1885 - Jolley Cut Runaway

On Saturday, August 22, 1885, a young couple, the Shedlers, with their young son, were driving from their farm south of Mount Albion to the city for groceries.

Coming down the Jolley Cut, the bridle on the horse pulling them in a small wagon, came off and the horse became unmanageable, it it ran away :"Down the road it dashed like an arrow until the low stone wall in rear of the grounds of Thos. Robertson, M. P., was reached. The wagon struck this wall and the man, woman and child were hurled over it."

 "Down the Jolley Cut : A Man and Woman Injured by a Runaway Accident"

Hamilton Spectator. August 24, 1885.

The whole group came to grief in the area of Rock Castle. Along the Jolley Cut, on the north side was a low stone wall

"preventing'' anything rolling off the road and down but the Shedlers had been thrown from the out of control wagon, and over the wall:

“It was a frightful fall. The ground on the north side of the wall is about 15 feet lower than the road, and the three Shedlers were thrown forward fully 30 feet before they reached the ground.

“Mrs. Shedler clung to her child, and the little fellow fell on her and escaped without even a bruise; but the mother had her wrist badly bruised and her back severely strained.

“Mr. Shedler, however was the only one of the three who was badly injured. He lay on the grass suffering horribly and unable to move. The police patrol wagon speedily arrived and the suffering man was lifted into it on a stretcher and was driven to Mat High’s hotel, where he was made as comfortable as possible, and had his injuries attended to by Dr. Griffin. His right shoulder was smashed frightfully and the collar bone was broken. Two of his ribs were also fractured and his back received a bad strain. It is likely that Shedler will recover, but he will have to lie where he is for a considerable time.

“The horse was not injured, but the wagon was badly broken up."

The Spectator concluded its account of the accident with the following observation and recommendation :

“It is fortunate the Shedlers fell on the soft turf. There are in the vicinity several tree stumps and an old stone tomb; if they had fallen on these, it is likely that they would have been killed.

“And now it is time to add a foot or two to the height of this old stone wall.”

1886 - A 'Ghost" Story

“A ghost story is startling what few superstitious people there are in the east end of the city. The ghost was first seen last Thursday night prowling around the eastern terminus of Jackson street and on Wellington street.”

Hamilton Spectator.   September 21, 1886

Readers of the Spectator who did not live in the immediate neighborhood of the far east end of Jackson Street East or Wellington Street South, south of Main street, might have been startled to read on a Monday morning that a ghost had been seen on streets in east Hamilton during the previous Saturday night.

In the column it was pointed out that police veteran, and holder of Badge #1, Peter Ferris reacted when he heard shots fired, reportedly at the ghost:

“Saturday night it was fired upon, and Constable Ferris, who lives in the vicinity, hearing the reports, went out to arrest the disturber, but could not find him.”¹

¹ “A Ghost Story.”

Hamilton Spectator.   September 21, 1886

      

By the next day, rumors of a ghost haunting the neighborhoods mentioned had spread all over the city:

“Sunday night, hundreds of people walked around in the vicinity until nearly midnight but could see nothing out of the common.

“One young lady, though, became so frightened that she fainted and had to be taken home in a hack.

“If the alleged practical joker who is making a fool of himself by trying to frighten timid women is caught, things will be made uncomfortably warm for him.”¹

It only took a few days before the story behind the ‘haunting’ was discovered and why the’ ghost’ was acting as he did:

 “People in the east end of the city are getting more excited everyday over the ghost story that has been referred to in the Spectator in the last day or two.

“Tuesday night again, several hundred people stood around the corners of Jackson and Wellington, and Jackson and Spring streets. They three stones at the tannery, and shouted and howled around in a supremely idiotic manner. The patrol wagon went down with a posse of seven or eight policemen, and the wagon was followed by a small procession of carriages.

“The ‘ghost’ did not put in an appearance, however, and about 10 o’clock, the crowd dispersed.

“To those who know the real state of affairs, the whole thing is eminently ludicrous, and the free people who are in the swim, are having a quiet laugh at the expense of those who go there expecting to see something mysterious and terrible.

“The fact of the matter simply is that a young person of the female persuasion, who lives in that locality, is sought after by another person of the male persuasion, who happens to be married.

“For various reasons, best known to himself, the married man prefers to keep his identity secret, and when he clandestinely meets the young woman, he disguises himself in a long coat and a slough felt hat. Being very much afraid that people will notice him particularly, he does all he can to attract their attention by walking in a stealthy and mysterious manner, dodging around trees, hiding in alleys and doing other things equally idiotic. Some people saw him, of course, and started the little ghost story which spread and has caused all this trouble.²

² “The East End Ghost : A Romantic Little Tale That Unveils the Mystery”

Hamilton Spectator.    September 23, 1886.