#mercer reformatory

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"Term Given Abortionist," Windsor Star. January 12, 1943. Page 10. --- Mrs. Cambridge Is Third Sent to Reformatory in Month --- For the third time within a month, Windsor court handed down a sentence of two years less a day against a person guilty of procuring an abortion, when Mrs. Jessie "Jerry" Cambridge, of Chilver road, was sentenced yesterday afternoon in Windsor police court.

Mrs. Cambridge elected summary trial by Magistrate D. M. Brodie and pleaded guilty. She will serve her sentence in the Ontario Mercer reformatory.

ARRESTED AUGUST 27 Mrs. Cambridge was arrested on August 27 after months of investigation by Detectives J. Mahoney and S. Royan. The offence for which she was tried was said to have occurred an May 9, 1942.

Until yesterday, Mrs. Cambridge had not been asked to make either an election as to how she would be tried er a pies. Although no court was scheduled for yesterday afternoon, she informed her counsel of her decision and was brought to court. She had been free on $7,500 bail.

Evidence was taken in yesterday's court in spite of Mrs. Cambridge's plea of guilty. This was just as a precaution in case she should decide to appeal the case, providing she thought the sentence she received in the lower court was too severe.

STATEMENT READ Crown Attorney James 8. Allan, K.C., read into the record a statement signed by the complainant who testified yesterday that it was true.

The statement told of not one abortion but two, one in 1941 and another in 1942. After becoming sick following a miscarriage, the complainant said she was advised by Mrs. Cambridge to see a doctor. She testified that she had paid Mrs. Cambridge $35 for the illegal operation.

Crown Attorney Allan pointed out to the court that Cecil Hallett and Fred Schelka, both of whom had been found guilty of the similar charges in Windsor courts in recent weeks, were given sentences of two years leas one day in the reformatory. Magistrate Brodie then passed the same sentence en Mrs. Cambridge.

[newsfromstolenland]

I don't think white people realize how recently interracial marriage was not allowed, and how long prejudice against it continued (or continues)

canada has never specifically had legal bans on interracial marriage, but the KKK would proselytize against interracial marriage:

Unlike the United States, Canada had no blatant laws banning interracial marriage. But while the stigma was more informal in this country, it could be just as terrifying. As Backhouse describes in her 1999 book, Colour-Coded: A Legal History of Racism in Canada, 1900-1950, much of this terror was at the hands of the Ku Klux Klan. In 1927, Klansmen congregated in Moose Jaw, where they burned a 60-foot cross and lectured a large crowd on the risks of mixed-race marriage.

They would also kidnap people to prevent said marriages:

Three years later, on Feb. 28, 1930, some 75 Ku Klux Klan men dressed in white hoods and gowns marched into Oakville, Ont., and burned another massive wooden cross. They had arrived to intimidate Isabel Jones, a white woman, and her fiancé, Ira Junius Johnson, a man presumed to be black but later found to be of mixed Cherokee and white descent. The woman's mother had summoned the KKK to separate them.

The Klansmen kidnapped Jones, 21, and dumped her off at the Salvation Army, where they would keep surveillance on her for days from a car parked outside. In front of the couple's home, they burned a cross and threatened Johnson. During the invasion, the police chief recognized many of the Klansmen as prominent business owners from Hamilton as they plucked off their hoods to shake his hand.

This continued into the late 30s and the 40s, and often involved law enforcement:

Four months pregnant and eating breakfast with her fiancé in their pyjamas at their Toronto home, 18-year-old Velma Demerson was confronted by her father and two police officers. Demerson's father had sicced the cops on his daughter for what was scandalous behaviour at the time: Demerson, a white, unmarried woman, was living with a Chinese man, Harry Yip, and was carrying his child. Under the Female Refuges Act, Demerson was deemed "incorrigible and unmanageable" and incarcerated for nine months at Toronto's Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women, where she was locked in a seven-foot-by-four-foot cell.

source for all

This was all within my grandparents' lifetimes. And the harassment and KKK and police involvement continued well into the 60s and 70s.

And there was the extremely confusing system of whether or not Indigenous people lost their "Indian status" based on who they married, which was all based on gender and blood quantums. This was under the Indian act, and you can read about the marriage discrimination in it here.

And it never really ended, not socially.

My parents got together as an interracial couple in the 80s. My mom's aunt (that's the white side of the family) refused to attend their wedding. In the 90s they got pulled over by a cop who asked if my dad was keeping my mom in his car against her will.

Just a few months ago a white woman refused to believe that my mom is my mom, because that would mean my mom fucked a brown person and that couldn't be right! My mom is so pretty, surely she didn't have to settle for a brown immigrant!

I know this post is long but I think that you should read this. I see people crack jokes about interracial marriage a lot, but I doubt many Canadians know its history on this land.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Remembering Velma Demerson: Grand soul, feminist, human rights advocate and writer

[Velma Demerson was jailed in 1939 and by the Ontario government for the "crime" of having a Chinese boyfriend; sixty years later, she began an ultimately successful legal challenge seeking reparations; I'm pleased to present this remembrance for Demerson by Harry Kopyto, the campaigning human rights lawyer, who served as one of her advisors -Cory]

On Monday May 13, 2019, Athena Mary Lakes, better known as Velma Demerson, died from old age in a Vancouver hospital at the age of 98. She is best known for her successful legal battle culminating in 2002 against the Ontario Government for incarcerating her in Toronto in 1939 for almost a year. The reason for her incarceration?  She was found morally “incorrigible” under the Female Refuges Act for living with a Chinese man, Harry Yip, whom she married after her release. Their son, who was born while she was in jail, was taken away from her until after her release.

Velma returned to Toronto in the late 1990s after living half a century on the west coast. While there, she married and raised two children. Her implacable sense of injustice led an unstoppable Velma Demerson to storm back to Toronto to quench her thirst for justice.  After being rejected by a slew of Toronto lawyers, eventually she found Harry Kopyto who initiated a legal claim arising out of her imprisonment and turned a room in his office into a defence committee centre. Gradually, her case drew widespread public attention and support including  from the leaders of all Ontario’s political parties at that time, the women’s movement, academics, the organized labour movement, the Chinese community and many individual human rights activists such as David Suzuki.

Some of the lawyers that she first approached ridiculed the prospect of initiating a lawsuit 60 years after a limitation period expired.   However, Velma drew on support from a pugnacious legal team and a defence committee that issued newsletters, raised funds for legal expenses, publicized her case widely in the media and organized rallies, panel discussions and similar events.  Many young people who heard her story could not believe it was true.

Despite the broad support and even outrage of many members of the public, the Ontario government resisted compensating Velma on the basis of the extraordinary lengthy delay of her legal claim. However, her lawyers soon concluded that the Female Refuges Act,   under which Velma was jailed was in fact disguised criminal law with the power to jail children as young as 16 for up to two years.  Accordingly, the Act was outside the legal jurisdiction of Ontario to enact. Her legal team realized that if they sought a declaration from the Court to that effect, their claim would not be subject to any limitation period at all! As a result of using that strategy, even though it might not offer her compensation, her supporters felt the Government could no longer oppose her claim once a judge declared the Act unlawful. The Ontario Government caved in when they realized their vulnerability.

There was massive support for her when the matter was raised in the Ontario Legislature. The Conservative government quickly settled her case with the Attorney-General and premier personally making an official apology.  

The law that allowed Velma to be jailed, along with 15,000 other young women, was crafted at the beginning of the last century by racist promoters of eugenics. was seen as indefensible by any current standards. Even though the Female Refuges Act was abolished in 1964 because of desuetude (lack of use), almost none of the other victims incarcerated under the Act—many impoverished, emotionally drained and defeated by their abusive treatment—fought back despite Velma’s efforts to encourage those still alive.

Ms. Demerson was 18 years old at the time of her imprisonment (1938) in the Belmont House and the Mercer Reformatory for Women when the development of massive washing machines to clean the local hospital laundry washed until then by the Belmont House’s inmates made their free labour unnecessary, so they were packed into a fleet of taxis in the heart of darkness after midnight and ferried downtown to the Mercer Reformatory. There she was subjected to involuntary medical tests and injections and to rules of silence.  The Mercer, which was ruled by a Superintendent committed to eugenics, was closed after a Grand Jury expressed shock at its dangerous and dungeon-like and inhumane conditions in the 1960s. In 2002, Velma received the J.S. Woodsworth Award from the Ontario NDP for her promotion of human rights and equity. Velma toured schools relating her ordeal to shocked students, spoke passionately at an Ontario Legislative Committee hearing on prevention of child prostitution, was a featured speaker at various conferences and advanced the rights of a vast parade of vulnerable people with her perspective of never giving up.

Velma was highly admired by everyone who met her. She laughed easily, was almost always positive, although sometimes irascible and was fiercely independent up to the time of her death. She wrote three books during her lifetime, two of which, Nazis in Canada published in 2017 and Incorrigible, published in 2004, were based on her experiences.

As one of her supporters and legal advisors, I recall, a few months after her legal victory, financial settlement and apology, Velma perched on the very top of a red firetruck rolling along in the Labour Day Parade in Toronto in 2003 greeting her admirers with a triumphant smile.

Velma’s struggle was motivated by her desire to set an example to others as well as to right an historic wrong against herself and victims of bigotry. She showed that through relentless struggle and solidarity, the most unlikely goals can be achieved.  Her life has touched the souls of many.

https://boingboing.net/2019/05/29/justice-delayed-not-denied.html

[lisa-lostinlit]

Happy Release Day to Tiffany Blues by @mjroseauthor! 🎉 . Do you read historical fiction? I’ve been trying to read more, and this sounds like one that may be just perfect to try out. 🤓📖 . Thank you to @atriabooks & @getredpr for this copy and gorgeous glass magnet! 💕 ________________________________________________________ 📖Synopsis: New York, 1924. Twenty‑four‑year‑old Jenny Bell is one of a dozen burgeoning artists invited to Louis Comfort Tiffany’s prestigious artists’ colony. Gifted and determined, Jenny vows to avoid distractions and romantic entanglements and take full advantage of the many wonders to be found at Laurelton Hall. But Jenny’s past has followed her to Long Island. Images of her beloved mother, her hard-hearted stepfather, waterfalls, and murder, and the dank hallways of Canada’s notorious Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women overwhelm Jenny’s thoughts, even as she is inextricably drawn to Oliver, Tiffany’s charismatic grandson. As the summer shimmers on, and the competition between the artists grows fierce as they vie for a spot at Tiffany’s New York gallery, a series of suspicious and disturbing occurrences suggest someone knows enough about Jenny’s childhood trauma to expose her. Supported by her closest friend Minx Deering, a seemingly carefree socialite yet dedicated sculptor, and Oliver, Jenny pushes her demons aside. Between stolen kisses and stolen jewels, the champagne flows and the jazz plays on until one moonless night when Jenny’s past and present are thrown together in a desperate moment, that will threaten her promising future, her love, her friendships, and her very life. ________________________________________________________ #historicalromance #historicalfiction #releaseday #pubday #tiffanyblues #mjrose #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookish #booksofinstagram #summerreading #readersofinstagram #readreadread #vsco #bookphotography #bookworm #booknerd #louiscomforttiffany — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2vPFWqe

[thebookjunkiereads]

★ ★ ★ SALE ALERT! ★ ★ ★ "A lush, romantic historical mystery with a unique setting and a heroine to root for."- Kristin Hannah, New York Times bestselling author  Tiffany Blues, a “fast paced, star crossed romance” from New York Times bestselling author M.J. Rose is on sale now for a limited time!  Grab your copy today for only $1.99!  Amazon: https://amzn.to/2Mgb5fR AppleBooks: https://apple.co/2pnxH5a Amazon Worldwide: http://mybook.to/TiffanyBlues Nook: http://bit.ly/31iaZIK Kobo: http://bit.ly/2BdEyAx Google Play: http://bit.ly/2MdgUus Everything looked more beautiful through the stained glass... except her past. New York Times bestselling author, M. J. Rose crafts a dazzling Jazz Age jewel--a novel of ambition, betrayal, and passion.  New York, 1924. Twenty‑four‑year‑old Jenny Bell has escaped her past... her hard-hearted stepfather, murder, and the dank hallways of Canada's notorious Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women where she spent 2 years.  Now as one of a dozen burgeoning artists invited to Louis Comfort Tiffany's prestigious artists' colony. Gifted and determined, Jenny vows to avoid distractions and romantic entanglements and take full advantage of the many wonders to be found at Laurelton Hall. But Jenny's can't help but be inextricably drawn to Oliver, Tiffany's charismatic grandson. As the summer shimmers on, and the competition between the artists grows fierce as they vie for a spot at Tiffany's New York gallery, a series of suspicious and disturbing occurrences suggest someone knows enough about Jenny's childhood trauma to expose her. Supported by her closest friend Minx Deering, a seemingly carefree socialite yet dedicated sculptor, and Oliver, Jenny pushes her demons aside. Between stolen kisses and stolen jewels, the champagne flows and the jazz plays on until one moonless night when Jenny's past and present are thrown together in a desperate moment, that will threaten her promising future, her love, her friendships, and her very life. https://www.instagram.com/p/B3qKPZcAQUu/?igshid=15q8zv41wilhx

[shitplanetblog]

Jesus, Vigilant is still a bunghole

A good example of the stupidity and haplessness of Burning Man nerds: Playa Labs. The swamp-cooler project is pure dumb-redneck engineering. Everything here reeks of bad-DIY nonthinking and hipster snobbery. Plus: “Full transparency: We do get a small commission (from 1 to 4%) if you purchase from Amazon using the links on the site.” Burning Man always seems to come back to money somehow.

So much for “parody Tumblrs”. Save your Tumblr for abusing Tumblr, it works for me!

If I haven’t repeated the “San Francisco is fucked” thing often enough, have another one. Meanwhile, Sonoma County is still dumber.

Not every Instagrammie attention whore is successful. Consider Joanna He’s posts. As far as I can tell, she lives in LA, does a lot of traveling, does not work for a living, and probably has a large trust fund. Nothing says “Instagram moron” as loudly as the usual look-how-cute-I-am selfies taken in Walker Canyon, and all over Switzerland. (She has a Deviant Art account full of stupid anime cartoons. You can find it. If you wish to abuse yourself.)

After that, have an Instagram chaser: Physical Memes. I bet they get loads of complaints. The nut has been posting these things all over Toronto.

And speaking of: I will strangle the next idiot who tells me Canada is a “kinder and happier country”. Read about the Mercer Reformatory, then about its most famous “customer”. Velma got some “justice” eventually, then her own Wikipedia biography. And Canadians cannot claim a “higher moral consciousness” given some of their past history.

As any podiatrist will tell you, the human foot was an example of evolution doing not-very-good work. It mocks the whole idea of “intelligent design”. But we have to watch a Cheddar video to learn about it on the web.

For decades Klamath County, Oregon has been “notorious” for redneck craziness and general misery. Read this horror story for a recent example.

How often do we see news from the happy land of Pakistan? Not often, and it usually looks like this.

Don’t watch this!!

[jenabrownwrites]

What era of fashion, or fashion trend, would you want to bring back or make popular again??? 📚 I have always loved the fashion of the 1920’s! I would love seeing a modern twist become popular. Or maybe it doesn’t even need to be that modern. I sort of feel like flapper dresses are timeless 😂 if you love the era of the 20’s, for fashion or other historical reasons, you need to pick up @mjroseauthor newest book #tiffanyblues this book just came out yesterday!!! If you love historical fiction with a touch of mystery and romance, set in the jazz age, you’ll be swooning for this jewel!!! Plus, look at that cover 😍 I’m so thankful @getredpr Sent this gorgeous book to me!!! Check out the synopsis below: 📚 New York, 1924. Twenty‑four‑year‑old Jenny Bell is one of a dozen burgeoning artists invited to Louis Comfort Tiffany’s prestigious artists’ colony. Gifted and determined, Jenny vows to avoid distractions and romantic entanglements and take full advantage of the many wonders to be found at Laurelton Hall. But Jenny’s past has followed her to Long Island. Images of her beloved mother, her hard-hearted stepfather, waterfalls, and murder, and the dank hallways of Canada’s notorious Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women overwhelm Jenny’s thoughts, even as she is inextricably drawn to Oliver, Tiffany’s charismatic grandson. As the summer shimmers on, and the competition between the artists grows fierce as they vie for a spot at Tiffany’s New York gallery, a series of suspicious and disturbing occurrences suggest someone knows enough about Jenny’s childhood trauma to expose her. Supported by her closest friend Minx Deering, a seemingly carefree socialite yet dedicated sculptor, and Oliver, Jenny pushes her demons aside. Between stolen kisses and stolen jewels, the champagne flows and the jazz plays on until one moonless night when Jenny’s past and present are thrown together in a desperate moment that will threaten her promising future, her love, her friendships, and her very life. https://www.instagram.com/p/BmOUjMJFI5X/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1iyxhr5yolwtn

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"CHARLES JEEVES IS GUILTY OF FORGERY," Kingston Whig-Standard. June 23, 1933. Page 8. ---- Toronto Man Is Convicted by Jury in Stratford Court --- STRATFORD, June 23 - Charles Jeeves, Toronto, last night was found guilty of forgery by a jury here, and was remanded for sentence.

The name of J. E. Ferguson of the McLagen Furniture Company was forged to the cheque last April, it was shown during trial, and the spurious paper was passed by Betty Davenport, who is now serving a term in Mercer reformatory for uttering forged documents.

C. B. Stanton, a handwriting expert from Toronto, testified the writing on the cheque was the same as samples samples of Jeeves' writing. No witnesses were called by the defence.

The jury deliberated two hours.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"MOTHER OF 3 TOTS IS SENT TO MERCER," Toronto Star. May 15, 1934. Page 3. --- Charged With Stealing Cheque at Wine Party - Drank "Only Gallon" ---- Mother of three children, aged 6, 5 and 3, who were said to be "boarding out" while the mother indulged in some parties. Mrs. Margaret Ingelbretson, was sentenced in women's court to-day to Andre Mercer reformatory for a period not exceeding two years on two charges, one of forgery on a promissory note for $40 and the other of theft of $15 in cash.

"Can't you make it a little less?" asked accused when sentence was pronounced. "No, I can't." replied Magistrate Margaret Patterson.

A witness, who alleged she had been robbed, stated Mrs. Ingelbretson and a man had taken the cheque at a drinking party which all attended.

"Were you drinking with this woman at the time?" Crown Attorney F. I. Malone asked witness. "Yes, but I was not so drunk as they were."

Won't Appeal to Husband Detective-Sergeant Albert Johns produced the cheque.

"What did she do with the money?" asked the crown.

"Spent it on drink."

"Did you drink much?" asked the crown.

"Not much, only about a gallon of wine," answered accused.

"Where is your husband?" asked the crown.

"In court."

Accused stated she hadn't seen him for some time.

"Do you want to say anything to him?" asked Crown Attorney Malone. "He's the only person who can help you."

"No," replied accused.

The husband, who sat at the back of the court, shook his head silently when asked if he wished to speak to his wife.

The magistrate, in sentencing Mrs. Ingelbretson pointed out accused had been up on charges for drinking previously under the name of Shaughnessy.

"I Don't Deserve Consideration" "Your worship, liquor has caused my trouble. I don't deserve any consideration," said William Dougherty who faced a charge of assault.

"I think for this man's good should be sent where he will he be kept away from liquor," commented the magistrate, sentencing Dougherty to two years less a day at the reformatory at Burwash, on two charges, including attempted suicide, sentences to run concurrently.

Claims Threats Were Made Harry Frost, employee of the Colonial Footwear Co., Adelaide St.. who charged Stanley Kzyshoski and Henri Larocque with assaulting him on May 2, in connection with a strike at the company's plant testified he had received mysterious threats from unknown persons that "it would not be well for him" to proceed with the charge.

"Last night two men who followed me home from work told me it wouldn't be well for me to appear here in court to-day," he related, "and they told me if I did I would 'find out.”

The two accused pleaded "not guilty" to the assault charge.

Frost charged he had been attacked when walking home from work by half a dozen men, whom two, he said. were the accused who had struck him on the side of the face.

"Had you been warned?" asked counsel for accused. "I had been warned not to work," replied accused. "There are two witnesses who wanted to appear for me but were afraid of what might happen to them."

"I don't think we can consider that," said Crown Attorney Malone. "But I would like to know if people are being deterred from coming to a court of justice," said Magistrate Patterson, bonding accused in $200 each to keep the peace until after the case was disposed of. Case was adjourned until May 23.

Doris Anderson, pretty young housewife, accused of stealing two ladies' undergarments, a suit, fur necklet, wrist watch, clothing and a diamond ring, pleaded guilty and was remanded in custody until May 22.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"WOMAN SAYS SHE WASN'T GIVEN A PROPER TRIAL," Toronto Star. August 19, 1912. Page 7. --- Didn't Understand English, Had No Interpreter, Charge Changed. --- J. P. Macgregor made application at Osgoode Hall this morning, under habeas corpus proceedings, to Mr. Justice Kelly for a reconsideration of the six months' term in the Mercer given Madelaine Blanzy, milliner, of Port Arthur, by Magistrate Pathing, at Fort William, on a charge of vagrancy.

According to her counsel, the woman was arrested while driving from the station with a man, on a charge of speeding, then she was sent down for vagrancy. It is said no charge was laid against her companion. She claims that she had $50 and was not making a disturbance, and so could not be termed "idle" or a vagrant. The claim is also put in that she is a French-Canadian and should have had an interpreter, that she was sentenced without pleading, and that altogether she was not given a fair trial.

Mr. Justice Kelly granted the order for the writ of habeas corpus. The woman is at present being held at Fort William awaiting transportation to the Mercer.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"MAN ADMITS BIGAMY AFTER WOMAN'S DEATH," Toronto Star. October 29, 1943. Page 2. ---- Man Admits Marrying Two Women, One of Whom Is Now Dead ---- "C" Police Court, at City Hall; Magistrate Prentice. Charged with bigamy, Arthur F. Ritchie pleaded guilty and was remanded to Nov. 5 for sentence.

Detective William am Bolton, who arrested Ritchie while investigating the death of Lena Metcalf, who dropped from the window of a downtown store Monday, said accused made a statement in which he said he was married first in England, his wife was living in Toronto at present, and that they had two sons. The first marriage was performed at Folkestone, Kent, on Nov. 27, 1918, according to the statement.

Accused also stated he went through a second form of marriage on Oct. 7, 1938. He testified he met Lena Metcalf while on a trip to Ireland in 1938. "She was coming to Canada to work. Later, I met her parents, and a wedding was arranged. They believed I was single." He said he first told her he was married in January, 1939.

"We had been separated for the past 10 months, as a result of arguing. I do not think it is fair to say that I drove her to nervous prostration. I had a nice home for her and I don't know why she did it."

SCRAPED STREET CAR ---- "D" Police Court at City Hall, Magistrate Pritchard. James White was fined $35 and costs or 15 days on a charge of failing to remain at the scene of an accident. He was fined $25 or 15 days on a recgless driving charge.

John Codlin, a T.T.C. operator, told the court White's truck had scraped a street car at Yonge and St. Clair and accused failed to give his name and address.

"I didn't know I had been in an accident until I reached my yard," police quoted accused as saying.

'TERRIBLE RECORD' --- "A" Police Court at City Hall, Magistrate Browne "You are building up a terrible record for assaulting people and being drunk," Magistrate Browne told James Sargent, who was convicted of assaulting Dorothy Styles. He pleaded guilty to charges of theft of coal and being drunk. On the theft count he was given two months; for being drunk he was fined $50 or two months.

On the assault charge the penalty was $20 or 30 days.

A second man, jointly charged with Sargent with theft of coal, was placed on suspended sentence.

'ALREADY HAD CHANCE' --- County Police Court, County Bldg., Magistrate Keith "She's already had a chance to rehabilitate herself," Magistrate Keith declared when he sentenced Betty McDonald to two concurrent terms of three months each. Miss McDonald pleaded guilty to assault on Mrs. Amelia Fine of Forest Hill Village and theft of clothing.

Sergt. J. T. Holbrook said Miss McDonald had been employed by Mrs. Fine to look after her children. Accused was seen by Mrs. Fine leaving the house with a valise belonging to Mrs. Fine's daughter, and when Mrs. Fine went to take back the valise she was struck on the jaw by accused, the officer said.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"TIRED OF K.P., DESERTS ARMY TORPEDOED, NOW WAITS FATE," Toronto Star. May 15, 1942. Page 38. === Back With Unit, Soldier Faces Civilian Court - May Return to Sea ---- SENTENCE MONDAY --- "B" Police Court at the City Hall, Magistrate McNish.

Charged with breaking into a service station at Fleet St. and Spadina Ave. May 9. a soldier pleaded not guilty.

Max Folson testified a window was found broken, a pit door smashed and the office ransacked.

P.C. George Henderson stated that at 230 a.m, when trying the door of the station, he had seen a soldier in the office. After running around the building the man ran out the front door. He arrested accused who denied being in the building. Accused was without a cap he said but in the office he found a soldier's cap.

"If I did anything of that kind, I was was not responsible. I had been drinking wine from early afternoon," said accused. "If I was in there I don't know anything about it. All I can remember is the officer arresting me."

"He had been drinking but I would not call him drunk." said P.C. Henderson when queried by the court. "There will be a conviction," said his worship.

"This man has a clean army record with one exception which needs explanation." said an officer from his unit. "Tired of cookhouse duty he deserted but only to join the merchant marine. His ship was torpedoed and he was later returned to us and he served a period of detention, We are returning him to the merchant marine. His intentions were good and he has been a good soldier."

"I will remand him until Monday for sentence," said Magistrate McNish.

Yesterday preliminary hearing of a charge of manslaughter against Hypolite Zdanek, charged with slaying Peter Mondura, began before Magistrate McNish. but a remand was found necessary and the hearing was put over until today.

Evidence yesterday was to the effect that deceased had been found apparently intoxicated, with his face covered with blood, Iying in a lane off Oxford St. Removed to Claremont Street police station as a drunk he had been set to hospital.

Prof. Dr. D. L. Robinson, who conducted the postmortem examination, stated deceased's eyes were discolored, his breast bone broken. Deceased had received a crushing blow on the abdomen which showed evidence of surgical repair. There had also be a small tear of the bladder which had not been sewn. There had been evidence of peretonitis.

"Deceased might have received these injuries if struck by an auto?" asked Frank Calloghan. defence councel. "Yes." replied Dr. Robinson. Sergeant Melntyre of Claremont Street station said deccased had been brought in as a drunk, but his blackened eyes and other facial injuries caused him to have the man taken to hospital for treatment. Returned to the station he had been placed in a cell where he complained at intervals of abdominal pain. Later he had been taken back to hospital where he subsequently died.

Mrs. B. Bednorsky, Lippincott St. testified that deceased had roomed in her home for 10 months. He had left the house at 3.30 p.m. on April 26 and was "perfectly sober at that time."

"You have been in trouble your self?" asked Mr. Callaghan.

"I don't see that has any bearing here." replied witness.

"You got eight years for killing a man with an axe?" "I didn't."

"Well you served five years at the penitentiary?" "I know in my heart whether I was guilty."

"You were convicted of the offence." I don't think I have to answer that."

"I am the one to decide that." said his worship. "Answer Mr. Callaghan."

"Yes, I was," replied witness.

At this point County Crown Atorney James McFadden informed the court that both Detective-Sergeant Munro and Pilot Officer (Dr.) Howe were ill and another remand. this time to May 22, was necessary.

Bail of $3,000 for accused was renewed.

Appearing for sentence on three charges of shopbreaking, Steve Witiuk was sentenced to two years less a day in the Ontario reformatory. Robert McDermott jointly charged and who also pleaded guilty was given one year definite and one year indefinite in the same institution.

"Witiuk, you did not live up to your probation when given a chance." said the court. "You, McDermott, did so and representations were made in your behalf and I am taking this into consideration."

DRIVER FINED $50 --- "A" Police Court, at City Hall, Magistrate Browne. Appearing in "A" police court for sentence on a charge of dangerous driving,John Verrall, alias Verrault, was fined $50 or 30 days.

P.C. Daniel Glover told the court that accused drove south on Ontario St. and made a sharp turn on Dundas St. "He stopped the car and investigating, I found that the accused was driving with only part of a steering wheel," said witness.

In registering a conviction, Magistrate Browne said: "Here you are driving a death-dealing machine. with only part of a steering wheel."

Gordon Horn pleaded guilty of stealing a bicycle. sweater and $18, the property of W. Fenn. He was remanded until May 22 for sentence.

"This boy obtained a job with Mr. Fenn as a messenger," related. Det. Charles Martin. "He was given a bicycle, sweater and orders to deliver. He collected $18 and disappeared. When I arrested him he told me that he threw the bicycle in the Don river. It was valued at $65 and has not been recovered."

TWO ARE SENTENCED ---- "C" Police Court, at the City Hall, Magistrate Prentice Noel Messier and Rosa Messier appeared before Magistrate Prentice in "C" police court for sentence on a serious charge. The accused man was sentenced to the reformatory for two years, less a day, and six months Indeterminate; the woman to one year in jail.

The convicted woman was led out of the court in a hysterical state.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“2 BORDER GIRLS SENT TO PRISON ! FOR VAGRANCY,” Border Cities Star. September 2, 1931. Page 3. ----- Annie McKeen, 20, of Windsor, and Evelyn Martell. 21. of Sandwich, arrested during the week-end by Sergeant Bert Herod, were sentenced yesterday on vagrancy charges their appearance in Windsor Police Court and leave in charge of an escort today for Mercer Reformatory, Toronto.

Miss Martell was sentenced to pay a fine of $100, with the option of a year in reformatory, and with an additional year indeterminate, while Miss McKeen will serve six months determinate and one year indeterminate. The arrests followed a long series of complaints received at police headquarters.

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“ASSAULTED MATRON,” Owen Sound Sun Times. May 15, 1931. Page 10. ---- (Canadian Press Despatch) TORONTO, Ont., May 15 - Two years in Portsmouth Penitentiary was the sentence imposed on Florence Oulson, an inmate of Mercer Reformatory, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting a matron at the institution, in women's police court today.

[AL: Oulson, properly Coulson, also known as Florence Saunuik or Dawkson, was 21, married, from Romania, and her trade prior to incarceration was listed as housewife. She was convict #2192 at the Prison for Women unit in Kingston Penitentiary, and was released to provincial authorities February 1933. She would come back to P4W for another term in 1937.]

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“Jails Are Condemned, Health Reforms Urged After Ontario Inquiry,” Toronto Globe. August 23, 1930. Page 1 & 2. ---- Sweeping Changes in Charitable and Corrective Institutions of Province Advocated by Ross Commission - Expenditure of Over $20,000,000 Involved --- OVERCROWDING ROUNDLY SCORED ---- First Offenders Herded With Hardened Criminals - General Hospitals Should Be Complete Charge on Public Funds, Says Report 

The Province of Ontario is invited to spend between $20,000,000 and $25,000,- 000 in the extension and Improvement of its charitable and corrective institutions by the report which the Royal Common on Public Welfare, appointed last October, has submitted to the Provincial Government. The signed by the three Commissioners, P D. Ross, Ottawa, Chairman; D. M. Wright, M.P., Stratford, and Dr. J. M. McCutcheon, Toronto, contains findings and recommendations based upon months of valuable and intensive study. 

Steps are urged to obtain legislation for the sterilization of criminal or moral defectives, science and statistics being quoted to show that much crime is traceable to heredity or mental deficiency. The jails of the Province are found "Inferior in nearly every sense of the word," crowded, and without the desirable age and type segregation, Extension of the system of suspended sentences and probation periods is advocated. The general hospitals, it is submitted, "should be a complete charge upon public funds, either Provincial or municipal.”

Department of Welfare. Another important recommendation concerns the establishment of a Department of Public Welfare to strengthen Government supervision of the social and corrective institutions and agencies. It is suggested the department might Minister and his deputy and (the Commissioners add this more as a lead than as a concrete recommendation) directors of mental hygiene, psychiatry and research work, child welfare, adult relief, handicapped children, adult corrective institutions, juvenile delinquents, a director of supplies and products and a director of inspection. 

Another change in the present system favored by the Commissioners is the of the supervision and general physical health under the Department of Public Health now existing, instead of leaving them under of the Provincial Secretary's Department. It is remarked that the natural connection of hospitals and sanatoria would seem to be with the Department of Public Health.

Purpose Defined. The report prelude explains that the Commissioners "have conceived their proper tank not to be the setting forth of statistics other than those necessary to furnish an understanding of the recommendations, nor to dwell on moral reflections, but to endeavor to indicate immediate practical steps to promote the public welfare." 

There is bad crowding. it is pointed out, in the majority of Provincial Institutions. There is a great call for additional construction or extensions, also for better utility and occupational equipment. 

The Government is asked to call a special conference of medical men to seek to check the ravages of cancer, “the worst scourge of civilized mankind": while a Provincial cancer hospital and purchase of a radium supply are favored. 

In regard to sterilization, the report asks: Why should an immoral defective or an immoral criminal be allowed to propagate more defectives and more criminals, and thus promote the burden of misery with which communities must cope already?’ The framing of of a sterilization act by a combined judicial and medical commission, this act to be submitted to Legislature, is advanced as a means of reducing crime and immorality. The experience of California, which has had some 6,000 operations without complaint, is cited. 

Hospital Costs. General hospital costs should be defrayed in the proportion of one-quarter by the Province and three-quarters of the necessary amount to be found by the municipality. Four types of hospital accommodation would be desirable, public wards, semi-public, semi-private and private wards. The semi-public,would be for patients of limited means wishing to pay their way; the rate would not exceed the amount spent by the hospital on public patient. Patients willing to pay a more would be allotted a semi-private ward and those of means private wards. The Commissioners believe the cost of nursing and of radium treatments should be reduced.

A mental hospital, it is reported, is needed in Northern Ontario, and additional accommodation is required for epileptics of the Province. Special educational and institutional care for backward children, and their identification and registration by the heads of schools, is urged, as as classes In the populous centres for this type of children, classes with specially trained teachers.

The Children's Aid Society is commended for its work among children in general. Changes in certain current terms, such as "dependent children" and "lunatic," "Insane" and "insanity." would be desirable. 

Jail System Condemned. Commissioners are uncompromising when dealing with jails.  They deplore lack of classification of prisoners and the system which herds old and young, first and hardened offenders, the unconvicted and the guilty, together. They insist there should be medical inspection upon entry, and believe work and occupation should be provided prisoners. 

The inmates, the report points out. are usually locked up in their cells early in the evening and remain in lonely darkness for 12 hours or more. There is too much delay in transferring those destined for reformatories from the jails and their atmosphere, and prisoners should not be moved in chained batches for the sake of economy. 

The larger Jails are understaffed, the Commission finds, and the Jailers underpaid. The report blames the deficiencies on the general jail system rather than the officials, to whom they due credit. 

A constructive recommendation for the raising of revenue is submitted. The Quebec hospital tax on meals is cited as possibly a good means of achieving revenue. (Quebec taxes all restaurant and hotel meals costing one dollar or more at the rate of 5 per cent.). 

Corrective Institutions - Better Sites Urged In regard to corrective institutions, the Commission lays down the following recommendations: 

Guelph Reformatory should be used for first offenders, Burwash Reformatory for repeaters or extreme  cases.

Burwash should have a motor road to Sudbury. There should be better dormitory accommodation, but any additional construction should be on the cell system. 

Short-term offenders should be sent to Mimico Clay Plant, and more accommodation provided there.  

The Victoria Industrial school at Mimico should be used for delinquent defectives, and replaced by a used only better school elsewhere for normal boys.

The Mercer Reformatory for Women should be at Concord, or elsewhere.

Langstaff and Concord Jail Farms  should be taken over entirely by the Government.

Better occupational equipment should be provided in all the Industrial Schools 

Delinquent defectives should be removed from and kept out of all the reformatories and Industrial schools. They should be placed in a special institution.

Alexandra School for Girls, Toronto, should be removed to a better site, also Belmont Street Refuge. 

The Industrial Refuge, Belmont Street Toronto, for women: the Home of the Good Shepherd in Toronto, and similar Institutions anywhere in which are detained delinquent women, should be in the same position in reference to financial assistance from the Government as the Industrial Schools for young men and the treatment of prisoners of the Industrial Schools and of parole from them should be systematised. 

The Christian Brothers are prepared to establish, at their own expense an industrial school in the eastern of the Province for delinquent boys, if guaranteed the same public support for operation as the St. John's School in Toronto. As St. John's is overcrowded. your Commissioners advise the acceptance of this offer, provided plans should be satisfactory to the Government.”

Toronto Jail The Commission's report on the Toronto jail is as follows: 

Toronto Jail, the biggest in Ontarlo may be taken to provide a sample of jail conditions in the province. Usaally it holds some 300 prisoners. Each prisoner has a cell. Excepting this, the conditions are bad. There is no medical examination at commitment, A son with any sort of disease is liable to get among the other prisoners. Hardly any work is done. Ten per cent of the prisoners are used to do work in the Institution. The other ninety per cent are idle as a usual thing. No special provision exists for occupation. In any case, there would be no room for it. The jail is often over-crowded. The food is poor. There is no variety to it; it is about the same every day in the year, which can not be helped because the kitchen accommodation and equipment do not permit of varied cooking. The prisoners have not only no work and no play, but no exercise, except an occasional walk around the small jailyard. Prisoners of all descriptions are liable to lie around in the jail all day in an interminable conversazione. They are then locked up in their cells at half-past six o'clock to stay there until six next morning. The cells have no lights. 

"Persons merely committed for trial are held under much the same conditions as convicted offenders.

"None of these conditions is the fault of the chief officer; they are the conditions of the jail. 

"This jail usually holds about one-quarter of the current jail population of the Province.

“It would appear, then, an innocent person committed to such a jail for even a limited period would have a very harrowing experience, while the first offender would be likely to become worse." 

Capital Costs. Following is the text of the Commission's report as regards new capital costs:

"The capital cost of the Institutional Improvements which your Commission- ers suggest in the foregoing reports would come to an amount of between twenty and twenty-five million dollars ($20,000,000 to $25,000,000). 

"The specific recommendations include the following: 

New Mental Hospital in north. .... $3.350.000 Two Vocational schools. .... 6.300.000 Half cost of new Sanatorium for Tuberculosis .... 525,000 New expenditure at the Ontario Hospital, Orillia.........80,000  For Epileptic Children as Wood-stock. .... 400,000   Institution for the Criminal Insane ....  200.000 Replacement of the Victoria Industrial School, Mimico... 1,065,000  Replacement of the Industrial  Refuge. Toronto .... 577,500 Replacement of the Alexandra Industrial School .... 770,004 Nurses Home at Brockville .... 147,000 Cottages at the Boys Training School, Bowmanville  .... 105,000 Rebuilding of the Ontario Hos pital, London .... 4.590.000 Hospital and School for Handicapped Children .... 570,000 Aid to give Special Hospital Wards for Alcoholics and Drug Addicts.... 300,000 Total  .... $19,999,500

For Immediate Action. The following expenditures the Commission believes to be "absolutely and Immediately desirable": 

A Provincial Psychiatric Hospital, Establishment and equipment of this, for even only 100 beds, and including utilization of the present Toronto Institution, would probably cost $1,000,000. The alternative is special aid to establish psychiatric schools or departments in the universities and larger hospitals. 

A Provincial Cancer Hospital, which would cost from $1,000,000 to $3, 000,000, according to accommodation. The alternative is special aid to cancer research in the universities, and for wards in the larger General Hospitals. 

Your Commissioners venture to think that London Mental Hospital should be entirely replaced, which would mean an expenditure of $6,000,000, instead of the $800,000 which is necessary to patch it up. 

The placing of the Industrial at Langstaff and Concord under Government control. 

A large Immediate expenditure is desirable to improve the occupational equipment of practically all the hospital, charitable and corrective Institutions, and to make many minor improvements which have been suggested In our report,