Image

November 30, 2013

It is an uphill battle, but Bob McCarthy is hopeful the federal government will one day “correct a travesty of justice” which lead to the hanging of a Sarnia woman over 100 years ago.

McCarthy, the author of the book Case 666, The Elizabeth Workman Story recently spoke to about a dozen members of the Petrolia Library’s book club about the case.

Workman was convicted in 1873 of brutally murdering her husband – an act which normally lead to the death penalty. But the jury recommended mercy for Workman asking she serve life in prison instead saying she had been beaten constantly during the course of her marriage. The judge disagreed and she was sentenced to hang.

Members of the community got involved, signing petitions asking for mercy. Even the then local MP, Alexander MacKenzie, wrote to Prime Minister John A. MacDonald to stop the hanging. But McCarthy believes a political feud between MacKenzie and MacDonald hardened the prime minister’s resolve and he denied the request. She was hanged and the case rarely was spoken of.

But while doing research McCarthy came across it. He was stung by the injustice of it and wrote a fictional story based on the case. He’s sent the book to MPs and Senators across the country urging them to put it in their local libraries to raise awareness and asking them to work to commute the woman’s sentence posthumously.

So far, McCarthy says Sarnia-Lambton MP Pat Davidson has indicated her support and he has received acknowledgement of receipt of the books from four MPs, including the Prime Minister’s office.

So far, McCarthy has been “disappointed” with the response but is continuing on saying Workman was the only woman in Canadian history who hanged despite the jury and members of the community asking for mercy.

McCarthy asked the members of the book club to send a postcard explaining the case to Prime Minister Stephen Harper asking him what he will do about the case.

Share This

Image
Front Page

LCCVI’s Grant cracks OFSAA top 20

November 4, 2024

McKinnon, Peters, better SWOSSA results LCCVI’s James Grantbettered his 6K Cross Country time from the SWOSSA meet in Sarnia and cracked the top 20 at OFSAA.Monday, Grant, seen here at the SWOSSA event in Canatara Park Oct. 24, placed 19th at the provincial championships in Ottawa, just 14/100ths of a second in front of SWOSSA’s first place finisher Brendan Currie

Read More

Image
Front Page

Over $70K of equipment stolen in PW break in

November 4, 2024

Lambton OPP are investigating after over $70,000 in equipment was stolen. Nov. 1, OPP were called to a Michigan Line property in Plympton-Wyoming after the owner noticed equipment missing. Police say sometime overnight, someone accessed the property and stole a number of items including a Yanmar compact tractor, a Ferris zero-turn mower, a 1965 Chevy half ton pickup and a

Read More

Image
Front Page

UPDATE: OPP say missing 71 year-old dead

November 4, 2024

The Lambton OPP search for a missing 71 year-old man in the Watford area is over. A social media post states the man is deceased. Police received a call Nov. 3, that the man was missing and he’d been last seen on Highway 402 near the Nauvoo Road exit around 5 am. Police closed the road in the area for

Read More

Image
Front Page

Memorial to the fallen in Petrolia

November 1, 2024

Catherine Lesley, Petrolia Mayor Brad Loosley and Joe Card were among the volunteers at Hillsdale Cemetery in Petrolia Friday morning erecting over 400 crosses in memory of the veterans buried there. The Margaret Stokes IODE spearheads the project with members of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 26 helping out. This year, volunteers also planted 3,500 daffodil bulbs near the memorial

Read More