Large Fierce Mammal

“During my attendance at the trial of Peter Mailman, — listening day after day to the horrible details of the murder as they were brought out by the different witnesses; and holding frequent intercourse with the prisoner in his cell, I was led to contemplate very fully and seriously the crime of murder. Nothing is dearer to a man than his life, and yet, how many doors there are to let life out! — Hundreds are passing each other in the street every day; a stab with the smallest pocket knife might fatally wound. To move among men is practically placing one’s life every moment at their mercy, and yet how safe we all feel. This, if we come to think, is not all due to our laws; not the result of the security which the fear of capital punishment inspires; it is the working of a natural law which instinctively leads every man to hold sacred the life of his fellow-man.

“How often are two men together alone — far from the reach of mortal eye, and yet neither as a rule, trembles in fear of death. It may be laid down as a fixed principle that only a murderer at heart can commit wilfull (sic) murder. It is almost impossible to conceive the depth of wickedness to which a human being has sunk — the horrible lack of all natural feeling, when he can deliberately and in cold blood strike dead a fellow-being. The mind sickens in contemplating such a revolting act, and we instinctively thank God that, although our world is full of vice and sin, happily the propensity to murder is comparatively rare.” ~ J. W. Longley, Esq.

On the day before New Year’s Eve of 1873, Peter Mailman of Pleasant River Road, in the County of Lunenburg, Province of Nova Scotia was executed by hanging for the murder of his wife, Mary Ann. The murder weapon was alleged to have been the axe Mailman was seen carrying on the August day he was observed by the couple’s 17 year old daughter as he accompanied his wife into the woods to pick berries.

More than 2000 spectators attended the hanging.

The aforesaid quotation is taken from a pamphlet, the cover of which appears at the top of this piece, written by J. W. Longley, Esq., who attended the trial and extensively interviewed the accused in  his capacity, “As Special Reporter for the ‘Acadian Recorder’ and St. John ‘Daily Telegraph,’ …” . Of his experience and reasons for writing it, he says,

“It was the first time I was ever brought face to faced with a murderer, and I confess to having acquired an exceedingly deep interest in the man, and the whole case. And, while at Lunenburg, many persons expressed a wish that full reports of the whole case should be gathered together in pamphlet form, and preserved as a painfully interesting local record. Acting on this suggestion, I have devoted what few spare hours I had to this task, and this work appears simultaneously with the unfortunate man’s execution.”

Of the deceased, our Chronicler writes,

“The details of the murder of Mrs. Mailman by her husband are unusually horrible — a more atrocious murder is not on record in this country. If his confession is to be believed, the case is slightly modified, but the facts in evidence stamp the deed as a most cowardly, heinous murder. I learned that the deceased was a very beautiful woman of her class — her appearance being much more prepossessing that that of any other woman in the locality. Alas! how (sic) dread a fate!”

And as to the details of deed,

“The body had been doubled up and pushed under the roots of a tree which had been partly torn up by the wind, and a little extra moss thrown over the exposed portions. The burial process shewed (sic) great skill and ingenuity, and, so far, reflected credit on the performer.

“The body exhibited marks of violence about the head. There had been a severe blow on the temple and another on the back of the head — both seemingly done with an axe or some heavy weapon.”

Even major trials were conducted swiftly in those days. The trial began on 17 October 1873, and on the morning of 25 October 1873, Judge DesBarres uttered the sentence that decreed the fate of the accused —

“You, Peter Mailman, the prisoner at the Bar, have been charged with the murder of your wife, Mary Ann Mailman. You have been found guilty of that charge by a Jury of your Country, after a long, patient, though a painful investigation. You were defended by a gentleman of the Bar who used all the ability he was possessed of, and a great deal of ingenuity to gain for you an acquittal. There was not the possibility of a doubt, or you would have received the benefit of it. Under the evidence I do not see how the Jury could have arrived at any other conclusion. I will not go into this matter very deeply; for if I did my feelings would overpower me. I can hold out no hope to you that the sentence I am about to pass upon you will not be carried out. I have no doubt that some kind of minister of the gospel will assist you in preparing to meet your God.

“The Sentence of the Court is that you shall be taken from hence to the place from whence you came, from thence on Tuesday the 30th day of December next, to the place of Execution, and there to be Hanged by the neck until you are Dead, and may God Almighty have mercy on your soul.”

On 3 December 1873, Peter Mailman uttered a complete confession, much to the relief of local clergy, “… who had become deeply interested in his case, and solicitous for his spiritual awakening and true repentance approached him frequently on the subject.”

The story that you about to read is not a clean one, as if any such case has ever been, or will ever be. What it truly is, is an interesting revelation of criminal investigation and the administration of justice as it was done before the advent of technological marvels that today can establish locale, activities, and connections for most anyone living in modern society. As you read, Weary Wayfarer, take heed of the final words in our Chronicler’s preface: “Though I shall forward a copy of this to our various newspapers, I may say that this little pamphlet is not intended as a literary effort — nor for criticism.”

Now, courtesy of The Internet Archive, we present The Trial of Peter Mailman for the Murder of His Wife, at Lunenburg, N. S.. Click the title and wade in.