{page one}

Mr James Cameron Island

11th of Dec 1892 Fine Windy Leander shot a Mink a Big one Lost the cap Pin of his Gun

12th Fine W Wind cutting up at the Brush Fence cutting Brush put the owl in the shanty

13th Court opens in Cornwall this Week Fine Day Leander Went to Dundee took 2 Minks cutting Drags cut an ash by the Roots as there is a crook in it for a sleigh a Good Deal of shooting to Day

14th E Wind Snowing and Blowing hard Got a Weasel at the Lower Point sawed some Wood

15th W Wind Leander came From Dundee 1 Pair of over-shoes 1..40 2 yds of cloth 1 Dollar Got a Weasel snow melting sold his 2 Mink 2..50 Got a Dollar for the Fox-skin Got 24 shells and a Box of Wads from Charles Creamer

16th W Wind snowed hard for a While Drew some Drags This is the Day The Murderer in Cornwall is to be Hung to Day Jim Slavin

17th Fine Leander crofsed to Summerstown Bought of A McDonald 3 lb of Tea 1 2 pairs of Boots 2 lb of Soda sent me 2 Plugs Tobacco Got a Bag of oats at Hamiltons Bought of John Summers 200 of Flour 4.20 Paid cut my hair

{page two}

Mr James Cameron Island

18th Dec 1892 Randolph J Morris and Barnhart here to night stormy some snow to night

19th Randolph and J Morris went off stormy snowing Blowing Firing at a Mark to Day Froze hard to night

20th cutting stove wood Fine cold Frosty Took up the Traps made 23 Plugs of Tobacco Last night the Water smoky Freezing hard

21st First Day of Winter W Wind Blowing some snow Fine Drawing Drags of Elm and White Birch cutting and sawing stove wood Put in the Heifers Last night not much ice made Made 22 Plugs of Tobacco Last night St Thomas Day Taking the Marsh hay from the upper Field cleaning Tobacco

22nd a Fortunate Day cold W Wind Frosty ice made to the Rushes cutting stove wood made a Place for the Pig the sheep came home from the Bush no Ducks around to Day

23rd Very Frosty cold Windy cutting and sawing stove Wood Killed the Goose too windy for ice to make Broke a Peice out of the Axe

24th W Wind Windy Frosty some anchor ice Going Down no Game of any Kind water Low Began to cut Hay on the East Mow

25th Christmas Day Snowing cool

26th cold Freezing Blowing W Wind sawing stove wood Ice Taken to Christies Steamboat channel open taken to night St Stephens Day very very cold Windy and Frosty

Transcription Tips

• Follow the example of transcribing provided in the first few PDF files of this diary.
• Click Edit when you’re ready to start transcribing.
• Click Detach to move the transcription box to a convenient location.
• Copy the text as it is, including misspellings and abbreviations.
• Start each new day with a new line. Otherwise ignore spacing and alignments.
• Use toolbar heading options for any headings in the text, i.e. diary titles.
• Use toolbar table generator for any tables in the text, i.e. finance records.
• Use toolbar comment option to add your own comments, i.e. illegible text or uncertain names or description of drawings.
• Use toolbar stroke through text option to transcribe crossed-out text.
• When done press "Save Transcription" to save your work.
• Note: If a line on one page appears to carry over on the same line on the next page, please check the next page and (if applicable) transcribe both pages together as if they are one page. Type your unified transcription under the first of the two pages.
• View more transcription tips.(Opens in new tab)

The Timeline: 1892

The pitt street shootout On September 5, 1892, a former Cornwall resident, James Slavin who went by the alias James MacMahon, shot another local “tough guy” named Antoine Lefess, after he attempted to break up a fight between Slavin and someone else.[1] Slavin was a known agitator and miscreant, that was known to start fights with surrounding people as well as instigating pistol fights. Rather than admitting his crime, he fled and ran up the south of Sydney Street with a mob of those who had witnessed the shooting trailing behind him. Slavin was then pursued by a constable by the name of John Davey and a special constable called Louis Lefebvre, who then attempted to restrain Slavin. This was a fatal mistake for Constable John F. Davey who was shot by Slavin and died almost immediately, leaving behind a wife and three children. It was Constable Daveys first day as a Constable with the Cornwall police, he is now honoured by the Cornwall police for his actions. In this ordeal he also injured Constable Lefebvre who ended up with a bullet wound in his shoulder but ultimately survived. Rather than being apprehended by the police, Slavin was brought to justice by the angry mob who handed him over to the Cornwall police. Unfortunately, Antoine Lefess died of his injuries as well. This event is now known as the Pitt Street shoot out.

James Slavin went to trial on October 12, 1892 and was convicted for the double homicide of Constable J. R. Davey and Antoine Lefess. His trial was quick and uncontested due to the many witness that watched the events unfold. He was hanged using a trapdoor scaffold at the Cornwall gaol on December 16, 1892, at just 21 years old, his last words noted as being “Well, goodbye, gentlemen”.[2] He appeared calm and refused the religious ceremonies that were offered in an attempt to give peace and reconciliation to those awaiting execution. Slavin’s execution was attended by newspapers, medical professionals, and a few select citizens that totaled to a group of about 50 people. He was officially pronounced dead by the gaol doctor – Dr. Gravely at around 7:50 am. Slavin was one of the unclaimed bodies that was buried onsite of the Cornwall Gaol in an unmark grave.[3]

[1] St Catherine’s Standard. October 15, 1892.

[2] The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. December 16, 1892.

[3] The County Weekly News. July 7, 2021.