Markham Gang
Encyclopedia
The Markham Gang was a notorious criminal organization located primarily in Ontario
, Canada
in the middle of the 19th century. Evolving from organizations originally founded to support the Upper Canada Rebellion
of 1837, the Markham Gang used its private communications network of couriers across what was then Canada West to build a criminal empire that spread into neighbouring states. Like the organization that spawned them, the Markham Gang was made up primarily of well-to-do farm owners and their families. The gang was broken up in 1846 with one hanging
, four life imprisonment
s and many lesser convictions, but the survivors were almost all released within five years and returned to society. The name of the gang, an invention of the press, came from the final series of arrests which took place in Markham, Ontario
.
s failed to turn up any incriminating evidence as a result.
Items worth more money, like watches, could be transported as far as Canada East
, where they would be exchanged for counterfeit money
at the rate of $100 for each $10 of goods. The counterfeit money, known as "boodle", was then distributed to the lower ranking members of the gang. The boodle was passed off locally by these members, who were careful to carry only one counterfeit bill and always be able to make good any payment if the bill was questioned. Boodle was also produced locally by members of the gang, notably Matthew Udell.
Higher ranking members of the gang also added horse and cattle stealing to their activities. Organizing via the same networks used for distribution of smaller goods, the members would arrange to steal two horses on the same night. They would then meet, switch horses, and ride home the same night. That way they were in their home town in the morning, with a horse that was from so far away they could not have travelled to that town and back in one night. In one instance they added another twist to the action; having been told where "his" horse had been sold in Newcastle, Thomas Alsop went to the farmer with an affidavit
stating it had been stolen, along with a description that unsurprisingly matched his accomplice, Henry Johnson. The farmer, worried about being in possession of stolen goods, immediately turned the horse over to Alsop, who then sold it further abroad. Johnson then pulled the same trick against the farmer Alsop had sold his horse to in Brantford. Both were able to use this trick several times in a row, ultimately reaching the US border and selling them for the last time there.
Couriers were also used to scout out locations for more complete robberies, by plying their trades among the farms and then communicating the locations of worthwhile goods up the hierarchy. The gang made sure that the non-professional "special constables" that were the only semblance of police
outside Toronto or Kingston
, were either part of the gang or threatened off. With no inter-country recording of crimes, the pattern of activity was never spotted in spite of it being widespread.
. Believing Morrow was holding out, they assaulted both Morrow and his wife trying to find more, before rummaging about the house and finally leaving. Morrow recognized several people in the group and reported the events the next day.
Hiram and James Stoutenborough were arrested on 12 November and released on bail. Soon after, however, Casper Stotts was arrested and questioned by George Gurnett
, Clerk of the Peace
for the Home District
and alderman of Toronto
, and powerful member of the Family Compact
. Stotts turned on Daniel Spencer, and soon the two led to the arrest of Burr, Alsop, The Badgerow brothers, and many others. King Street Gaol
was soon filling up with members, caught on the lam or fetched from other prisons.
William Hume Blake
, leader of the Reform Party and a major foe of the Family Compact, came to the defence of the accused. He portrayed the case as being politically motivated, with Gurnett paying back supporters of William Lyon Mackenzie
with threats of jail time or hangings. Although his defence was spirited, in the end Robert Burr, Nathan Case and Hiram and James Stoutenborough were all sentenced to death for their part in the Morrow robbery, and a further eleven members received sentences between 7 years and 8 months for larceny or forgery. However, the death penalties were later commuted to prison sentences by the Attorney General of Upper Canada, which was a common practice in the British colonies.
This was not quite the end of the gang, however. On the morning of 12 November 1846, William McPhillips, manager of Logan's General Store in Markham, was found dead after apparently having been beaten with a hammer the night before. Gurnett personally traveled to Markham and questioned everyone about possible ties to the Markham Gang, but ultimately came away empty-handed. However, several people reported seeing gang member Stephen Turney in Toronto buying jewelry and clothing, and was arrested when he could not explain where he got them. After first blaming John Biggins, claiming he was merely an accomplice, the court convicted Turney and he was hanged on 23 June 1847.
The case captured the attention of the British Colonist newspaper in Toronto. They had been tracking the story of a string of robberies east of Toronto for some time, and dedicated a considerable amount of the efforts to documenting the case now that the gang was being rounded up. The complete story was later published in complete form as "An Account of the Markham Gang". With Turney's arrest the paper once again took the lead publicizing the events, but this time found themselves being castigated by other local newspapers for sensationalizing the events.
The hanging was the final end to the Gang, and as the other members left jail they "took up honest pursuits", many claiming they had lost more money than they could have ever made honestly.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in the middle of the 19th century. Evolving from organizations originally founded to support the Upper Canada Rebellion
Upper Canada Rebellion
The Upper Canada Rebellion was, along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. Collectively they are also known as the Rebellions of 1837.-Issues:...
of 1837, the Markham Gang used its private communications network of couriers across what was then Canada West to build a criminal empire that spread into neighbouring states. Like the organization that spawned them, the Markham Gang was made up primarily of well-to-do farm owners and their families. The gang was broken up in 1846 with one hanging
Hanging
Hanging is the lethal suspension of a person by a ligature. The Oxford English Dictionary states that hanging in this sense is "specifically to put to death by suspension by the neck", though it formerly also referred to crucifixion and death by impalement in which the body would remain...
, four life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
s and many lesser convictions, but the survivors were almost all released within five years and returned to society. The name of the gang, an invention of the press, came from the final series of arrests which took place in Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
.
Activities
Most of the gang's activities could best be described as petty theft, including stealing watches, blankets and clothing on lines, harnesses from barns, and even "pilfering from hen's roosts" (stealing eggs). To make the system pay, the gang organized pickups to collect the stolen goods and carry them far from the site of the theft, where they could be safely sold without suspicion. No member was allowed to take any items to their own homes, and search warrantSearch warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
s failed to turn up any incriminating evidence as a result.
Items worth more money, like watches, could be transported as far as Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
, where they would be exchanged for counterfeit money
Counterfeit money
Counterfeit money is currency that is produced without the legal sanction of the state or government to resemble some official form of currency closely enough that it may be confused for genuine currency. Producing or using counterfeit money is a form of fraud or forgery. Counterfeiting is probably...
at the rate of $100 for each $10 of goods. The counterfeit money, known as "boodle", was then distributed to the lower ranking members of the gang. The boodle was passed off locally by these members, who were careful to carry only one counterfeit bill and always be able to make good any payment if the bill was questioned. Boodle was also produced locally by members of the gang, notably Matthew Udell.
Higher ranking members of the gang also added horse and cattle stealing to their activities. Organizing via the same networks used for distribution of smaller goods, the members would arrange to steal two horses on the same night. They would then meet, switch horses, and ride home the same night. That way they were in their home town in the morning, with a horse that was from so far away they could not have travelled to that town and back in one night. In one instance they added another twist to the action; having been told where "his" horse had been sold in Newcastle, Thomas Alsop went to the farmer with an affidavit
Affidavit
An affidavit is a written sworn statement of fact voluntarily made by an affiant or deponent under an oath or affirmation administered by a person authorized to do so by law. Such statement is witnessed as to the authenticity of the affiant's signature by a taker of oaths, such as a notary public...
stating it had been stolen, along with a description that unsurprisingly matched his accomplice, Henry Johnson. The farmer, worried about being in possession of stolen goods, immediately turned the horse over to Alsop, who then sold it further abroad. Johnson then pulled the same trick against the farmer Alsop had sold his horse to in Brantford. Both were able to use this trick several times in a row, ultimately reaching the US border and selling them for the last time there.
Couriers were also used to scout out locations for more complete robberies, by plying their trades among the farms and then communicating the locations of worthwhile goods up the hierarchy. The gang made sure that the non-professional "special constables" that were the only semblance of police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
outside Toronto or Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
, were either part of the gang or threatened off. With no inter-country recording of crimes, the pattern of activity was never spotted in spite of it being widespread.
Breakup
On the night of 7 November 1845 several high-ranking members of the gang from the Reach Township robbed a local farmer, John Morrow, believing he had large amounts of cash in his house. They burst in upon him at night, but found only $72.50 that he made selling some oxen in Uxbridge, OntarioUxbridge, Ontario
Uxbridge is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Durham, in the Greater Toronto Area.The main centre in the township is the namesake community of Uxbridge...
. Believing Morrow was holding out, they assaulted both Morrow and his wife trying to find more, before rummaging about the house and finally leaving. Morrow recognized several people in the group and reported the events the next day.
Hiram and James Stoutenborough were arrested on 12 November and released on bail. Soon after, however, Casper Stotts was arrested and questioned by George Gurnett
George Gurnett
George Gurnett was a Canadian journalist and politician.Born in Sussex, England, he emigrated in the 1820s to Virginia and late moved to Ancaster in Upper Canada and finally to York in 1829. When York was incorporated in May 1834 as the city of Toronto, Gurnett was elected to the city council...
, Clerk of the Peace
Clerk of the Peace
A clerk of the peace held an office in England and Wales whose responsibility was the records of the Quarter Sessions and the framing of presentments and indictments. They had legal training, so that they could advise justices of the peace.-England and Wales:...
for the Home District
Home District
The Home District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and partitioned in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Nassau District until 1792, it was composed of the areas along western Lake Ontario and...
and alderman of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and powerful member of the Family Compact
Family Compact
Fully developed after the War of 1812, the Compact lasted until Upper and Lower Canada were united in 1841. In Lower Canada, its equivalent was the Château Clique. The influence of the Family Compact on the government administration at different levels lasted to the 1880s...
. Stotts turned on Daniel Spencer, and soon the two led to the arrest of Burr, Alsop, The Badgerow brothers, and many others. King Street Gaol
King Street Gaol (1827)
The second King Street Gaol was built in 1824 to replace the first King Street Gaol in Toronto, Ontario, then known as the town of York...
was soon filling up with members, caught on the lam or fetched from other prisons.
William Hume Blake
William Hume Blake
William Hume Blake, QC was a Canadian jurist and politician. He was the father of Edward Blake, an Ontario Premier and federal Liberal party of Canada leader....
, leader of the Reform Party and a major foe of the Family Compact, came to the defence of the accused. He portrayed the case as being politically motivated, with Gurnett paying back supporters of William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish born American and Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of Toronto, Upper Canada and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795–1820:Mackenzie was...
with threats of jail time or hangings. Although his defence was spirited, in the end Robert Burr, Nathan Case and Hiram and James Stoutenborough were all sentenced to death for their part in the Morrow robbery, and a further eleven members received sentences between 7 years and 8 months for larceny or forgery. However, the death penalties were later commuted to prison sentences by the Attorney General of Upper Canada, which was a common practice in the British colonies.
This was not quite the end of the gang, however. On the morning of 12 November 1846, William McPhillips, manager of Logan's General Store in Markham, was found dead after apparently having been beaten with a hammer the night before. Gurnett personally traveled to Markham and questioned everyone about possible ties to the Markham Gang, but ultimately came away empty-handed. However, several people reported seeing gang member Stephen Turney in Toronto buying jewelry and clothing, and was arrested when he could not explain where he got them. After first blaming John Biggins, claiming he was merely an accomplice, the court convicted Turney and he was hanged on 23 June 1847.
The case captured the attention of the British Colonist newspaper in Toronto. They had been tracking the story of a string of robberies east of Toronto for some time, and dedicated a considerable amount of the efforts to documenting the case now that the gang was being rounded up. The complete story was later published in complete form as "An Account of the Markham Gang". With Turney's arrest the paper once again took the lead publicizing the events, but this time found themselves being castigated by other local newspapers for sensationalizing the events.
The hanging was the final end to the Gang, and as the other members left jail they "took up honest pursuits", many claiming they had lost more money than they could have ever made honestly.
Further reading
- Paul Arculus, "Mayhem to Murder: The History of the Markham Gang", Observer Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0968493254