Tid Bits From the Archives - February 23, 2025

One of the joys of humans is that we have always been ridiculous. This means that when reading a 111 year old court transcript, I find ridiculous gems.

Sometimes it is Joe Clarke getting told off by the judge or Joe Clarke getting sassed or Joe Clark going on about how he is fighting for his honour.

Sometimes someone other than Joe Clarke is being ridiculous!

All that being said I would like to share with you some tidbits from the archives.

                 -----------------------------------------------------------------

On  Wednesday, June 17 Silas Carpenter was called to the witness stand. The headline in the Edmonton Bulletin reads “Ex-Chief Carpenter and Comr. Booth will be Star Witnesses in Probe Today”. [1]

Silas was the Chief of Police from October 1, 1912 to February 1, 1914. 

A quick refresher - at the end of 1913 Silas was asked by the newly elected Mayor William J McNamara to resign, and then our friend Lancey was appointed as Chief of Police.

To say Silas was questioned for a while is an understatement. From what I have been able to piece together from the Bulletin, he was questioned for 5 hours over two days.

He is grilled by Mr. Ewing for a while. Joe Clarke and a cop Silas fired for incompetence do a few rounds with him afterward (and in my opinion, succeed mostly in making themselves look foolish).

I actually have some respect for Silas - as far as I can tell, he kept clear records, did things by the book, and admits to where he fell short.

It gets really juicy though when he says that Joe Clarke came to him early on in his tenure as police chief and told him that Edmonton folk want the brothels and gambling houses left alone.

What I deeply loved is Silas starts out trying to be discreet but is pushed by Clarke and says

“I shall be more explicit. Shortly after I took office Alderman Clarke came to my office and told me that condition were different in Western Cities from what they were in the East” (Silas originally being from Montreal) 

“In Western cities, we want, or the people want houses of prostitution; in Western Cities there are a great many people who want to gamble and they want gambling houses-” - Silas Carpenter, [2]

Naturally Joe does not take this well and spends a great deal of time trying to get Silas to say that he (Silas) either misinterpreted what was said by Joe Clarke OR Carpenter is making it all up. 

Joe makes a big deal about pointing out exactly how far he might have been from Silas when that initial conversation took place and is Silas absolutely sure he heard him?

Silas does note that Joe wasn’t “speaking as loudly as you do sometimes, Mr.Clarke” - Silas Carpenter,[3]

Silas remains quite unshakeable and the Bulletin notes that his replies to “Alderman Clarke’s outbursts, from time to time drew from the audience applause…” -The Edmonton Bulletin, [4]

This isn’t the only damning accusation he makes towards Joe Clarke - he also says he has reason to believe Joe was heavily influential in getting him fired.

But more on that at a later time!

References:

1. “Ex-Chief Carpenter and Comr. Booth will be Star Witnesses in Probe Today”, The Edmonton Bulletin, (Edmonton, AB), June 17, 1914

2. “Civic Investigation” (Rg. 8.18, Box#2, Edmonton, AB 1914) pg. 541

3. Ibid. pg. 542

4. “Wheeler and Seymour Give Their Evidence on First Street Raid”, The Edmonton Bulletin, (Edmonton, AB), June 19, 1914