-- Enterprising Dailies
carried garbing accounts of tragedy
-- One Paper had son murdered by father
-- No doubt of McCoy's insanity, declares examining physician
Several weird and conflicting
stories were sent out of Norfolk to the daily papers on Monday
concerning the McCoy murder at Round Plains.
The Reformer's representative was
the only reporter actually on the scene during the morning and the only
one who witnessed the actual capture of the demented man.
He is able to give in this issue
an eye-witness account of what transpired and of his interview with the
niece, the brothers and neighbors of the family.
Naturally the second-hand
interviews received later in the day by other reporters became garbled
versions of the actual events of the tragic morning.
The most glaring instance of
mishandling of the case was the front page headline which had the father
in the roll of killer and the son as the murdered man.
The same paper declared that a
neighbor had intervened and had also received injuries. Aside from the
two men and the girl, there was no person in the vicinity of the house.
Another enterprising paper stated
that "the father attempted to escape but the son caught him in the
yard and struck him again." The unfortunate father never left the
kitchen. The same story has the neice "smashing her way through the
glass." The window was wide open.
A third paper asserted that
Lawrence Mott and Harry Martin, the undertaker and his assistant from
Waterford, were neighbors of the McCoy family. According to this report,
the tragedy occurred at "Round Bank."
An axe was the weapon used by the
murderer, according to other dailies. There is some difference in
length, at least, between an axe and the hatchet used by the crazed man.
Several reports credited the
arrest to the provincial police. True, they scoured the district
thoroughly, but credit for the arrest goes to Harry Worrell, the
Waterford constable, and the farmers who assisted him.
These instances are typical of
the manner in which the true story can become distorted by ingenious
reporting minds, particularly those who work on the dailies where there
is always the rush to get to press at the expense of the truth.
The Toronto dailies sent special
cars bearing reporters and photographers to cover the affair.
Learned since the
attack
The funeral of the late James
McCoy was held yesterday afternoon with a private service at his late
home and interment in Greenwood Cemetery, Waterford.
Charles McCoy was lodged in jail
in Simcoe on April 10th, 1924, on a charge of tampering with mail boxes.
On that occasion he caused jail officials no end of trouble and damaged
things in the jail considerably. After a week or two he was removed to
the Hamilton Asylum, where he remained until about two years ago.
There was a rumor about town
yesterday that the murderer had escaped custody. It was soon spiked.
Jailer Robertson reports that McCoy is behaving himself, sleeping and
eating regularly. He is apprehensive, however, of the man's conduct if
he remains here until the fall assizes.
Dr. McIntosh, jail surgeon,
examined McCoy shortly after his arrival on Monday. He was well
acquainted with the man's record as he had him under observation for
signs of insanity during his previous confinement. The doctor states
that there is no doubt of his mental derangement; he does not realize
the nature of his crime.
Crown Attorney W. E. Kelly, K.C.,
told the Reformer yesterday that the crown will prosecute the murder
charge against the prisoner. Until the inquest has been held, however,
no further steps can be taken.
It has been reported that the
late James McCoy transferred his farm to his sons a few days ago, but
Deputy Register Henry
Johnson states that no such deed has been registered recently. The aged
man had made a settlement in favor of his four sons about two years ago.
Dr. G. K. Shirton, who performed
the autopsy, said that the blow which killed Mr. McCoy was struck
with the blunt side of the axe. "His right ear was almost severed,
and his skull was smashed in. His nose was fractured and there was a
small cut on the back of his head. If the blow had been struck with the
edge of the axe his head would have been cut off."
