The Second Hanging in Stratford: Frank Roughmond, 1909
Police Constable John McCarthy with Frank Roughmond in front of the jail 1908 or 1909 Stratford -Perth Archives
John McCarthy was also Constable during the Trial and Execution of Chattelle in 1895 . McCarthy Road was named after his father, a pioneer.
John died in a tragic fire at Knox Church in 1919
In the spring of 1909, hundreds packed the Stratford courtroom to see Frank Roughmond, dubbed a "negro tramp", tried for the rape and murder of Mary Peake, the elderly wife of a local farmer, for which he was found guilty.
The Stratford Daily Herald dramatically reported that 'it seemed as if half the countryside had come into the city so dense was the crowd in the vicinity of the court house. A detailed account of the trial was provided for the city's residents; even Roughmond's arraignment hearing was served up as the stuff of high drama for Stratford readers.
Roughmond was listed as having an occupation of a Palm Reader. On the day of the murder, Roughmond was discharged from the Stratford gaol after serving a sentence for using 'obscene language.' A 'strolling vagabond living on his wits as a fortune teller and palmist,' Roughmond wandered throughout Stratford during that morning. After being refused a drink at a local bar for lack of funds, Roughmond later managed to procure a beer and gin at another bar called the Queens.
Shortly after, he was spotted on the edge of town heading west, wearing a 'policeman's overcoat' he had apparently stolen from the Police Court while the chief of police was at dinner. Meanwhile, Mary Peake was alone in her house on the Peake farm, about two and a half miles west of Stratford, where she was busily engaged in her domestic duties. Her sons, John and George, had been placed in charge of the farm by their father, William Peake, who left early that morning. John broke his pitchfork in the field and went home to repair it.
When he entered his home, 'it occurred to him to go down to the cellar and get a drink of cider.' As he arrived about 'half way down the cellar,' he 'saw the prisoner, lying on his back close to the stairs and another figure further over.' He called out to his brother, who left the scene to report the crime to the police.
Robert Fuller, a neighbour, later testified at Roughmond's trial that he was responsible for the 'hunting and securing' of Roughmond aided by several others who lived nearby. They tied Roughmond's hands and guarded him until the police arrived. In the interim, however, a lynch mob began to take shape.
Fuller had allegedly sent some of the men to check on Mary Peake, and when they reported that she was dead, Fuller angrily told Roughmond that 'they ought to put a rope around his neck.' Terrified, Roughmond responded to the mob's outrage by employing a strategy that he would use, albeit unsuccessfully, throughout the various stages of this case.
Pleading for his life, Roughmond told would-be lynchers that he, like them, was a Canadian, born in the Gaspé, and, further, that 'we [have] a law in this country and a King.' When the police arrived, Roughmond was promptly arrested and spared the mob's wrath.
Dr. Donald B. Fraser (1848-1933) was a well-known figure in town. In winter, he made his calls in a sleigh since there were no snowplows. Fraser Lane was named for him.
On the next day, two doctors, Dr. Donald .B. Frasier ( see Fraser Lane) and Dr. David Smith, conducted the post-mortem examination of Mary Peake- They found she had been 'ravished before death' and they found marks of violence' on her body which seemedto indicate that 'her mouth had been held forcibly closed, to prevent her from screaming.' They also found abrasions on the nose and cheek, a deep wound in the centre of the upper lip; a jagged wound on the lower lip; a tooth brokensnd a mark on the chin as if made by teeth or something sharp. They were of the opinion that Mary Peake's death had 'resulted from the shock' of seeing a large 'negro'
The general consensus was that, while the victim's 'weak heart' made her particularly vulnerable to illness, her medical condition was exacerbated by the mere sight of Roughmond.. Indeed, only in conjunction with the shock triggeredby the sight of Roughmond were Peake's injuries considered serious enough to actually kill her. He was pronounced guily by the jury after a short meeting and he was hanged in the jail yard of the jail and buried there on June 28,1909
* Frank Roughmond as buried in the jail yard along side Amédée Chattelle.
In 2010, workers upgrading the prison foundations in the jail yard on St. Andrew Street discovered the bones of two executed prisoners. One was Frank Roughmond, for rape of a farm wife, Mary Peake. The other was Amédée Chattelle hanged in 1895. The remains of both were reinterred in unmarked grave in section 25-C of Avondale Cemetary.
In 2010, workers upgrading the prison foundations in the jail yard on St. Andrew Street discovered the bones of two executed prisoners. One was Frank Roughmond, for rape of a farm wife, Mary Peake. The other was Amédée Chattelle hanged in 1895. The remains of both were reinterred in unmarked grave in section 25-C of Avondale Cemetary.
THE GRAVES IN THE JAIL YARD — Chief Turnkey H. D. Nichol points to the two graves in the Perth County jail yard. Amede Chattelle is buried in the grave on Mr. Nichol’s left. On Mr. Nichol’s right is the grave of Frank Roughmond, the second man hanged in Perth County. About 20 feet from this is the spot where the scaffold was built. At the time of the Chattelle hanging, Mr. Nichol’s great-uncle, Hugh Nichol, was Perth County jail governor.
THE GRAVES IN THE JAIL YARD
Source: Text taken from the Book Race on Trial by Barrington Walker
Source: Text taken from the Book Race on Trial, Barrington Walker
Death Sentence
