Heslop Murder 1891 Part 1 - Investigation and Arrests

The day after John Heslop was murdered in his Ancaster Township home, the provincial government assigned one of its detectives to take over the investigation into the crime.

         On his arrival in Hamilton, Detective William Greer was described by a Spectator reporter as a young man “of very uncommunicative disposition, leaving the reporter to “sigh for the oratorical powers and dramatic appreciation of the value of facts for which some other members of the provincial detective force are noted.”

        Greer was a good-looking young man, with rosy cheeks and a blonde moustache.

        As Greer refused to divulge the direction his investigation was taking, the press and the public began to wonder if the detective was actually working hard enough to solve the crime.

        In spite of substantial rewards offered by the provincial government, the county council and the township council, there was no break in the case until nearly eleven months after the shooting.

        On November 9, 1891, a headline in the Hamilton Spectator boldly asked “Is the Murderer Caught?”

        Until the arrest of a suspect in the case, Detective Greer had been under mounting criticism for his failure to solve the Heslop murder case:        “While public opinion has been content to let the tragedy pass away among the list of unexplained mysteries, the machinery of the law has been quietly closing around the perpetrators of that dastardly deed.”

        Arrests were made in Niagara Falls of two men. The names of the prisoners were Samuel Gossie and George Douglas. A reporter had heard a rumour that the arrest of the two men might be related to the Heslop murder.

        At first, Detective Greer denied the speculation and insisted that Gossie and Douglas were only under arrest for stealing cattle from farms on the Onandaga reserve.

        On December 8, 1891, another man, Jack Bartram, was arrested. Described as a “white man, living at Middleport, near the Indian reserve, who bore a hard reputation, Jack Bartram had been the terror of the vicinity for years.

        As soon as he was arrested, Bartam, reportedly drunk at the time, was quoted as saying; ‘Look here now, you’ve got me solid, but if you will let me off the charge of cattle-stealing, I will give you some good pointers about the fellows who murdered old man Heslop last winter.’

        “ ‘I can’t let you off,’ replied arresting officer Adams, ‘you must come to Brantford with me.’

        “ ‘Well,’ said Bartram, ‘when we get up there you tell them that I know who killed the old man and will give the whole thing away if they will only let me go.’

        Later, at the jail, Bartram refused to discuss anything to do with the Heslop.

        Jack Bartram was about 54 years old, six feet tall, with grey hair and beard. His right eye was swollen and enflamed, the result of a suspected cancerous tumor.

        Bartram had been arrested at his house, located a few miles south of Brantford:

        “On the left hand side of the village of Middleport, looking towards the east on the opposite side of the road to the post office, stands Jack Bartram’s home. It is a tumbledown-looking, ramshackle house of one storey. It has been neither painted nor white-washed for ages, and is literally falling to pieces.

        “The house is built with its end towards and right close up to the sidewalk. The chimney is on the center roof; there is a kitchen a foot or two less in height at the rear, and beside windows in the side and end, there is a door in each of these sections. Next to it in the same lot is an old barn tumbling to pieces, while under the very window almost is a heap of manure.

        “It is easily the worst home in the village.”

        The Hamilton Times thoroughly investigated Jack Bartram’s past and in the edition of the Weekly Times dated December 17, 1891, the following resume of Bartram’s criminal past was published:

        “About twenty years ago, a gang of outlaws composed of Jack Bartram, Dave Poss, Sam Lindsay, George Johnston (alias Shephard), Roge Hobson and a man named Knox ruled the country around Middleport. The inhabitants lived in a state of terror, while their property and chattels were in constant jeopardy.

        “If an attempt was made to bring the desperados to justice, the complainant would find shortly afterwards that his cattle and horses had been killed or stolen, and, in not a few circumstances, houses and barns were fired by this villainous gang.

        “After this condition of things had existed for a brief period, the Bartram-Lindsay gang, as it was called, expropriated whatever they chose without fear of being brought to justice. They operated for a number of years and many of them were reported to have accumulated considerable wealth.

        “On one occasion, the gang stole a flock of sheep, numbering more than one hundred, from the reserve, drove them down through Copetown and onto Toronto where they were sold

        “An East Indian woman named Brock lived, until a short time ago, a few miles from Brantford on the Hamilton road. Her house was broken into one night by the gang while looking for plunder. The brave woman jumped from her bed, seized a shotgun and fired.

        “The robbers decamped, but the next morning the dead body of Poss was found a few hundred yards from the house with his head riddled with shot. That was along about ’74, but, in the next year, by the daring shrewdness of a man named Sol Dean, the remainder of the gang were brought to bay and punished.

        “ Dean, who was a veteran of Balaklava, went to live in Middleport, where he joined the gang, at the same time being paid for his work by the authorities.

        “The gang held a secret meeting to which the new member was admitted, and it was arranged to waylay and rob a wealthy citizen named Harbottle.

        “Full arrangements were made and the plot was carried out with some success. The victim was thrown from his horse and robbed of $2,000.

        “Dean left the place quietly and gave full particulars to the authorities. Bartram, Lindsay and Johnston (alias Sheppard), were arrested, tried and convicted. Lindsay was sent to Kingston Penitentiary for twenty years, where he has since died, and the others went to jail for shorter terms.

        “This had the effect of breaking up the notorious gang, and since that time, Bartram has usually carried on his trepidations alone, though ona smaller scale, and has eluded the very best of the county constables.”

        Soon after Bartram’s arrest, his son, who lived with his estranged wife in Michigan, came to Brantford. Described in the Times as a “handsome young fellow (who) does not resemble his father in the least,” the younger Bartram was ushered into his father’s cell. He shook hands with his father, but not a word was spoken :

        “The boy gazed hard at the prisoner from the time he came in until he went out, but Jack Bartram seemed unconscious of his son’s presence, and stood there with his usual hardened look.”

        After Bartram had been arrested, his nephew, a 28-year old half-breed Indian named Jack Lottridge was placed under arrest while he was at the Commercial Hotel in Brantford.

Lottridge was not told the nature of the charges against him until Chief Vaughan read him the warrant as the prisoner was being transferred from the police station to the jail. When Lottridge realized that he was charged with murder, he collapsed. After he recovered, he refused to say anything to the police, and insisted on being put in the same cell as his uncle. His demand was denied.

During the course of an interview with a reporter from the Brantford Expositor, Detective Greer was quoted as saying:

“ ‘This murder business was handed over to me two days after its occurrence. As is usual on such occasions, I had a thousand and one clues, all of which I carefully traced and exploded. In fact, I found that none of them would pan out.

“ ‘This is the latest tip we have had, and I have no doubt this is the gang with the exception of Goosey.

“ ‘ I got my first suspicions roused from the fact that there was a great number of rough characters located in the vicinity of Ancaster. The crime was performed in such a cool and dastardly manner that I had no doubt that it was performed by men well-accustomed to the committal of crime.

“ I don’t mean to say that murder was the original intention of the men, but the old gentleman was plucky, and had he not been so, probably there would have been no murder.

“ ‘ Both Goosey and Douglas were in the United Staes, and were kidnapped by the ingenuity of the officers. I am not at liberty to say just now how that little trick was worked.

“ ‘They had only been on Canadian soil one day when they were captured. They were induced to come across the line by perfectly legitimate means so far as I am concerned, and as far as the American officers were concerned.

“ ‘The Indian, Goosey, is about 25 years of age, nt 21 as you stated. He has been in trouble before, but is merely held as a material witness.’ ”

Back in Hamilton, a reporter for the Times interviewed Police Chief Hugh McKinnon about Jack Bartram and his possible connection with the Heslop case :

“ ‘I have known Bartram for 20 or 25 years, and the detectives know him well. He is a hard man and generally has bad ones around him. His particular criminal work has been larceny, robbery and house-breaking. His name was mentioned in connection with the murder of Mr. Heslop within a few days after the affair, and within two weeks a thorough investigation was made. At that time, the conclusion arrived at was that Bartram was not the murderer. It was thought, however, that he might possibly know something about it, and as it was known that he could not leave the country because he was wanted in the United States no attempt was made to arrest him.

“Bartram has made Onandaga, Middleport, Hagersville and Caledonia his run for a long time. Some considerable time ago, he was charged with cattle-stealing, but ran away while the constables were looking for him. The grand jury found a true bill against him and he was arrested on a bench warrant. From what I can hear, there is little doubt that he will be convicted of cattle-stealing.”

The Times reporter sensed that the chief was not very sure of Jack Bartram’s participation in the Heslop murder :

“From what the chief said it may be inferred that he has no strong ground for believing that the real murderer has been arrested.”

The Toronto Globe reporter covering the Heslop case was the first to tell the provincial about Chief McKinnon’s misgivings regarding Bartram’s involvement with the murder of the aged treasurer:

“Detective Greer, when spoken to in regard to Chief McKinnon’s view regarding the affair, was very indignant and remarked that the statement made by the chief to the effect that the original information given the detective came from Hamilton was wholly incorrect.

“ ‘ The Hamilton men never were able,’ he said, ‘to get on anything until every person else had it.’ ”

The Globe reporter concluded that not only had the provincial detective misunderstood McKinnon’s comments, he also had “allowed the green-eyed monster to lay hands upon him.”

The Hamilton Spectator, on December 11, 1891, published an indignant response to the provincial detective’s actions :

“Detective Greer talks too much. He fills up the Globe reporter with a lot of information which, when investigated, is found to be based chiefly upon surmise. There is reason to believe that the prominence which the young detective has gained over this affair has swelled his head. His arrogance in taking all the credit to himself has alienated Chief Vaughan and his staff who have done good work in connection with the case and supplied much of the information upon which Greer has taken action.”

On December 10, 1891, Jack Lottridge was brought from Brantford to Hamilton to await his trial in the palatial surroundings of the Wentworth County jail on Barton street.

The Hamilton Spectator reporter heard of Lottridge’s transfer to Hamilton, and raced to the Stuart street station to meet the train :

“The travellers eyed the handsome young detective and his prisoner curiously but few of them knew that the man was one of the alleged Heslop  murderers.

“When Lottridge walked on the sidewalk to Stuart street, he was recognized by several hackmen who called out, ‘Hello, Johnny.’ The prisoner seemed pleased at the recognition and smilingly replied, ‘How are you boys?’ ”

Back in Brantford, Jack Bartram was awaiting his trial on the cattle-stealing when his wife, daughter and son arrived from Michigan to pay him a visit. Governor Kitchen acceded to the family request to see his prisoner, and he personally led the family to Bartram’s cell:

“They found him as usual reading a pamphlet, and from which he did not withdraw his attention when the heavy bolts were drawn back.

“When the governor told him that his wife and little girl had called to see him, he started up in astonishment. The child, who is 8 years of age, rushed to her father, crying pitifully, and three her arms about his neck, while his wife, a dignified-looking woman, looked on with freezing indifference.

“Twice or three times, Jack said, ‘You need not be afraid, I can get out of this thing alright.’ ”

As the year 1891 was drawing to a close, there was a startling development in the Heslop murder investigation. When the two Indians, Goosey and Douglas, who were being held on charges of cattle-stealing, were reportedly told that Jack Bartram was trying to implicate them in the murder, they decided to turn Queen’s evidence and made a full confession.

The two Indians had both been under intense pressure from the police to tell everything they knew about the Heslop case. Goosey, it was widely rumored, had been told that Bartram had sworn that Goosey was responsible for the actual murder. When Goosey learned that he could receive immunity from prosecution, he decided to reveal all he knew about the way that John Heslop met his death.

Bartram’s lawyer was unimpressed with the impact that Goosey’s confession would make on his client’s trial:

“ ‘I take no stock whatever in that confession of Goosey’s. I shouldn’t be surprised if the Indian Douglas made a similar confession. Such statements will have no value unless they are corroborated by substantial evidence. You must remember that a large reward is offered for the apprehension of the murderers, and this reward the detectives and other officers are greedy for. You can’t tell what pressure has been brought to bear on Goosey to extract this confession from him. Why, you could buy up half the Indian reserve for the amount of the reward offered. ‘ ”

When Jack Douglas was told of Goosey’s confession, he too decided to tell all:

“ When he was in the cell at No. 3 Police station, he signified his desires to confess and afterwards he repeated the story through an interpreter to the Police Magistrate Cahill and Crown Attorney Crerar. Before making this statement, he wanted to know what the proclamation meant. Under the proclamation, any of the suspects, except the man who fired the fatal shot, are promised a pardon if they confessed. Douglas shook like a leaf when he was making his statement.”

When Jack Lottridge was told of the confessions of the two Indians, he refused to crack:

“Lottridge has wonderful nerve. Not a sign of nervousness did he betray anytime during the examination. When a joke was cracked, he laughed with the others. The man is not like the Indians. If he was in it, he intends to remain loyal to his uncle, Jack Bartram.”

After the sensational news of the confessions made by the two Indians, and in light of Bartram’s and Lottridge’s refusals to admit to the crime, the editor of the Brantford speculated about the possibility of racial factors influencing the jury:

“The fact that Goosey and Douglas, held for complicity in the Heslop case, have confessed, while Bartram and Lottridge deny all knowledge of the crime, means that the issue will be one of the word of two white men against that of two Indians.”

After being convicted of theft charges in Brantford, Jack Bartram was brought to Hamilton to face the charge of murder.

A reporter for the Hamilton Times was present at No. 3 Police station when the handcuffed prisoner arrived in a rig, accompanied by a uniformed constable and Provincil Detective Greer:

“Bartram looked well. He was a little paler than when arrested and tried at Brantford, his confinement probably being the cause of the change. He wore a white cotton bandage over his right eye to hide the cancer which is said to threaten his life.”

After an hour was spent at the King William street station, the patrol wagon arrived to transport the prisoner to the county jail on Barton street :

“There is no jail in the province at which the officials are more careful than at the Hamilton jail. The chances of a prisoner smuggling anything into his cell which he should not are very small.

“A very thorough of his (Bartram’s) clothing was made. A medium-sized hair pin was the first thing found which was objected to. Bartram said he used it pick his ear with and asked to be allowed to keep it.

“Smaller things than hair pins have been instruments of self-destruction among criminals, and the article of toilet was confiscated.

“When the search of his boots was begun, Bartram was seen to be uneasy and to make a motion that he evidently did not want seen.

“ ‘What have you got there?’ was asked by the turnkey.

“ ‘Nothing’ was the reply.

“But the prisoner’s word would not be taken for it, and a search brought to light the knife blade, which he had concealed in his boot. Bartram asked to be allowed to keep it, but the cool request was laughed at.

“When the officials were quite certain that nothing was hidden that Bartram should not have, he was taken to a cell and locked up.”