BY: BG EDITOR
Oct 15, 2016 — GREENWOOD, BC (BG)
Today we present another important figure in Greenwood's early history — William Graham McMynn (b.1864, d.1929). Many people in the Boundary are familiar with the McMynn family name, which is prominent to this day in Midway business and social life. William G. McMynn, the family patriarch, served the City of Greenwood and the Province of British Columbia in many different roles, and was associated with a number of dramatic historical events in the region.
We begin with a biographical sketch from the book, A History of British Columbia by R. Edward Gosnell[1]:
WILLIAM GRAHAM McMYNN
"William Graham McMynn is well known as a public official who in office is ever loyal to the trust reposed in him and capable in his discharge of the duties that advance the welfare and general prosperity of the community. He is now gold commissioner and government agent for the Greenwood mining division; is stipendiary magistrate for Yale and Kootenay counties with jurisdiction under the small debts act, registrar of the supreme court, registrar of the county court and clerk of the peace.
Mr. McMynn was born in Glenvarloch, Scotland, March 14, 1864, his parents being David and Annie (Graham) McMynn. His father is deceased, but the mother is living in Scotland. Mr. McMynn of this review having acquired his early education, became a student at Ewart Institute at Newton Stewart and for six months after leaving school he was with an uncle, who was a lumber merchant of Carlisle and also a ship owner, being a member of the firm of Graham, Anderson & Company. He then went to London, England, and entered the service of Moffatt & Company, wholesale tea merchants with whom he continued for three and a half years.
In August, 1884, he arrived in British Columbia and resided for six months on the delta below New Westminster, but in the spring of 1885 he went to Spallumcheen country and worked on the public roads under foreman Walker. In the following fall he removed to the vicinity of Rock creek and secured a ranch, beginning its development and improvement, but in the spring of 1886 he returned to Scotland for a trip, coming again to America in the fall of 1887. He then took up another place in Myers creek, adjoining the international boundary line and there conducted his ranch until 1892, when he entered the government service as constable and later in the same year he was made mining recorder for the Kettle river mining division. In 1893 the office was removed to Rock creek and in 1895 to Midway, at which place Mr. McMynn remained until 1900 when the office was again removed to Greenwood.
Mr. McMynn is an interested member of the Masonic fraternity, active in the work of the craft and is now serving as district deputy grand master for district number 7. He also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and religiously is connected with the Presbyterian church. On the 29th of October, 1890, he was married to Miss Mary Turner, a daughter of William Turner, of Millbrook, Ontario, and they have one daughter, Alice."
Chief Constable William McMynn
[ Photo: Lost Bonanzas of Western Canada
by Garnet Basque ]
The above biography, written just six years after William (Willie) McMynn's arrival in Greenwood, mentions six public roles he held at the time of writing. And while that number is high, there are a few additional titles to be included in his bona fides, some coming later in his career, after a move to Vancouver Island. To the list of positions mentioned above:
we must also add:
In 1892, eight years prior to his arrival in Greenwood, William McMynn first took up public service as a constable. Prior to that he had been a rancher at Myers Creek, where he was joined in the endeavour by his brother, Thomas. It was in that same year that his brother tragically died in an accident at Osoyoos, on June 28, 1892. The event was described by Katie Lacey in a report for the Okanagan Historical Society[3]:
"In 1892 the government ordered C. A. R. Lambly to move the mining recording office from Camp McKinney to Osoyoos. As there was no road into the camp Lambly hired Thomas McMynn of Meyers Creek to move the office equipment and records with his pack horses. Crossing at the Narrows, one of the horses missed the bridge and swam across. McMynn went into the water after it. The horse, rather excitable, threw up his head, striking McMynn on the head and causing him to fall off into the water. Although help was at hand, McMynn never recovered consciousness. He was a brother to W. G. McMynn, Government Agent at Greenwood and at Golden, one-time Superintendent of Provincial Police and afterwards Superintendent at Oakalla Prison Farm."
In 1895, William McMynn resigned his post as Justice of Peace, as reported in the Victoria Daily Columnist on October 4th of that year: "The resignation by Mr. W.G. McMynn of his commission as a justice of the peace has been accepted by the provincial government."[4]
His work as Registrar for the County Court continued, as evidenced by various public notices in the Boundary Creek Times, in which McMynn announced upcoming court sessions. That same year he participated in a Christmas pageant at Midway,[5] where he sang with a quartet, and did a solo performance of the grand ballad, 'Nancy Lee' (the glories of a sailor's wife), a popular song written in 1876. Listening to the song performed in its original style, we can imagine William McMynn singing it to the crowd gathered on that Boxing Day in Midway — all the more fascinating, as we hear about his many rough & tumble pursuits in Boundary law enforcement.
One of the best known adventures that William G. McMynn was involved in as a lawman is a story that has been well described by historian Garnet Basque in his book, Lost Bonanzas of Western Canada, Vol. I.[6]. Chapter 7, entitled 'The Lost Gold Bars Of Camp McKinney', tells the story of a gold heist that took place at what is now known as 'McMynn's Meadows', 2 to 3 miles from Camp McKinney:
'In August, 1896, three gold bricks en route to Midway were stolen by a lone bandit. Although the suspected robber was later killed, the gold, now worth about $275,000, was never recovered.'
While the Midway Provincial Police organized a posse, Constables William McMynn and Isaac Dinsmore arrived to investigate the scene of the crime. The empty saddle bags were found, along with provisions stashed by the robber, but no sign of him. The manhunt continued, and rewards of $3,500 were posted for his arrest and conviction, and return of the gold.
Excerpts of the story from Garnet Basque's book can be found here. There was also a fascinating 'look back' at the event, published in the Vancouver Province in 1958, which can be read here.
Just one year after the Camp McKinney gold robbery, William McMynn was involved in another dramatic event, this one far more significant to him personally. The story is documented in the March 6, 1897 edition of the Boundary Creek Times,[7] with the story spread out over three pages.
The story opened on page one of the Times, in the form of an editorial that seemed intent on avoiding undue bias while still raising concerns about the facts of the matter, which was the unfortunate shooting by McMynn of a man in the wee hours of the night.
The citizens in and around Greenwood were clearly upset by the event, as evidenced by a letter to the editor on page four of the Times, which stated that a citizens group had come together to demand an official enquiry into the shooting. The committee members were G.A. Rendell, S. Breslauer, J. Fisher and Leslie Hill. We see that there was some friction between McMynn's law enforcement peers and local citizens in this statement in the letter to the editor: "Constable Elkins, on hearing that a committee of citizens had been formed said, before two witnesses: "We will fix these b---y committees."
Most interesting is the letter of apology that William McMynn wrote to the shooting victim, explaining his actions. The letter was published on page five of the Times:
Government Office, Midway,
Feb. 26th, 1897
Reginald J. Hood, Esq.,
Greenwood City, B.C.:
"Sir,— I am very sorry indeed to learn that you were wounded in the arm here this morning by me with a glancing pistol bullet.
About 3.40 this morning I was awakened out of a heavy sleep by a hammering noise, which I took to be someone breaking the office; also hearing talking and people walking on the floor, and a few minutes afterwards on looking out of the kitchen window saw someone walking up and down on the snow in front of the office door. While watching this man Miss McKenzie came to me and told me some people were hammering in the office. I then rushed outside bare-headed with only a few clothes on, and you know what followed. When first awakened I was wet with perspiration, caused by a drug which I had taken a few hours before, and for the previous week had been most of the time in bed under Dr. Jakes' care. I was therefore very weak and presume that this drug also acted upon my nerves, hence the hasty action which I took to frighten the people whom I thought were around. I know that if I had been in ordinary health I would have acted very differently, but now that the action is over I can only express my sorrow for the result and trust that in a few days you will be all right again. — Yours faithfully, W.G. McMynn"
An investigation of the matter did indeed follow, and fortunately for William McMynn, the matter was settled in his favour. On file at the BC Archives is the Attorney General's correspondence from that time,[8] which includes three documents: "Chief Constable W.G. McMynn shooting of Reginald J. Hood at Midway"; "McMynn shooting affair 1897"; and "W. G. McMynn acquitted in shooting of Hood at Midway". All three documents are dated 1897, so the matter was obviously dispatched promptly.
The years following the Reginald Hood shooting seem to have been somewhat calmer for McMynn. His name appears several times in the news, between 1899 and 1903. As a senior lawman in the province, he was called to the scene of many deaths, and he determined whether or not an inquest was in order.[9] There are several public notices on Certificates of Improvement and subsequent Crown land grants awarded to him (1900-02-03), some in the name of both he and his wife. As Government Agent for the Greenwood Mining Division, he is mentioned in several Annual Reports of the Minister of Mines.
William McMynn is associated with two of Greenwood's historic buildings. The first is the home that was built for him in 1903. Known today as the Rainbow House (or the Grigsby Residence), McMynn lived for nine years in the Queen Anne style home built for him at 232 Longlake Street. Designed by George Dillon Curtis, the building did not initially have its hallmark gazebo, but it was added at an early date.
The second building, also designed by George Dillon Curtis, is the Greenwood City Hall (Supreme Court) building, in which William McMynn was the very first occupant, in 1903. Both the McMynn home and the Supreme Court were built by the Smith Bros. (Smith, Smith & Travis), contractors in Grand Forks.
While operating from his office in the Supreme Court building at Greenwood, we know that W.G. McMynn continued to serve in many of the positions mentioned above, as evidenced by a court document from March 25, 1905[10] which grants him a four-month leave of absence. The leave order specified that his replacement, George Cunningham, then Mining Recorder at Greenwood, would serve in his absence in the following positions:
Whatever the nature of his four-month leave, we know that in 1907 McMynn was still finding some time for recreation. In the February 1, 1907 edition of the Boundary Creek Times[11] is a report that William, along with Mayor Bunting and others, represented Greenwood at the Curlers Bonspiel in Cranbrook. "Though they failed to land any of the big tropies, they had the fun of making the other fellow's get in and dig in order to win…"
Another document that covers W.G. McMynn's period of service in Greenwood was the Fine Book he used for the period of 1894 to 1916. This record book is on file with the BC Archives.[12]. The Fine Book, kept by the Magistrate's Court at Midway and used primarily by J.P. and constable McMynn during this 22-year period, is described by the Archives:
"The series consists of a record book kept by the Magistrate's court at Midway, B.C. between 1894 and 1916. The earliest entries document decisions and fines levied by the Justice of the Peace within the Yale District or the County of Yale. They document cases heard at Midway, Osoyoos, Rock Creek, Grand Forks, Phoenix, Cascade and Greenwood and include details of the crime and the decision of J.P. which could include dismissal, fines or a jail sentence. Some of the cases were heard by a judge in a speedy trial and these decisions are noted as well. The book also records licencing court decisions which dealt with applications by hotels for liquor licences. There is a separate index at the back of the book, arranged alphabetically by the name of the person brought before the court."
Another dramatic experience in William McMynn's law enforcement career was told in vibrant detail by author Cecil Clark in a story entitled, The Phantom of the Mountains: A True Police Adventure.[13] The story byline gives us a taste of the exploit:
"Provincial Constable Willie McMynn and his Reckless Assistant Were Too Much Law for... the Phantom of the Mountains."
A synopsis of the 'true police adventures' of W.G. McMynn offers these highlights:
'McMynn was known to disregard social niceties and hierarchies. He once chased after two cattle rustlers, caught one, and buried him in sand up to his neck to keep him in place while he chased after the other one.
One of his adventures featured Martin Sutherland Everitt, known for his uncanny stealth; he was an American Highwayman descended from Edward Everitt of Gettysburg Battle fame. M.S. Everitt held up a stagecoach between Greenwood and Grand Forks. No one could identify him because he only stole the strongbox, leaving the passengers alone. (Reference is made to Frank Ceddio's hotel bombing and subsequent hanging.)
M.S. Everitt held-up a miner, Paul Bressard, at 2 am while Bressard was sleeping in his tent, and stole $140 from his wallet. Authorities were notified & McMynn's assistant pursued Everitt, exchanging shots, but lost him. Constable McMynn then took on the case, working together with Sheriff Griswold of Republic, Washington. (The two were possibly lodge brothers.)
Everitt was identified by a victim and a Grand Forks barber as wearing a short yellow slicker, which Griswold found in Everitt's Washington cabin. Everitt had many influential connections in Republic and his victims were unwilling to testify against him, so McMynn and Griswold planned to bring Everitt to court in Canada. (Their plan was illegal in practice but served justice.)
Griswold arrested Everitt, claiming he was to face charges in Idaho, but sent him to British Columbia instead. Everitt's friends tried to help him escape while the stage coach was changing horses in Curley, Washington. At the next change of horses, Griswald was served a notice of Habeas Corpus by Judge Jeffson of Republic, who was friends with Everitt, but he ignored it. More of Everitt's friends attempted to catch The Columbian Stage Coach with the rival International Flyer, but Griswold's coach was faster and beat them to the border. There, William G. McMynn was waiting with a warrant.
McMynn and Griswold's tactics caused a legal and official scandal between Republic, WA and Victoria, Vancouver and Washington D.C., when the U.S. Consul General from Vancouver made a personal visit to Republic, and then to Washingon D.C. to report on events.
Meanwhile, Everitt sat in jail in Kamloops, where the press dubbed him 'Claude Duval', and where he faced Mr. Justice Paulus Aemilious Irving in a Vernon Assize court. He was sentenced to 14 years for robbery with violence.'
The year 1917 saw William McMynn's departure from Greenwood and his long years of service in the Boundary. He was promoted to the position of B.C. Provincial Police Superintendent, and transferred to the head office in Victoria that year. While his policing pursuits were somewhat more genteel in his later years, we do find several mentions of him.
A 1921 letter to Superintendent McMynn[14] mentions the difficulties a constable in Princeton was having, trying to control the illegal brothel trade there — an area of policing McMynn was apparently responsible for.
In 1922, a letter of gratitude was addressed to W.G. McMynn, Chief of the BC Provincial Police[15], acknowledging the efficiency with which an escapee from the Colquitz provincial Mental Home in Saanich was taken into custody and returned to the facility, without need for raising broad alarms.
William Graham McMynn died in 1929. He was born in 1864 in Glenvarloch, in the village of Strathyre, woodlands close to Loch Lomond in the Scottish Highlands. His obituary was published in the August 13, 1929 edition of The Daily Colonist[16], which read as follows:
MR. W. G. M'MYNN PASSES AWAY
"Former Superintendent of Police and Warden of Oakalla Prison Dies
After many years of public service in the province of British Columbia, Mr. W. G. McMynn was privileged to enjoy but a very short time of his well earned rest. While spending a holiday at Qualicum Beach preparatory to taking up his residence in the city of Victoria, the late warden of the Oakalla Prison Farm passed away suddenly Sunday morning.
For many years connected with the Provincial Police in various capacities, he had seen service in nearly every part of British Columbia. For a time before taking over the duties at Oakala Mr. McMynn was superintendent of the provincial force, preceding Col. J. H. McMullin in that position.
He leaves the widow, Mrs. W. G. McMynn, at present staying with Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Bullock-Webster, at 1073 Davie Street; one daughter, Mrs. Alice Brennan, wife of a leading engineer for the Britannia Beach mining interests; and several grandchildren.
WAS MINING RECORDER
The late William Graham McMynn, who was born at Glenvarnock, Scotland, March 14, 1864, after a brief business experience with an uncle in London engaged in the import trade, came to British Columbia in 1884, taking up farming on the Delta near New Westminster. After a brief interlude in which he returned to the United Kingdom, Mr. McMynn returned to British Columbia in 1887 and operated a farm on his own until 1892, when he entered the service of the provincial police and was appointed mining recorder at Rock Creek in the Kettle River mining district.
His rise in the provincial police force from a constable to superintendent of the force was rapid, and was marked by conspicuous ability in many co-related duties in connection with the administration of law and order in the province.
In 1900 the late Mr. McMynn was gold commissioner at Greenwood, where he also held the offices of Government registrar of the Supreme and County Courts and other offices. He was transferred later to Golden in the East Kootenays as Government agent and gold commissioner, and when the Oakalla prison farm was instituted he became its first warden.
When the late Mr. Colin Campbell, then superintendent of provincial police, was retired from that service and made warden at Oakalla, Mr. McMynn became superintendent of the provincial police, and was stationed for many years in this city.
A few years ago Mr. McMynn was again appointed warden at Oakalla, when Col. J. H. McMullin assumed command of the provincial force. This Spring Mr. McMynn was superannuated from the provincial service, and had planned to take up residence here on South Hampshire Road, Oak Bay, after a brief holiday on the Island and spending next Winter at Honolulu.
The late Mr. McMynn was a prominent member of the A.F. & A.M., and was also identified with the I.O.O.F.
The funeral will take place this afternoon from Sands Funeral Chapel at 2:45 o'clock, proceeding to Christ Church Cathedral, where the Very Rev. Dean C. F. Quainton will officiate. Burial will be made in the Royal Burial Park."
(The Colonist obituary also included the biographical text quoted at the opening of this article.)
William's wife, Mary Turner McMynn, was born on April 20, 1861 in Millbrook, Ontario. She died in 1943 in Seattle, WA.
Royal Oak Burial Park, Victoria, BC, Canada
[ Photo: Findagrave.com ]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A History of British Columbia by R. Edward Gosnell (1906)
[2] Wrigley's Directory, 1918 and 1922
[3] 'Osoyoos — Fairview — Oliver Chronicles, 1858-1958' by Katie Lacey, Okanagan Historical Society
http://osoyoosmuseum.ca/index.php/archives/katie-lacey-manuscripts.html?start=7
[4] Victoria Daily Colonist, October 4, 1895
https://archive.org/stream/dailycolonist18951004uvic/18951004_djvu.txt
[5] The Boundary Creek Times, December 26, 1896
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0170313
[6] Lost Bonanzas of Western Canada, Vol. I. by Garnet Basque, chapter 7, p. 79.
See also Basque's book, Ghost Towns & Mining Camps of the Boundary Country, pp. 119-120.
[7] Saturday, March 6, 1897 edition of the Boundary Creek Times
http://tinyurl.com/z7ctzlz
[8] Attorney General's Correspondence
http://tinyurl.com/jue5nze
[9] Summary of Boundary Creek Times news items
http://tinyurl.com/hx2lx4f
[10] Executive Council Order, Victoria, March 25, 1905
http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/oic/arc_oic/0172_1905
[11] Boundary Creek Times, February 1, 1907
https://open.library.ubc.ca/collections/bcnewspapers/xboundarycr/items/1.0171836
[12] Fine Book, BC Archives, Accession number: GR-0595
http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/fine-book
[13] The Phantom of the Mountains: A True Police Adventure by Cecil Clark, June 30, 1963
http://victoriahistory.ca/single.php?sec=islander&id=150
[14] Thesis Dissertation of Charleen Smith, 2001
http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk3/ftp05/MQ65055.pdf
[15] Essays in the History of Canadian Law, Vol. VI
http://tinyurl.com/hly2b25
[16] Obituary of William G. McMynn, The Daily Colonist, August 13, 1929, p. 5
Findagrave.com
