Rose’s funeral January 29, 1948
With files from The Keeper of the Scrapbooks — Christina ‘tina’ Camelon Buchanan — Thanks to Diane Juby— click here..
Big Frank Rose was six foot, 239 pounds, and born on a farm in Ramsay Township on the Clayton Road in 1896. His family moved to a farm in Pakenham Township where he and his brother were still boys and attended Cedar Hill School until the war broke out.
He enlisted and went overseas with the Canadian Expeditionary Forces stationed in England until in 1919 when he returned to farming. In 1924 he became interested in the lumber trade and travelled to Dryden, ONtario and later Hamilton, Ohio where he worked in pulp and paper.
In November of 1926 he returned to Ramsay to marry his sweetheart Kathleen A. Arthur and they journeyed back to the US. In 1927 Frank became Lanark County’s first OPP officer and they returned to Almonte to await is acceptance. He began with a salary of $100 a month and if he made good it would be raised to $1200 a year increasing gradually to the max of $1800 a month.
Here are some of his diary notations:
January 20,1928
Train fare from Almonte to Cornwall- $4.00
meals- 45 cents
January 21, 1928
Raid on Gambling house.
Made an investigation in case of X impersonating an OPP officer
January 28,1928
Observation of bootlegging and gambling house at 12 midnight– all quiet
Brought X (native) from jail to police court as witness against Y for selling liquour to said native,
About 8:30 Pm proceeded to the scree of an accident..struck a horse and cutter.
Mr. X is charged with doing assault with doing bodily harm to wife
Proceeded to serve a summons but due to bad weather, left car and hired a horse and cutter
February 8th, 1928
Took observations of a number of dance halls, but found no evidence of liquor
Visited the same dance hall at midnight and told them to stop dancing and go home ( Cruisin Through the Dance Halls- From Carleton Place and Beyond!! Larry Clark)
February 29th, 1928
Proceeded to Smiths Falls Rink and remained on duty there until the visiting team left on the train about 10:40 PM
Had a tip and had to travel a great distance only to seize a half bottle of spirit.
March 2,1928
Proceeded by train to Arnprior to assist Chief Reid of Carleton Place County Police on the cases of foxes from the ranch of X.
Found no clue except a piece of veneer that had broken off cutter as it was turned about. Too late to get a train out but got a freight train about 11:35 Pm
Proceeded to Almonte to take observation of liquour conditions in pool room ( read-It Came Out of Rooney’s Pool Hall)
March 17 1928
Carleton Place to assist Prov officer JJ McGregor to raid on premises of X reported reported to be selling moonshine. No evidence. ( read about Johnny McGregor here-Carleton Place Then and Now–Bridge Street Series– Volume 8–Olympia Restaurant to McNeely’s)
April 17,1928
Proceeded to CNR station and found a man drunk in the toilet. Two tramps had lifted his watch and whatever money. Covered all rods leading out of town.
April 19, 1928
Received complaint about Mrs. X from Mr. X about a lady who had been living in their home and been making liquor from wheat. She had put all the wheat down the sewer until it filled up and then moved out.
May 1, 1928
Received call from Chief of Police Peacock from Almonte to insist him in break ins in the shops and theft at H H Coles Gents Furnishings. Found out that a strange car from Ottawa, supposed to be an Essex, had been seen. Proceeded to Ottawa and arrested X from Ireland who had confessed to Ottawa Police and brought him for trial back in Almonte.
May 30th, 1928
Proceeded to Almonte to attend picnic by request.
Received word that a band of gypsies were in Perth
July 16, 1928
Went to inquest of Reverend Father Connolly killed at railway crossing at Snedden
Proceeded to take observation of Dollar Day in Perth.
August 15,1928
Obtained search warrant to also keep tab on all trains
Search Hydro camp at Almonte for stolen goods supposed to be stolen from one Hassan Abdullah, Jewish pedlar ( Almonte and Carleton Place) Found some goods, but cold not make a court case.
Nov 19-Dec. 5th, 1928
ON Hunting Leave
Proceeded to cheese factory to investigate theft of cheese and butter.
He was a one man representative of the force and that meant long hours for him and his family. He often brought work home and sometimes he would be fingerprinting criminals on the kitchen table.
He would rather see a guilty man go free than an innocent man charged.
Thanks to Jean McPhail of Almonte, and daughter Barbara Armstrong of Kingston and Margaret Campbell of Balderson for use of the diaries and photos and Steve Forester for research. With files from Adam Fisher
Also read:
Big Frank Rose –The First OPP Officer in Lanark County
Cruisin Through the Dance Halls- From Carleton Place and Beyond!! Larry Clark
Carleton Place Then and Now–Bridge Street Series– Volume 8–Olympia Restaurant to McNeely’s
It Came Out of Rooney’s Pool Hall
With files from The Keeper of the Scrapbooks — Christina ‘tina’ Camelon Buchanan — Thanks to Diane Juby— click here..
lindaseccaspina 