How A Murderess Beat The Rap

[Alan Wade]

When Nettie Carutthers went on trial for murder at the Port Arthur Court House in June 1892, John Wilson Murray figured he had built up a “slam dunk” case against her. Wilson, Ontario’s first full-time detective (immortalized in the CBC TV series The Great Detective) was the province’s answer to Sherlock Holmes.

Nettie lived with her husband Thomas and 2 children- 1 aged four, the other, two- in Rainy River, where the family had moved from St. Mary’s in Perth Cou8nty, Ontario, after their family friend, Fatheringham, had set up a sawmill there and invited Thomas to work for him.

On January of the same year Thomas had met an untimely death. Nettie claimed that after leaving her husband at the writing table to get a pail of water down at the river, she heard two shots and returned to find the following suicide note: “I was heartbroken and tired of life and decided to end the awful conflict. Good-bye. Tom.”

Wilson found Nettie’s story as water tight as a sieve. Handwriting analysis showed the note was a fake. An exhumation of the body revealed that one of the bullets had struck her “dearly beloved” on the back of his head, behind his right ear.

Despite the evidence against her, Nettie didn’t plead guilty and throw herself upon the mercy of the court. Quite the contrary. She put up a vigorous defence with a good deal of help from her prominent family who got her the best lawyer in the province, B. B. Osler. Her sister came to Port Arthur and stayed at the place of a merchant, who ended up on the jury deciding her guilt. She got Nettie, who had played in the church choir before, an organ on which she played hymns all day in jail.

During the testimony at Nettie’s trial, Dr. Macdonnell held up Thomas’ skull, which slipped to the floor. Nettie laughed. Osler did damage control by opening his gown so the jury couldn’t see her.

Miss Charlotte Watt testified as to a motive for murder, as quoted by the Port Arthur Sentinel: “Baby was crying on the floor, I took it up and went into the office, saw Mrs. C. sitting on F’s lap and he on a trunk. Bed was there too. After heard Mr. C. speaking of F. to prisoner and said if he saw F. in his premises again he would put a bullet through him.” (Yes, couple ran around on one another in the “good old days” just as they do today.)

On Saturday evening, January 11, after four hours of deliberation the jury returned to declare: Not Guilty. The Fort William Journal obviously agreed with the verdict when it declared: Mrs. Caruthers, accompanied by her brother and sister, took passage by the CPR steamer for their home in the east. A larger number of spectators than usual were on the dock when the steamer sailed, many of them brought thither doubtless, by a desire to see the woman, who, throughout her ten month’s imprisonment and during the severe ordeal of last week, manifested such courage and fortitude.”

On board also was Detective Murray, who almost always “got his man” but in this case had not managed to “get his woman.”


(Dear Reader:

I'm dying to know what you think of my column. Is the length OK or are the stories too short? Too long? What subject matter have you liked? Not liked? How did you find out about the column? To let me know, all you have to do is click Post Reply.

Thank-you,

Alan)

[agjg55]

Big Al:
I think your anecdotes are great. Local history and colour. Must keep you busy researching all this stuff... Keep up the good work.
André.

[John]

Hey Allen;

I want to thank you for takeing the time to do all the reaserch that it obviously takes to put forth such a classy column. I love that it is so localy orienated,and that it proves fact is stranger then fiction often. Please keep up the good work, It is with anticipation that I look forward to your next gem.


John

[Alan Wade]

Thanks for the feedback, fellas. Writing is always a very lonely enterprise but writing in cyberspace is especially lonely.

Alan

[Wayne]

The twilight zone, outer limits and one step beyond(in your case one step back) shows that the truth can be scary, informative and that Port Arthur, Fort William=Thunder Bay can have a colourful past, not just fur traders and trappers. We can live up to the big cities quest for crime, sex and violence. Well done.

[Alan Wade]

So Wayne, you like local history with "edge." I'll bet a lot of other viewers have the same preference. Thanks for the response. It helps me better serve my viewers.

[welcomemat]

Your articles are a great read. They are informative, very interesting and entertaining. Thanks for everything.

Welcomemat