BOB   McCARTHY

CASE 666 has been written with three objectives in mind:

<1> to bring to light the story of what was in 1873 referred to by a local newspaper as a ‘Travesty of Justice.’ <2> to make citizens in all parts of Canada aware of the result of CASE 666

<3> to try to vindicate the efforts by so many residents of Sarnia-Lambton back in 1873 on behalf of this woman by bringing about public recognition that the hanging of Elizabeth Workman should never have been allowed to happen.

 

During the first week of August, three copies of CASE 666 were forwarded to all Members of Parliament.

 

One copy was for each MP with the hope that, after reading this story, he/she would support my efforts to correct this travesty of justice that has existed here in Canada for more than 140 years. The two additional copies, one in French and one in English, were complimentary copies to be placed by the Member of Parliament in a library in each political riding.

 

As well, complimentary copies were also forwarded to each Senator and the Governor-General.

 

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Since the year of Confederation in 1867, fifty-eight women have been sentenced to death here in Canada.

 

In seventeen of these capital cases, there was a directed recommendation by the judge and/or jury of NO MERCY. In spite of this recommendation, seven of these women had their sentences commuted to some period of time in jail.

 

In eight of these cases, there was no recommendation for or against MERCY by the judge or jury. All of these convicted women had their sentences commuted to some period of time in jail.

 

For the remaining thirty-three cases, the judge and/or jury did recommend MERCY for each of the convicted women. The sentence was eventually commuted to time in prison for all but one of the female defendants involved.

 

Elizabeth Workman, a battered woman, whose husband was described in trial testimony as drunken, brutal and cruel, remains to this day the only woman ever convicted and executed under Canadian law following a trial where the judge and/or jury recommended MERCY.

 

Why, when the judge and/or jury recommended no mercy, did seven of seventeen women convicted of a capital crime not receive the death penalty?

 

Why, when there was no recommendation by the  judge and/or jury, did all of the eight  women convicted of a capital crime have their sentences commuted and not receive the death penalty?

 

Why, when the judge and/or jury recommended mercy, did only one of thirty-three women convicted of a capital crime receive the death penalty?

 

Why does Elizabeth Workman, convicted in Sarnia in 1873, remain the only woman ever executed under Canadian law following a recommendation of MERCY by the judge or jury?

 

Her last words, waiting on the gallows, a noose around her neck, were:

'I can only hope that what I have been going through will serve as a warning to all

wives who had drunken husbands, and to all husbands who had drunken wives.'

 

 

 I believe that it is now time for the Government of Canada to review this case and hopefully find some way to correct this travesty of justice that occurred in the year of 1873 here in Port Sarnia in Lambton County.

 

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Please check with your Member of Parliament to ensure that these copies are distributed to a library in your part of Canada.

 

Note that any citizen of Canada has the right to write to any Member of Parliament, postage free.  

 

If you agree that Elizabeth Workman should never have been executed, copy the above, print it out, add your signature and mail to your Federal Member of Parliament, postage free, at the following address.

 

Name of Member of Parliament, House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario Canada K1A 0A6

 

 

Bob McCarthy