Luckey Murders

The Luckey Murders On the afternoon of Oct.8, 1892, neighbors noticed smoke coming from the Homestead of the Luckey Family near the Village of Newbliss. Upon arriving at the scene they found the interior of the log house fully engulfed in flames. After the fire was finally distinguished they broke down the door, which had been secured and found the badly burnt bodies of John Luckey, Father, his 2nd wife Martha and his daughter Mary. At the same time they noticed Charles Luckey, a son, sitting on a fence in an adjoining field. Charlers Sandford Luckey had just got out of Prison the day before and it was known that there were bad feelings between him and his father. Suspicions were aroused and Charlie was apprehended in Smiths Falls later that day. Blood was found on his clothes and he had money on his person which he could not account for and he was also wearing his fathers boots. With this evidence he was charged with his fathers murder and went to trial the following April. Due to conflicting witness statements he was acquitted. He was then charged with the murder of his step-mother and retried. At this second trial he was found guilty and was sentence to be hanged. The execution took place at the Brockville Jail on the morning of Dec. 14, 1893. Tickets were sold to the event and there was a large crowd in attendance. Charlie still proclaimed his innocence to the very end as he stood on the scaffold. Feelings were running high at the time as many people thought Charlie was innocent and as the hangman John Radclive, Canada's first Professional Hangman, was leaving the Jail he was assaulted by some of Charlies friends. As there were no provisions made for Charlies burial he was buried in the Jail Courtyard. In 1980, when renovations were being made to the Jail his remains were discovered and he was reburied in an undisclosed location.

There has been a Book wrote about the Luckey Murders called "This Weather Of Hangman" by Sylvia Adams.

The "Link" provided is from the Toronto Daily Mail, Dec. 15, 1893. This was wrote by one of their Reporters who attended the Execution. (Scrolling Required)

The three Luckey Family members are buried in the St. Andrews Church Cemetery in Toledo. Their Headstone is a tall red granite column with a shrouded draped Vase at its top. Other family members are also buried here. Among the many old stones of these early settlers in this Church Yard Cemetery there is one of particular interest although it is not related to this case. The date on the stone is 1852 and it has an Epitaph that reminds all of us of our Mortality.