COLD BLOODED MURDER IN OPS - HORRIBLE BRUTALITY - October 26, 1863

A barbarous murder was committed in the Township of Ops last Thursday night.

The victim is a man named James Diamond, who, it appears, lived along with his family in the one shanty with another man called James Fleming. The shanty is located in the 7th concession, near what is known as Waltes’ Farm, about a mile and a half from Lindsay, on the Peterborough Road. Striking off just at a bend in the road at No. 4 section school-house. Mr. Carlans the shanty is placed about 800 or 400 yards northwards in the woods.

The circumstances for this fearful crime so far as we can gather, are these. It seems that on the day of the murder was a logging bee at the house one William Muldoon, who lives some 150 yards or so to the east of the scene of the tragedy. The deceased James Diamond apparently took a special interest in this spree, as he was seen by the neighbors carrying water that day for service of the “bee” About twenty, we learned, attended this festive gathering, and among the rest Fleming and Diamond left the party and went home before dark, not waiting for supper. It appears he immediately went to bed, pretty much the worse for liquor. Diamond, who had been testing rather freely, came home between seven and eight o’clock, when an altercation took place between him and his wife, and as all accounts go to show, the quarrel was interfered in by Fleming. Diamond under the influence of drink insisted that his wife should go back with him to the dance. She refused, and Diamond upbraided her, saying that she was his wife and should go with him. He is said to have reproached her with infidelity, and called her a whore, and that she had too great a liking for Fleming. A desperate scuffle must now have ensued; but what transpired we can only conjecture from what the neighbors tell. The night was quiet and calm, and Mr. Peter Hanlan, a farmer, whose house is fifty yards to the south of Fleming and Diamond’s miserable shanty, could hear the disturbance from his own door. He went on to the pathway, and sat down on a stump for a seat. The two unhappy families had the reputation of being noisy and quarrelsome, particularly when drink was going, and he did not care to go near the shanty. Mr. Hanlan then heard them making an “angry noise”, and quarreling very high and could hear loud tramping on the floor of the shanty, “as if they were threatening one another”.

One party had a candle, and the person who had it seemingly brought it outside. All at once- in a moment- the noise ceased, and Mr. Hanlan called to his wife, “Diamond is dead!” For he had the impression, that Diamond was a man that wouldn’t stop speaking unless he was dead, at least when he had drink. Mr. Hanlan heard a cry, “ Oh my da! My da is dead!” He then heard Fleming, for he knew his voice, hush the child. Fleming then vociferated in great passion, “ Oh! God damn him! - God damn him! I’ll kick his___, ” or something to that effect. Mr. Hanlan learned next day, they actually stmbled on Diamond, the murdered man.

It appears that after the tragedy was over, Mrs. Diamond took her youngest child in her arms and went up to the family named Kennedy, whose shanty is but a few yards to the north of hers. She asked Robert Kennedy to come quickly, without saying what had happened. Kennedy and his wife and family were in bed. They had not time to dress, when Mrs. Diamond returned and begged them to come for “two men running over the field there,” pointing towards the field, had killed her husband with clubs which they had in their hands. The Kennedy’s came down immediately, and found Diamond lying alone on the ground, about three yards from the back of the shanty. He was insensible and bleeding profusely about the head, and they had him carried in and laid on the floor of the shanty. The Kennedy’s however, say they heard nothing of the fighting, as they were away to bed. They said to Mrs. Diamond to get a doctor, but she said that it was just a “drunken sleep,” and that he would be better when he waked. Fleming, who was in the house, said to them he knew nothing about it for he said. “You see I’m in bed.”

The Kennedy’s stayed till post midnight. Diamond laboured heavily in breathing all night, which indicated how brutally he was used, and the intense agony he suffered. He never spoke or showed signs of the least sensibility, and died on the floor of a miserable shanty just as the sun rose on this horrible deed of darkness.

Chief Constable Douglas, on being apprised of the murder, immediately set out with Kennedy, taking with him as an assistant’s Constable Crough and Pigot. Fleming and Mrs. Diamond were accordingly kept under surveillance.

About one o’clock, Dr. Fidler, coroner, held an inquest on the body, and the jury returned a verdict of “murder” against James Fleming and Mrs. Diamond.


Search the Ontario (Upper Canada) Genealogy Website - Make sure to use all known variations of a family name in your search!

index sitemap advanced
site search by freefind


Historical Tales From the Archives - A Selection of Stories, Recollections, Reminiscences and Travel Experiences in Times Gone By  New Site 2021

20th Century Ontario Genealogy Newspaper Notices Index New March 2020

Upper Canada Ontario Surrogate Court Estate Files and Will Database New March 2019

Ontario Canada Historical Map Site New December 2018

Ontario Place Locator - 19th Century Ontario Town and Village Locations and Inhabitants

Upper Canada (Ontario) Pioneer Settler Land Locations, Census Records and Property Descriptions 

Historical Visits to Ontario Villages and Towns  Take a trip back in time to the late 19th century and explore the towns and villages where your ancestors lived, loved, laboured, laughed and played.

Ontario Images of the Past Thousands of Images of City, Town, Village and Country Life

Ontario Land Registry Records Research Thousands of your ancestors and where they lived in Ontario 

Upper Canada (Ontario) Newspaper Notices Database 

Ontario Genealogy Newspaper Notices Database

Ontario (Upper Canada) History and Pioneer Family Research 

Queen's Own Rifles - Old Photos of Members

Upper Canada District Maps (Circa 1800)

Upper Canada (Ontario) History Books On-Line Index

Ontario County Directories Victoria, Haliburton, Hastings, Peterborough, Durham, Northumberland, Muskoka, and Old Ontario County

Central Upper Canada (Ontario) Marriage Database 22650 Marriage Records Indexed 

Central Upper Canada Baptism Database 25000 Anglican, Methodist, Roman Catholic and Church of Scotland Marriages indexed 

Upper Canada (Central Ontario) Burial Database 4500 Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist and Church of Scotland Burials indexed 

Eastern Upper Canada Marriage Database Anglican, Roman Catholic and Church of Scotland Marriages indexed 

Eastern Upper Canada Baptism Database Anglican, Roman Catholic and Church of Scotland Baptisms indexed 

Eastern Upper Canada Burial Database 

Upper Canada (Western Ontario) Marriage Database

Upper Canada (Western Ontario) Baptism Database  

Upper Canada (Western Ontario) Burial Database 

Upper Canada Land Petitions 51000 Records Indexed

Upper Canada Land Leases and Miscellaneous Petitions 10000 Records Indexed

Upper Canada (Ontario) Sundries Database

Upper Canada (Ontario) Toronto Insane Asylum Database

Upper Canada (Ontario) Kingston Insane Asylum Database

Upper Canada (Ontario) London Insane Asylum Database

Upper Canada (Ontario) Malden Insane Asylum Database

Upper Canada (Ontario) Hamilton Insane Asylum Database

Ontario Genealogy Historical Newspaper Collection Historical Newspaper Files from various regions of Ontario

Newspaper Genealogical and Historical Records - Thousands of entries

Ontario (Upper Canada) Map Collection  Great site for locating your ancestors in Ontario

Ontario Genealogy Postcard Site - Great old-time landscape views

Upper Canada and Ontario CRIMINAL Database 

Ontario Genealogy Database Index Site 500000 Genealogy Records Indexed

Need HELP With Your Family Research?

Northumberland County Genealogy and History

Victoria County Genealogy and History

Durham County Genealogy and History

Haliburton County Genealogy and History

Peterborough County History and Genealogy

Newcastle District (Upper Canada) History and Genealogy

Ontario County History and Genealogy

Upper Canada History and Genealogy

Echoes of the Past - Ontario Genealogy Home


Search the Ontario (Upper Canada) Genealogy Website - Make sure to use all known variations of a family name in your search!

index sitemap advanced
site search by freefind


Contact Ontario Genealogy