Murder or Accident — Bates & Innes Flume

Photo-Mappio

 

Sept 6, 1928

Jessie Comrie had been missing since Sunday.  She was a trained nurse and a lifelong resident of Carleton Place. Monday her body was discovered and assumed drowned in a flume in the Bates and Innes Mill.

An object was seen early Monday morning by William Campbell by the flume and an investigation disclosed that it was indeed Miss Comrie lying face downward. The body was examined by Dr. Metcalfe, coroner and he decided an inquest was unnecessary.

 

Photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum-story is: The River Dance of the McArthur Mill in Carleton Place

Miss Comrie had been called late at night to relieve a nurse at James McIntosh’s home and she was enroute there when she fell into a flume. No explanation had been found as to the way the accident occurred although examination of the body revealed many scratches about the limbs. Had it been a possible robbery?

The water was 18 feet deep where she fell in and it is thought that in the darkness Miss Comrie became confused and took the wrong route to the McIntosh home. A sister, Mrs. Peter McDonald was the only survivor of the family who died later in 1931.

For months the citizens of Carleton Place gossiped about what might have happened to Miss Comrie as some could not believe that she took a misstep.

 

Author’s note —In the 1920s to the 1950s a proportion of female homicide victims were generally ignored for the most part.

 

Photo from the Carleton Place and Beckwith Heritage Museum-story is: The River Dance of the McArthur Mill in Carleton Place

 

 

1870-Building of the first stone structure of the present Bates and Innes Woollen Mill was begun by Archibald McArthur and was completed a year later.

1909 – Bates & Innes knitting mill, after making waterpower improvements, began running night and day with about 150 employees.  The Hawthorne knitting mill was closed by reason of financial difficulties, and its operating company was reorganized as the Carleton Knitting Co. Ltd.

 

Clipped from The Ottawa Journal,  28 Mar 1931, Sat,  Page 9

 

 

Come and visit the Lanark County Genealogical Society Facebook page– what’s there? Cool old photos–and lots of things interesting to read. Also check out The Tales of Carleton Place.

Information where you can buy all Linda Seccaspina’s books-You can also read Linda in The Townships Sun and Screamin’ Mamas (USA)

related reading

The Saga of Bates and Innes

Roy Bates and His Dog Named Taffy— ahh Paddy

Do You Remember? Memories of the Pengor Penguin

So How Much Time Do You Get for Stealing Wool?

Romancing the Carleton Place Stone – Out of Business

 

Word on the street is that the present renovations to the old mill are now under water.

This is not a unique story–My home was built in three parts beginning in 1867. One of the owners that owned the home for many many years before me had the same dilemma. It has been told to me many times that they burnt furniture in the fireplace to keep the house warm in the dead of winter.

When we bought Springside Hall we could see the sky inside the house, and all the poor old gal had left to offer was one hanging light bulb. Every time I take a deep breath I swear something falls apart. Preserving the architectural integrity of an older home or building is a challenge to anyone these days. This particular job that they undertook was momentousness in financial costs, and my heart breaks for the old mill and the people that took up the challenge IF THIS RUMOUR IS TRUE.

Monday Feb, 2016 our clever man about town David Robertson added this info:

“From this link attached it looks like it going to marketed back as commercial /industrial use and not being converted to residential apartments – see property info in listing”

$1,500.00 /month

150 Rosamond St, Carleton Place, Ontario, K7C 1V2