Book review

A9

Mireille Eagan

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I went hunting on Thursday. I had no intention of killing Graham but as the time went on the thought came to me. I went back of the hill and I saw him coming out of the barn. I fired at him. Then I went home. On Monday I did some target shooting. On Tuesday, I again went to Graham's place and again fired at him...I knew I had missed him. I went back about six o'clock and saw him coming out of the barn. I fired again at him. I knew I had hit him."

This was the statement given in 1928 by John Ludford, who admitted to shooting his neighbour, Perley Graham. Ludford was interned at York County Jail on Brunswick Street, in Fredericton where he hanged himself with a wire in his cell, an action bemoaned by newspapers as "cheating the gallows."

This is just one of several stories soaked into the walls of the massive old granite stronghold at 668 Brunswick St. It once housed a Columbian drug dealer and a notorious serial killer. It was the site of a double hanging in 1949. After 154 years as a storied penal institution located in downtown Fredericton, the York County Jail was finally closed as a prison in 1996. It's now home to the Science East Association's Science Centre. Its barbed wire fences are now interwoven with colourful plastic, its stone walls now echo the footsteps and laughter of children in school tours.

All this has been documented in The York County Jail: A Brief Illustrated History. Published by Broken Jaw Press, the book reveals a fascinating part of the social fabric of Fredericton and its surrounding area.

Going beyond the prison walls, the book surveys the region's penal system from its inception. It progresses through different stages of incarceration outside York County Jail-- from the early jail facilities to the Internment Camp established near Minto. The remaining chapters return focus to the jail. Several sections are devoted to particular occupants held within its walls "" both the guards and the prisoners (including George and Rufus Hamilton and Allan Legere). Architectural developments are mapped as the timeline progesses "" hardwood floors, privies, and the hanging shed built out back. The book ends on the former jail's present inhabitant, Science East, with its interactive science exhibits and dungeon museum.

Before this book, surprisingly little had been written about the checkered past of the York County Jail. Dr. George McBeath and Emelie Hubert are the authors, skillfully combining years of research conducted by several individuals. McBeath, who has published numerous historical books, has paired up with Hubert in her first publication.

The result is a friendly combination of anecdote and academia. The writing is crisp and clean with plenty of visual elements "" photos, illustrations and official documents. Intriguing scraps of human interest stories are peppered throughout.

One of the most interesting and entertaining sections of the book is the story of Henry More Smith, alias Frederick Henry More, alias William Newman, a.k.a. The Mysterious Strange, a.k.a. the Lunar Rogue.

In 1812, the tailor was arrested when it was discovered that his impossible claim of creating a coat in an evening simply meant that he would steal the garments from households. He evaded capture several times by faking illness or simply snaking out of his shackles. After repeated attempts to hold him, the Lunar Rogue was kept in Fredericton and sentenced to death. More Smith, with shackled feet and cuffed hands, began making marionettes from straw. He painted the puppets with charcoal and blood, giving them what was described as "the most expressive manner... (and) the air and gaiety of actors on stage."

People came to see his puppet shows and paid for the privilege. Finally, it was deemed that such a man should be spared, as his death was of no benefit to society. More Smith was granted a pardon on the condition he leave New Brunswick. His moniker is now the namesake for a bar on King Street.

Of course, not all the stories are as light-hearted as this. Stories of prison life, of deaths and murders, of hangings "" they straddle the divide between fascinating and truly horrendous.

The publication does a great deal to shed light on extraordinary aspects of our local history, and is a quick but good read. It can be purchased through Broken Jaw Press (www.brokenjaw.com), and is available at your local bookstore.