Mrs. A.
• Galbraith . and Mr. A.
Weerasooriya, 641/2 points;third,
▪ "., Mrs. Bruce Erskine and Mr. Wm,
:3—Cochrane,. 61 poiniS;—fourth,
Mrs. Jiin Donnelly and,Mr. Wm.
Duncan, 601/a points,
a
ori -parole three years ago.
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.-4:01. Your
INSURANCE
so or CSil
11041114Wili &
WON
Petit S. hisicivien
'h�ANV AGAL NOWAoM5
1 NAT ,LOOKS I.UCE
A DUMB 9L0NPE. ; • �',
S ACTUAL V k•
%BRI LLI ANT BRUNETTE
111_1, _•.....r.:,:,;.:•.
C.AN1)1'F.. Ifil
RFSTAURJ - AVERN
,BAYFIELD RD,' ^-. GERI,ic1}
OD
524.7711' • -
DINING' AND• DANCING
EVERY FRIDAY AND,
SATURDAY NIGHT '...�
Formerly
• The •
PIZZA PATIO
Friday & Saturday
JANUARY 14 & 15
THE
EW JESTERS
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Thu..T3'T Fri• ' Set. SAI. tut; w. 1 3
= Gearge•Armstrang . and
the I'Vf j1;e Cea#`H c{-ey Club.
01111An ,A9mtourt Internatrbndi Presentation
-- 61/2 OZ..BOTTLES
COCA-COLA
,1N1T 1. THIS COUPON
__ .. _ _1111 __.. ▪ •� _ W.. 1111_._:. _. ,._.�.........;. �.,
Thursday„ January 13 to January 20
Frank & • Gus Carry-Ou
1
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.71
JORGEN IEHL'
The Strange Husband
(THINK OF THE rolsIBluTIrs)
stamps.
JUDY BROWN • Mans,. TAast.. imp Storpord •
Lotze Hone : Jorpn Kb . Women by dont,. !Newnan =
."hoduced •nd Oaecbld by.Lee gado • Cola by TecbnuoK.t
a.••a4-MM
M•. a 44 a . M •h •+wal ,
"."”. 11•tl-ar.
e.caar.oe ...,n,<
THE
IJOLSON
STORY
PAGHEiiI-LASAGNA-RAVIOLI a
50 VEST STREE-T, GQDER,ICH
. ° (Near The Launchrornetl
OPEN 4 P.M. TO 2 ' A.M: _
---COUPON."--= --
145 ESSEX 'STREET
GOQERICH, ONTARIO •
4.441
London
Symphony.
Orchestra
JOE'S BP
•
Service, Station►
and
Coffee Shop
411 Huron lhd., Goderich
024.6871- ti
GODERICH 624,8905 - a.en. to 11 Late
WINGHAM 357-130 ANYTIME
225 PICTpN St, GOpERICI-1
•
CER
FEATURING PAUL BRODIE, TENOR
SAXOPHONE VIRTUOSO From Toronto
GacII
2:30 P.M.
SUNDAY, MARCH
ADVANCE SALE 4-- Adults' $2.60
Student - $1.00
TICKETS ON S4LE
LODGE FURNITURE..
PICKETT & CAMPBELL
COACH HOUSE
Or Any Rotary IVIember ,
Ponotred by Goderich ;Rotary Club
rooktem, toy*** 16010.100i -
,iftetiii; 400 biktit 4141 $0401
Retriislimenti 'VOu MOO Oil 18