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Sp RRR INERT IIT I eT "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" iki ii i aii. «fi. da ai EE ES dh ii iii i. Jai oa. Sead. oe i i. a i ee i ne i in e - all the proven members were His Sketches by 'Paul Arculus Sketches of Scugog is a historical column written by local resident and historian Paul Arculus and published in the Port Perry Star the first issue of each month. THE MARKHAM GANG In last month's article, mention was made of the Markham Gang, a group of rogues who roamed the more rural areas of Canada West, stealing, beating and even murdering their victims. The gang was at the height of its activities from about 1840. until many of the mem- bers were rounded up in 1845 and 1846. Members of the gang were sworn to secrecy and promised to provide \ alibis for fellow members \ who were arrested. They also agreed to help each other out with bail and other legal problems. Good Boys One of the unusual charac- teristics of the gang was that from reasonably wealthy families. Some were mill own- : ers, others were businessmen, landown ers, tavern owners and farmers. Two members of the gang were George and Stephen Elmore Crandell, the sons of Reuben Crandell, Reach's first settler and at this time one of the most substantial and wealthiest landowners in this area. Other Reach family members arrested and charged with various crimes were Jacob Temple, Nathan Case and members of the Stoughtenborough family. All of these men were sons of respectable and estab- lished landowners in Reach Township. Nathan Case and Hiram and James Stoughtenborough were charged in one of the worst crimes perpetrated by members of the Markham Gang. This event took place at what is now Epsom in Reach. The Morrow Family John and Mary Morrow had acquired a 200 acre parcel of land in Reach Township; Lot 8 in the 7th Concession. This is on the eastern edge of what is now Epsom. They moved here in the spring of 1845 and built a humble log cabin in the middle of the property. They had had an extremely busy summer, clearing land, building a home and generally trying to create a homestead for themselves and their two children. On the evening of Friday, November 7, 1845 John and Mary Morrow and their young family had settled in for the night. They had just spent the day in Uxbridge where John had sold a team of oxen and Mary had sold some sheep. The gang beat John Morrow and left him for dead. Terror and Assault Late that night the door of their simple home was broken down as four armed men burst in demanding the money. Obviously the robbers had known of the Morrow families success at the Uxbridge market and had followed them home and waited for the opportune moment to steal the money at gun point. The transcript of the trial reveals that they even knew exactly how much money the Morrows had received for their stock. The thieves beat up Morrow as he tried to defend his wife and family. Initially he claimed that he had loaned the money to a friend, but the robbers knew otherwise. They continued to beat him until his wife broke down and told them where the money was hidden. Once the robbers had the money, they struck Mary break- ing two of her fingers and knocking out some of her teeth. They continued to beat John Morrow and left him for dead. Fortunately, Morrow survived. The following morning he revived enough to make his way to his neighbor, James Boulster, in order to gain assis- tance in making his way to the closest magistrate to report the crime. The closest settlement where he could report was Prince Albert and the magistrate was Abner Hurd. Morrow's 12 year old daughter Margaret had recognized three of the attackers. James and Hiram Stoughtenborough and Nathan Case. She had seen them frequently while on her way to school. She told her father their names. John, in turn reported this fact to Magistrate Hurd. When Boulster and Morrow returned home, the reality of the horror of the events of the previous evening had taken their toll. Mary had become hysterical. They eventually succeeded in calming her down and Boulster treated her head and hand wounds. I Ss TORICAL of Scugog The Trails During late 1845 and early part of 1846, a number of men were arrested as members of the Markham Gang, among them the Crandells and the Stoughtenboroughs, Nathan Case and, one of the leaders, Robert Burr. The Summer Assizes of the Home District of 1846 were totally involved with the trials of members of the Markham Gang. The Chief Justice of the province, presided over many of the cases against the known members of the gang, particu- larly the more serious ones. Cases of robbery, arson, assault and murder came before the court. One major problem in identifying crimes committed by members of the gang was that they had sworn oaths of secrecy. Nevertheless, many were identified and over 20 were eventu- ally found guilty and sentenced for their part in various crimes. Sentencing In May, 1846, for their part in the robbery and beating of the Morrows, Hiram and James Stoutenborough, and Nathan Case all of Reach Township were tried, found guilty of assault, robbery and attempt to murd- er. Their case was presided over by the Chief Justice. He sentenced them to death by hanging. A fourth man, regard- ed as:the leader of the group was iden- tified as Robert Burr SFM arkham. He was separately tried by Justice Archibald McLean, who later became Chief Justice. Under McLean, Burr was found guilty of Case, the Stoughtenboroughs and Burr were all reduced to 14 years in the peni- tentiary! No reason was given and there are no notes for either judge's sentencing decision. Had they been threatened by other members of the gang? Were there other extenuating circumstances? These questions remain mysteriously unans- wered. The accused went on to serve their sentences and were eventually released. The Morrows of Epsom The Morrows, in spite of assistance and encouragement from neighbors in Reach, could not continue'to face living in that community. The circumstances were too traumatic. They abandoned their farm at Epsom and moved to the more heavily populated settlement at Whitby. The cir- cumstances of the evening of November 7, 1845 continued to haunt Mary Morrow and she spent the remainder of her life fluctuating between normal and hysteri- cal behavior, her mental stability always In question. As we watch the sensational court trials of our own day, notably the Bernardo and O.J. Simpson cases we are made aware of the significance of the media and of those who wish to make money from the trials. Only two weeks after the close of the Home District Assizes in July 1846, a 24 page pamphlet hit the streets of Toronto. 44~ In it the accounts and details of the . . crimes, and trials and sentences weré<aid out for all to read. At 5 cents a copy, it was obviously, a best seller. Next month: The Crandell boys in trouble. AN INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF THE ORGANIZATION AND MODE OF OPERATIONS OF THE CELEBRATED HORDE OF ROBBERS KNOWN AS THE MARKHAM GANG; WITH THE TRIALS OF THE MOST NOTED OF THE CRIMINALS, AND A LIST OF CONVICTIONS AND SENTENCES. TORONTO, CANADA, 1c4s. and sentenced to death for his part in the horrible crime against the Morrows. Sequel In August, a strange sequel occurred. The "British Colonist," was a Toronto newspaper which had covered the trials of the Markham gang members in thor- ough detail. A small, terse statement appeared in the section of the paper devoted to court matters. The sentences Top left, A drawing of the Home District Courthouse and jail. this was located on the north side of King Street in York (Toronto) just west of St. James Church Above, Front cover of the 24 page pamphlet which went on sale in York immediately after the conclusion of the trials of members of the Markham Gang in the summer of 1846. 085-8448 Area UA: PIZZA wl SU BS 80 Water Street, Port Perry na Limited BOE Find us fast in the "Yellow Pages" ™ PY 6 PIECE PIZZA WITH CHEESE & 1 ITEM, 1/2 LB. WINGS, GARLIC BREAD, 2 COKES 20 PIECE PIZZA WITH CHEESE & 1 ITEM, 1 LB. OF WINGS, GARLIC BREAD, 4 COKES SR I SAS VRE A RS Hs: i ie b i 4 bE !