1890s Hamilton

The inquest into the death of Bridget Parrott took place at No. 3 Police Station during the morning of February 10, 1899 before Coroner Griffin: “The court room was crowded with interested auditors, and among those present were Chief Smith, Inspector McMahon, and Major Prentice, who produced the axe, the instrument of death, to the jurors. Three hours was occupied in taking down the evidence. “Ben Parrott, the matricide, was not present, and was not represented by counsel either.” 1 1 Times. February 11, 1899. Just before the inquest into the death of his wife, the father of the man accused of causing that death was his son: “Around 9:30 o’clock, Benjamin Parrott, sr., walked into the court room. He was accompanied by his daughter, Mrs. Murray, of Buffalo. On only one point was there contradictory testimony given. An eye-witness of the murderous assault swore that Parrott struck his mother with the back of the axe, and the doctors in the case stated that the injuries

When the afternoon edition of the Hamilton Times appeared, it carried almost exactly the same coverage of the attack by Ben Parrott on his mother that had appeared in the morning edition of the Spectator. However, given the extra time to put together the edition that would appear after the noon hour. The major additions which differed from the Spectator were drawings by the Times artist J. Thompson and an interview conducted with the murderer’s father. A Times reporter was allowed to enter the Parrott home when he knocked and asked if he could speak to Ben Parrott, sr.: “He was invited in by the fifteen-year-old son, who showed the way into a bedroom where Mr. Parrott was at work making entries in a small book. “ ‘It’s just I’ve been expecting for months,’ said Mr. Parrott. ‘You remember when I had that boy in the Police Court, two months ago. I told Mr. Jelfs to separate them or there would be a murder. I knew it would happen. They were both drunk most of the time and qu

Ben Parrott was a familiar figure on the Hamilton Police Court docket appearing on a series of cases whether as defendant or complainant. The appearance of Ben Parrott, junior, defendant, along with his father Ben Parrott, senior, on July 8, 1898 was notable because it brought the light the nature of life in the Parrott family home:  “Students of human nature could have spent a profitable hour at Magistrate Jelfs’ court this morning, as some queer specimens of humanity figured in cases heard by His Worship. It would be a difficult matter for an ordinary person to classify Benj. Parrott, jun., a full-grown man, Steven street, who was charged with assault by his aged mother. At first, he talked rationally, but after he heard his ‘best friend’ say that he knocked her down and that he must leave the house, he used very vile language to her, and the police had to call him to order. When he went into the witness box to testify in his own behalf, he again called her vi

“Christ Church Cathedral schoolhouse was crowded to the doors last evening, the entertainment entitled ‘An Evening With Gibson’ proving a strong attraction. The whole affair proved not only decidedly enjoyable, but it had the additional charm of novelty.” Hamilton Times.   April 07, 1899.  It was an entertainment that was a first in Hamilton. A series of nineteen tableaux were presented on April 7, 1899, all based on the drawings of Charles Dana Gibson, one of the most widely popular illustrators of the day. The tableaux were representations of Gibson’s artistry by one of more persons, suitably costumed and posed, and placed in an appropriate setting. The artist was responsible for the ‘Gibson Girls’ phenomenon, in which the subjects of his drawings were young, fashionably dressed men and women. The women characters in particular represented ‘the New Woman,’ in a time when feminist issues were becoming more and more the topics of conversation. The Times reporter

 “The worst daylight fire the Fire Department has been called upon to fight for years broke out about noon today in the T.H. Pratt Co.’s department store, Nos. 16 and 18 James street north.” Hamilton Times.                    July 10, 1902. The July heat had already arrived in Hamilton on July 10, 1895. It was already hot in the morning, but it by the noon hour things would get even hotter on the block of facing James street north, between King and King William streets: “Mr. Otto Ante, of Lees’ jewelry establishment, while passing the store, saw a volume of smoke coming through a window and ran to the call box at the corner of James and King William streets. In breaking the glass to reach the crank, he cut his hand badly.” 1 1  “The worst daylight fire the Fire Department has been called upon to fight for years broke out about noon today in the T.H. Pratt Co.’s department store, Nos. 16 and 18 James street north.” Hamilton Times.                    July 10, 1902.

It was a serious accident, but not so serious as to provoke a lot of newspaper coverage. Not every daily newspaper in Hamilton did, allow reference was made in the both Globe and the Hamilton Times. From the Hamilton Times, September 2, 1895: “There was a cave-in on the T.H.&B. tunnel, near Caroline street on Saturday night. It caused a large kerosene lamp, which was used near the steam shovel, to fall on a man named Thos. Faulknor. Who was at work on the cut. Faulknor was covered with the burning fluid, and before help arrived, his arms and breast were badly burned. After a long delay, he was removed by polive to the city hospital, where his painful injuries were dressed.” 1 1 “A Cave-In” Hamilton Times. September 2, 1895. Sadly, after a week of suffering, Faulknor succumbed to his injuries : “Mr. Thos. Faulknor, bricklayer, who was injured a week ago Saturday night by being burned by gasoline, died about 12 o’clock on Saturday night at the City Hospital.