Article - Harry Traill's murder in 1870

• Title	Article - Harry Traill's murder in 1870
  Short Title	Article - Harry Traill's murder in 1870
  Publisher	http://www.certops.com/certops/news/July090715.html
  Source ID	S106
  Text	Nestled among the towering maples and pines of Cataraqui Cemetery, not far from Sir John A. Macdonald's grave, there is a small, simple stone marker. Until recently, its particulars were almost unrecognizable, worn by the elements, time and neglect. Prior to its cleaning, if you looked hard enough, underneath a blanket of moss, you could just make out the inscription - Harry S. Traill, aged 33 years, died July 7, 1870. Beneath this, the epitaph "there is rest for the weary." Although the stone is far from distinct, the story behind the tragic events surrounding the death of the man to whom the grave belongs is a remarkable, albeit obscure, chapter in Kingston history. The murder of the first guard at Kingston Penitentiary, and the first peace officer to be killed on duty in service of the newly formed Dominion of Canada, captivated the Kingston community in the summer of 1870. Harry (Thomas Henry Strickland) Traill was the third child of celebrated author Catherine Parr Traill and Lt. Thomas Traill of the 21st Scottish Fusiliers, a veteran of the Duke of Wellington's victorious army. His aunt was also the renowned writer Susannah Moodie. The Traills and the Moodies emigrated to Upper Canada in 1832 to embark on a new life in the untamed wilderness. The families struggled for years to establish themselves. Much of the writings of the two sisters, Catherine and Susannah, document the difficulties of early pioneer life. As a young man, Harry Traill married Lily MacLean, sister of a prominent Kingston doctor, in 1864. By the summer of 1870, Traill had fathered three children, Charles, George and Katie. Traill was a new officer of the Penitentiary Service (which became the Correctional Service of Canada in 1978) and had formerly been the overseer of a lead mine in Sydenham. He lived with his family in a small home on Union Street in Portsmouth Village, as was the custom of the time. Guards were required to live close to the penitentiary. He was described as "an active and efficient officer". He was a dedicated family man of good upbringing. A picture of a younger Harry Traill, recently discovered in the Glenbow Museum archives in Alberta, shows an intelligent and well dressed young man with piercing blue eyes. July 7, the day Traill was murdered started out like any other. Several convicts were working at the lime kiln site, 500 yards north of the prison. At noon, all returned to the penitentiary except for two convicts, Smith and Mann, who remained at the lime kiln site under the supervision of one guard, Harry Traill. Armed with a service revolver and rifle, Traill sat at the entrance to a shack on the work site, his rifle resting across his legs. Sometime shortly after noon, Smith distracted Traill while inmate Mann managed to get behind the guard to strike him on the neck with a wooden club. Traill was killed instantly - his neck broken. The two convicts fled on foot. A massive manhunt involving members of the Kingston Police, local military units and teams of penitentiary guards ensued. Few areas of the countryside between Kingston and Brockville were left untouched. The escape of two hardened criminals and the subsequent manhunt was front page news for weeks. The Daily British Whig reported "the late dreadful murder at the Penitentiary quarries still excites the horror and feeling of the community." The paper reported that Traill was "killed with the deadly blow of a heavy club at the hand of the convicts, whom he trusted with a confidence amounting to an error." Eleven days later, Mann and Smith were cornered in a swamp west of Brockville. Following their trial, Smith was handed 14 years for his part in the murder and was returned to Kingston Penitentiary. Mann was executed on Dec. 14 at the Frontenac County Gaol following a sensational trial. The widowed Lily was eventually granted a $1,000 pension from the federal government. There was no formal arrangement at the time to care for the families of officers killed on duty. The couple's daughter, Katie, went to live with her grandmother, Catherine. Catherine wrote about her visit to the grave site with Lily and her tour of the prison a few months after the murder. Seeing "the Guards who had shown such kind sympathy to Lily in her sorrow. The guards all bowed with great respect as we entered the Prison." She also had occasion to talk to the convict mother of Daniel Mann, her son's murderer, who was also incarcerated at KP. She learned that "Mann had a great respect even affection for him (Traill) that their plans were laid for escape not knowing who was to be on guard that day." Although Traill's murder has been forgotten over time - perhaps some are hearing of it for the first time - his ghost still lingers in and around the old penitentiary walls. Traill is one of more than 30 officers who have been killed while serving the Canadian public in the federal correctional system. Recently, a group of local correctional officers and historians have launched a campaign to see these fallen heroes, most of whom died violent and tragic deaths, remembered with a new memorial. The ideal location for the planned memorial is the scenic Penitentiary Museum property, the former warden's residence, that fronts King Street and overlooks Kingston Penitentiary and Portsmouth Olympic Harbour. The Canadian Federal Corrections Memorial Committee is seeking permission to proceed with building the monument at the historic location, a short distance away from the very spot where Guard Harry Traill was killed 137 years ago. There appears to be some doubt about the land's future and its intended use or development but the memorial committee hopes a decision is forthcoming. At noon, Saturday, July 7, beside the little stone marker tucked away within one of the oldest sections of Cataraqui Cemetery, the memorial committee and the Correctional Service of Canada Honour Guard members honoured Traill with a special - and longer overdue - memorial service to recognize his great sacrifice while protecting the residents of the Kingston community. Lest they not be forgotten.
  Linked to (1)	Thomas Henry Strickland ("Harry") Traill