1885-06-09 Disgraceful Day at Dundurn

In 1885, Dundurn Castle was still a private residence, but the grounds, known only as Dundurn,  around it, were leased out annually for public events. The Lessee would in turn would hire out use of the property for events such as society picnics.

Usually the events were peaceful, and people would pay an entrance fee to watch a baseball game, hear a band concert, do some dancing on a big outdoor platform set up for that purpose or many other activities.

However, on June 8, 1885, Dundurn was leased for the day by members of the cigar-makers’ union. Hamilton at the time had several cigar factories, and the union had gone on strike against all of them at once. Some of the factories hired replacement workers in order to carry on operations.

As the Spectator coverage of the June 8, 1885 event began, the wisdom of hiring out the grounds to a labor union during a tense time proved to be unwise :

““The cigar-makers’ picnic held at Dundurn yesterday was the most disorderly and disgraceful affair of the kind that has been held in Hamilton for years. It was numerously attended by members of the various labor organizations who sympathize with the striking cigar-makers’ union, and too many of these allowed their enthusiasm to get the better of their discretion.”¹

¹ ““A Disorderly Picnic”

Hamilton Spectator     June 9, 1885.

There was a baseball game scheduled to be played that afternoon between the two Hamilton teams in the Canadian Baseball League, the Primroses and the Clippers.

          The situation was reasonably orderly at Dundurn until after the game was finished then degenerated :

          “Young men, who are ordinarily sober and respectable and well-behaved, were to be seen and heard toward evening, in every part of the ground, in various stages of intoxication and misbehaving themselves in a variety of ways. Several small fights occurred during the afternoon, and in the evening some serious encounters took place.”¹

                There had been a new grandstand built for baseball fans to watch the games at Dundurn and under the stands, a bar had been set up. That was where an outbreak of violence took place :

 “From what can be learned of this lamentable affair, it would seem that John Dillon, a moulder, is chiefly to blame for it. He was sufficiently under the influence to be quarrelsome, and had had words with several persons during the afternoon. He and Robert Tindill, the well known baseball player, were standing together near the bar, in the rear of the grandstand, when, according to a bystander, Dillon wantonly and without provocation addressed Tindill in grossly insulting language. Tindill resnted the insult, and words were quickly followed by blows. Dillon was knocked down; but, springing to his feet, he drew his pock-knife and made a thrust at Tindill. The blade passed through Tindill’s cheek, inflicting a painful wound. A young man named Thomas Wood, in attempting to separate the combatants, was also stabbed by Dillon. His nose was pierced through and he got a gash in the right side of his face near the mouth. Another young man, named Penfold, who attempted to quell the row, was also stabbed by Dillon in the hand, and still a fourth party whose name could not be learned, had a taste of the knife. Before any further trouble was done, Detective Campbell and Constable Limin stopped the melee by arresting Dillon. He was quickly taken off the grounds and conveyed to the police cells, and the wounded men were taken home. None of the wounds inflicted by Dillon are dangerous, but those received by Tindill and Wood will probably prove troublesome.”¹

The police then sent in reinforcements to try to main order  but situation had got out of hand :

“In the evening, fourteen police officers were on the grounds, but in spite of their presence, there was a good deal of fighting, the combatants being separated on the approach of an officer. Only two arrests were made for disorderly conduct – Charles O’Brien and John T. Sullivan.

“A few non-union cigar-makers foolishly attended the picnic, and inflamed the passions of the union by their presence. They were chased , and at least two of them – John Minkler, an employee of Reid and Goering, and Emile Smith – were badly beaten. Smith managed to escape from his assailants, but Minkler was less fortunate. He was found between 7 and 8 o’clock by Chief Stewart and a constable lying insensible alongside the road, near the toll-gate, literally bathed in blood, his face and head cut and swollen, and his body covered with bruises. The poor fellow was resuscitated and carried to his boarding house. He could give little information as to his assailants, but was certain that union cigar-makers were among them.”¹

As usual, there the day’s entertainments including a concert and a place for dancing but:

“The Independent band gave an excellent concert in the pavilion in the evening and Nelligan’s string band furnished music for dancing; but the concert did not appear to be appreciated, and the dancing platform was not well-patronized.”¹

In the aftermath, it was decided that Dundurn would not be automatically leased to whomever applied but that the manager would be expected to ensure that only respectable organizations would be allowed to lease the park.