1914-03-20aa

“It is not likely that James Gow and A. B. Mackay will face trial for nearly two months”

          Hamilton Times.  March 20, 1914.

           An article in the Times newspaper noted that Mackay and Gow were “afforded an opportunity to stall their trial off until the next sitting of the general sessions, which will not be until May 5^th.”¹

               ¹ “May Not Be Tried Until Early in May : Gow and Mackay Likely to Face a Judge Without Jury : Punishment, If Convicted, Might Either Be Fine or Imprisonment”

          Hamilton Times March 20, 1914.

          Mackay might have been okay with waiting seven weeks until the case was tried, but Gow might well not have wanted to have such trouble hanging over his head for any longer than needed.

          The Times had also learned that, because of the charges he was facing, Gow was requested to resign from the firm of McPherson, Glassco. He would no longer be drawing his former salary of about $2,500 per year, the sum used to calculate the alimony payments the court had recently ordered him to pay. The alimony was reportedly set at approximately $1,000 per annum.

Gow’s financial problems had just become much worse.

          The Times reporter had spoken to Sheriff Middleton who stated emphatically that, prominent or not, Gow and Mackay would be treated as anyone else in the court room :

          “Gow and Mackay will not sit in front of the dock in the high court. This is never allowed on an indictable offense. They will have to occupy the hard seats of the iron-spiked dock, and constables will stand guard over them. Sheriff Middleton says he will see to that”¹

               In that same edition of the Times, an article was published which seemed to be of deep concern to Gow :

          “Despondent through worry over the possibility of having to testify in the hearing of James Gow and A. B. Mackay a seventeen year old girl drank carbolic acid with fatal results.”²

          ² “Suicide of a Young Girl Due to Gow-Mackay Case : Feared She Would Be Subpoenaed as Witness and Ended Her Life With Carbolic Acid”

          Hamilton Times.  March 20, 1914   

          The article stated that “the girl had of late been inclined to remain out at nights more and longer than her mother approved of. The climax was reached last week when the girl went out one evening and remained away overnight.”¹

               The girl’s mother asked the police to keep an eye on her daughter, and because of that, the girl’s name was added to the list of potential witnesses to testify in the Gow-Mackay case.

          The seventeen year old became “frantic” because of her being drawn into the sensational case which was the talk of the city :

          “She was informed that her presence would be required at the police station when Mackay and Gow were arraigned, and, going downtown, she purchased a small quantity of carbolic acid.”¹

               The newspaper article had affected Gow deeply. He was no longer alive to read a follow-up article on the girl’s suicide.

          The Times had been contacted by the firm of Nesbitt, Gauld and Langs, solicitors for A. B. Mackay. The father of the seventeen year also approached the Times. It was vehemently denied that the girl’s sad decision to take her own life had anything to do with the Gow-Mackay case, and that she was not acquainted in any way with either man.

          The Times was urged to retract its allegations about the girl, which was done although no apology was made.

          In its own defence, the Times contained the followings :

          “It was the knowledge of the possibility (of such a link to the Mackay-Gow case) that led the Times to secretly guard the girl’s name, her address, the time of her death and funeral or any other facts that would lead to he identity.”²

               ² “Absolutely Nothing : To Do With the Gow-Mackay Case.”

          Hamilton Times. March 21, 1914.