In March 1868 on Salt Spring Island, the dead body of William Robinson was discovered in his home. This was the third such murder of a black man on Salt Spring Island in a period of two years. An indigenous man named Tshuanahusset was accused, and found guilty of the murder fifteen months later. This essay will discuss, the evidence and testimonies given, the reasons Tshuanahusset was found guilty, and pose the opinion that there was not enough evidence to convict Tshuanahusset, and that John Norton and Sue Tas were responsible for framing Tshuanahusset, if not responsible for the murder itself.
This is a mystery filled with suspicious circumstances, and minimal evidence. Most of the testimonies in this case are regarding the material evidence, …show more content…
First there is the testimony of John Norton in which he says he discovered William Robinsons auger within Tshuanahusset’s home, but unfortunately lost the auger in the lake. He says a person named Jones witnessed this auger, but this person is never mentioned again. John Norton is generally a questionable witness. His often uncorroborated claims seem to be extremely prevalent when it comes to trials against Indigenous people. Sue Tas being the only witness to the actual act is also very suspicious, as without evidence it makes this trial a he said he said situation. And he only mentions the crime to another person far after it is committed. The material evidence is no more convincing.
The minuscule material evidence in the case of the crown vs Tshuanahusset is found under dubious circumstances, and is not particularly convincing. An axe stolen from William Robinsons home is a key piece of evidence. Discovered by Constable Rinner in the house of Tshuanahusset, it is the one of only two pieces of material evidence linking Tshuanahusset to the murder. From the very beginning this evidence is questionable at best. Constable Rinner claims that the axe in question was …show more content…
Even if Tshuanahusset is guilty, the trial against him was no definitive enough to form a conviction. Tshuanahusset was found guilty because of minimal evidence from minimal sources, and it is hard to believe an element of discrimination is not at play. The atmosphere on Salt Spring island at this time was one of unrest. As the society grew, residents became frustrated with the crowns treatment of them, they wanted to be recognized, to have a resident justice of the peace. This desire likely grew from the presence of crime, one that was becoming a regular occurrence in the community. One example of this is the trial of Kerr, a man accused of “gross outrage” on three young girls, by Henry Robinson. Another from Vancouver Island is the fatal stabbing of Edmund Simonds by George Snelling. Much of the crime on Salt Spring was perpetrated or blamed upon Indigenous people, creating a very real gap between the two groups. In fact all three of the murders on Salt Spring were suspected to have been committed by Indigenous islanders, with only Tshuanahusset being convicted. An example of this is the murder of Giles Curtis which was widely believed to have been committed by Natives, with one Willy Selacher even being tried and acquitted years later, due simply to the presence of a fishy smelling gun cover at the scene. Other than a few sympathetic persons, this was a society that had a mistrust of Indigenous people.
This is a mystery filled with suspicious circumstances, and minimal evidence. Most of the testimonies in this case are regarding the material evidence, …show more content…
First there is the testimony of John Norton in which he says he discovered William Robinsons auger within Tshuanahusset’s home, but unfortunately lost the auger in the lake. He says a person named Jones witnessed this auger, but this person is never mentioned again. John Norton is generally a questionable witness. His often uncorroborated claims seem to be extremely prevalent when it comes to trials against Indigenous people. Sue Tas being the only witness to the actual act is also very suspicious, as without evidence it makes this trial a he said he said situation. And he only mentions the crime to another person far after it is committed. The material evidence is no more convincing.
The minuscule material evidence in the case of the crown vs Tshuanahusset is found under dubious circumstances, and is not particularly convincing. An axe stolen from William Robinsons home is a key piece of evidence. Discovered by Constable Rinner in the house of Tshuanahusset, it is the one of only two pieces of material evidence linking Tshuanahusset to the murder. From the very beginning this evidence is questionable at best. Constable Rinner claims that the axe in question was …show more content…
Even if Tshuanahusset is guilty, the trial against him was no definitive enough to form a conviction. Tshuanahusset was found guilty because of minimal evidence from minimal sources, and it is hard to believe an element of discrimination is not at play. The atmosphere on Salt Spring island at this time was one of unrest. As the society grew, residents became frustrated with the crowns treatment of them, they wanted to be recognized, to have a resident justice of the peace. This desire likely grew from the presence of crime, one that was becoming a regular occurrence in the community. One example of this is the trial of Kerr, a man accused of “gross outrage” on three young girls, by Henry Robinson. Another from Vancouver Island is the fatal stabbing of Edmund Simonds by George Snelling. Much of the crime on Salt Spring was perpetrated or blamed upon Indigenous people, creating a very real gap between the two groups. In fact all three of the murders on Salt Spring were suspected to have been committed by Indigenous islanders, with only Tshuanahusset being convicted. An example of this is the murder of Giles Curtis which was widely believed to have been committed by Natives, with one Willy Selacher even being tried and acquitted years later, due simply to the presence of a fishy smelling gun cover at the scene. Other than a few sympathetic persons, this was a society that had a mistrust of Indigenous people.