Margaret Mick
Encyclopedia
Margaret Ann Mick was the first female Canadian
peace officer
to be killed in the line of duty, and the first woman to be added to the memorial commemorating fallen police or peace officers near Parliament Hill
in Ottawa
.
, Ontario
, Canada
, a small town west of Toronto
. In the early 1880s she married James Mick with whom she had four children (one died in infancy). When James died in the late 1890s, Mick moved with her three children to Toronto where she went to work as a matron
in the Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women
. Her position there was similar to that of a correctional officer today. In 1916, she applied for a transfer to the Toronto Municipal Jail Farm for Women in Concord
. The facility was considered state of the art for its time. It put low risk female offenders to work growing fruit
s and vegetable
s and raising livestock
.
About 10:15PM, while Mick was taking clean baby bottles to the maternity wing, 16-year-old Jennie McMinn, was able to force open and squeeze through a hinged window in her cell door. Then, using a spoon that she had smuggled from the cafeteria, she forced the lock on a second inmate's cell. The two of them waited while a third complained loudly about a water leak in her cell. As Mick was opening the third inmate's cell to investigate she was jumped from behind by the two lying in wait. She was beaten, throttled
, and dragged to a small utility room and tied to pipes while unconscious
. She was found dead the next morning when the next shift came on duty, still tied spread-eagle to the pipes. The official cause of death was ruled as assault
.
Her three assailants were soon caught and convicted of their crime. They each served five years in the Toronto (Don) Jail
. Five other conspirators
were convicted of aiding and abetting
the crime and also served short sentences in the Toronto (Don) Jail.
, on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 the Honorable Lorna Milne
spoke of Margaret Mick's life and death and had this to say about the woman:
Mick was 64 years old at the time of her death. A surprise party had been arranged for her birthday, less than a week later on June 1, 1925. She was survived by two sons, a daughter, and a sister. Mick is buried at the Union Cemetery in Waterdown, Ontario.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
peace officer
Peace officer
A law enforcement officer , in North America, is any public-sector employee or agent whose duties involve the enforcement of laws. The phrase can include police officers, prison officers, customs officers, immigration officers, bailiffs, probation officers, parole officers, auxiliary officers, and...
to be killed in the line of duty, and the first woman to be added to the memorial commemorating fallen police or peace officers near Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.
Early life
Mick was born June 1, 1860 and was raised in WaterdownWaterdown, Ontario
Waterdown is a town in Canada which since 2001 has been a community of Hamilton, Ontario.On January 1, 2001 the new city of Hamilton was formed from the amalgamation of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth and its six municipalities: Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, Glanbrook,...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a small town west of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. In the early 1880s she married James Mick with whom she had four children (one died in infancy). When James died in the late 1890s, Mick moved with her three children to Toronto where she went to work as a matron
Matron
Matron is the job title of a very senior nurse in several countries, including the United Kingdom, its former colonies, including the Republic of Ireland, although the title Clinical Nurse Manager has become acceptable as an alternative.-History:...
in the Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women
Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women
The Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women was the first women's prison in Canada. At various times, the facility was also known as the Mercer Complex, Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Females, and Andrew Mercer Ontario Reformatory for Females...
. Her position there was similar to that of a correctional officer today. In 1916, she applied for a transfer to the Toronto Municipal Jail Farm for Women in Concord
Concord, Ontario
Concord is an unincorporated suburban industrial community in the City of Vaughan in York Region, located north of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. According to the 2001 Census, the community has 8,255 residents ....
. The facility was considered state of the art for its time. It put low risk female offenders to work growing fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
s and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s and raising livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
.
Death
On Sunday, May 25th, 1925 Mick arrived for work at 8:00PM, unaware that three inmates were planning an escape. Mick would be the only staff member on duty throughout the night.About 10:15PM, while Mick was taking clean baby bottles to the maternity wing, 16-year-old Jennie McMinn, was able to force open and squeeze through a hinged window in her cell door. Then, using a spoon that she had smuggled from the cafeteria, she forced the lock on a second inmate's cell. The two of them waited while a third complained loudly about a water leak in her cell. As Mick was opening the third inmate's cell to investigate she was jumped from behind by the two lying in wait. She was beaten, throttled
Strangling
Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and as the auxiliary lethal mechanism in hangings in the event the neck does not break...
, and dragged to a small utility room and tied to pipes while unconscious
Unconsciousness
Unconsciousness is the condition of being not conscious—in a mental state that involves complete or near-complete lack of responsiveness to people and other environmental stimuli. Being in a comatose state or coma is a type of unconsciousness. Fainting due to a drop in blood pressure and a...
. She was found dead the next morning when the next shift came on duty, still tied spread-eagle to the pipes. The official cause of death was ruled as assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
.
Her three assailants were soon caught and convicted of their crime. They each served five years in the Toronto (Don) Jail
Don Jail
The Toronto Jail is a provincial jail for remanded offenders in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Riverdale neighbourhood on Gerrard Street East near its intersection with Broadview Avenue. It gets its nickname from the nearby Don River...
. Five other conspirators
Conspiracy (crime)
In the criminal law, a conspiracy is an agreement between two or more persons to break the law at some time in the future, and, in some cases, with at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement...
were convicted of aiding and abetting
Accomplice
At law, an accomplice is a person who actively participates in the commission of a crime, even though they take no part in the actual criminal offense. For example, in a bank robbery, the person who points the gun at the teller and asks for the money is guilty of armed robbery...
the crime and also served short sentences in the Toronto (Don) Jail.
Remembrance
During the 1st Session, 38th ParliamentParliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
, on Tuesday, June 14, 2005 the Honorable Lorna Milne
Lorna Milne
Lorna Ann Milne was a Canadian Senator from 1995 to 2009.Milne is the daughter of former Mayor of Toronto and Co-operative Commonwealth Federation Member of Provincial Parliament William Dennison and grand-daughter of Isaac Bainbridge, early labour organizer and pacifist...
spoke of Margaret Mick's life and death and had this to say about the woman:
Margaret Ann Mick was an uncommon woman who showed uncommon bravery, both personally and professionally. In a time long before the support provided by the modern social services system, she managed to keep her family together after the death of her husband. In those days, many women were forced to give their children up for adoption in such circumstances, but her determination would not allow that. She built her career and kept her family close to her, decades before that became the norm.
Mick was 64 years old at the time of her death. A surprise party had been arranged for her birthday, less than a week later on June 1, 1925. She was survived by two sons, a daughter, and a sister. Mick is buried at the Union Cemetery in Waterdown, Ontario.