John Galloway Scott and the Donnelly Massacre

Here's a bit of historic ephemera that I stumbled onto via the website Canadian Mysteries.  One of the "mysteries" this site covers is the Donnelly Massacre that took place in Lucan, Ontario, on February 4, 1880.  (This is more a lurid crime than a real mystery, although the culprits did get away with murder).  For those of you who don't know, the Donnelly Massacre refers to the vigilante-style ambush and killing of  five members of the Donnelly family, who were Irish immigrants in rural Ontario.  The father, James Donnelly, had killed a man in a drunken fight in 1857 and had served seven years in the Kingston Penitentiary. He was released in 1865.  For whatever reason, in February of 1880, a group of about 20 men from the local community broke into the household of James Donnelly at night and killed him, his wife Johanna, his niece Bridgit and one son, Tom, age 25.   Then the group went to the home of  Will Donnelly, another adult son of James and Johanna, and fired shots into it, apparently intending to kill Will but actually hitting John Donnelly, Will's brother, by mistake.  The crime, and subsequent trials, were sensational and still generate much interest. One of the reputed attackers was a member of the local police.  In the end, no one was convicted of the murders, despite two eyewitness accounts (Will Donnelly, who was able to look out his window and recognized several men, and a child named Johnny O'Connor, who was staying overnight at James and Johanna's house in order to help with farm chores the next day and had hidden under a bed during the attack).

The Donnelly Massacre has  become imprinted on the folk culture and history of Ontario.  Many books have been written and published about it, there are several documentaries available, ballad-type songs have been written, there is a local Donnelly museum in Lucan where you can buy your own Donnelly coffee mug, golf balls or t-shirt (how tacky!) or take a Vigilante Bus Tour. I once attended a  Donnelly Massacre play put on by a rural Ontario theatre group.  Of course there are many Donnelly ghost stories also embedded into local myth, particularly about how horses don't like to go down the road past where the Donnelly farm used to be.  The story goes that horses either refuse to move or else they go crazy when they pass the old Donnelly homestead.

Interior of the Donnelly Museum, Lucan, Ontario.  

Here's a youtube video of  Hector McIssac singing "The Black Donnellys".

Stomping Tom Connors has two songs about the incident.  "Jenny Donnelly", below, and "The Black Donnelly Massacre", which I couldn't find a video version of.

How is our ancestor involved?  Well, John Galloway Scott was deputy attorney general at the time of the trials.  Here's a letter from the local Sheriff to J.G. Scott asking advice on the prison conditions of the accused men.  The original letter is in the University of Western Ontario Archives, The J.J. Talman regional collection, Donnelly Family Papers, B4878, File 2.


"Re Donnelly Murder Case
London, Ontario 
May 7, 1880

J G Scott Esq.
Deputy Attorney General
Toronto

Sir,
...after the prisoners were placed in my custody I was cautioned by the County Attorney to keep them apart so far as space would permit.  This the Gaoler has done I believe to the best of his ability.  I have cautioned the Gaoler to be specially careful not to allow any one to see the prisoners without my direction and then only in the presence of a legal official. 

The prisoners complain that their health is being jeopardized by the close confinement and and the Gaol Surgeon is of the same opinion.  They ask as a privilege to be allowed to break stones in the Gaol yard with other prisoners.

...The prisoners are strong vigorous men accustomed to hard work and it is feared the close confinement will endanger their lives.

I have the honour to be 
Sir 
Your Most Obedient Servant
Wm Glass 
Sheriff"

I think this is a fascinating historical tidbit.  I had never connected the dots to think that Scott was actually Deputy Attorney General during this notorious crime,  or that he had anything to do with it in his official capacity.  (Unfortunately, I don't have his reply.)  It's also interesting to see him being consulted about issues of prison security and prisoner well-being.  When I read biographical material about Scott, it's all about the legislation he helped draft and implement, particularly his work on Land Titles.  This kind of inquiry might have formed part of the day-to-day business of his work, as opposed to the larger projects he took on that he is now remembered for.