Page 75 - Sheriff James C. MacKillop Remembers the Hanging of Emmett Sloane

ISSUE : Issue 65

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1994/1/1

CNR have been running away off schedule. Saturday evening's express from Halifax did not reach here until an early hour on Sunday moming. During the height of the storm on Saturday, the community snow removal plow went over an embankment on the Sydney-New Waterford road. It was not replaced until Sunday morning. The snow had started to fall last Thursday evening, and continued up until a late hour on Sunday afternoon. The heaviest fall was recorded Saturday evening when a blizzard turned the snow into drifts, with the result the city was completely snowed in. Sheriff MacKillop: He walked in a blinding snowstorm, took the railroad tracks at King's Road. Walked out, till he came out at Frenchvale. He took the Frenchvale Road, and there was a lumber mill down the road about a mile or so. And he went in to the lumber camps. And, they took him in, they gave him his supper. And when he was having supper somebody said it was too bad the radio wasn't working, we could hear something about the storm, what the outside world is like tonight. Sloane said, "You got a radio?" "Yes." "Well." he said, "get it. I think I can fix it." And in two minutes he had it running... Neil MacPherson, at the trial: "He shifted the tubes around and made it work better...We were listening in to a church in Sydney first and then we switched to a station in New York, and back onto Sydney again.... We were listening to the Bible Stu? dents, and then we heard this description broadcasted, where they wanted a man wearing a blue pencil striped suit.... A man wanted for murder." Sheriff MacKillop: And there was one man there, and he just looked at (Sloane). He pulled on a pair of boots and he went out, and he went to the nearest house and called the police. And told him that he thought their man was at the camp. So, two of the police, including the chief, went by horse and sleigh. And they got there long after midnight. And he was asleep and they took him. Some of the lum? bermen gave him clothes--he was soaking Sheriff Jim lUlacKillop wet--warm clothes to get him back to Syd- • ney.... He had a pair of just light shoes on, no overshoes. And one of the men said, "Look, I want to give this man a pair of warm stockings and a pair of boots, to keep his feet from freezing, anyway, till he gets to Sydney." This he did. And they started back. And the road was so bad, and the night was so cold, that sometimes they'd have to walk along the sled, to keep themselves warm. They got back to Sydney--! believe now that it was around midnight.... So when they got in the police station, he went over by the radiator and he was shiv? ering, freezing. The chief said, "Would you like a drink of rum, Sloane, to warm you up?" "Yes, I would." So he gave him a If you don't like the weather...wait a minute. Our weather changes so fast that hazardous road conditions have become a fact of life. Be aware of these conditions at all times and prepare yourself to drive carefully. Caution is the critical factor Nova scoha Department of '??' Transportation and Communications Honourable Richie Mann Minister

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