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Record #15318

Name :: : John POWELL (1885 - 1898)
Father: :
Mother: :

BMD and other details

Date of Birth: : 1885 (approx.)
Marriage (1): :
Marriage (2): :
Date of Death: : 22 Jun 1898 Notes : Suicide by Gunshot

Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland

Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialCanada, Austin

Sailing Information

Date of Arrival: : 19 Aug 1893
Country: : Canada
Ship: : Labrador
Placement Family: : Wheeler

Homes / Agencys

Institution (GB): :
Agency: : Barnardos

NotesIn 1893, J. Powell, 8, arrived at Quebec, Canada, in a group of 166 Barnardo boys en route to Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Morning Telegram
June 23, 1898

"A Barnardo Boy Shoots Employer's Son

AFTERWARDS TAKES HIS OWN LIFE

A Deliberately Planned Scheme
Revenge for a Trivial Matter
Wanted to go to a Picnic
but was Forbidden.

Austin, Man., June 22.--Johnnie Powell, a Barnardo boy, thirteen years old, and working for Mr. W. C. Wheeler, shot and killed Mr. Wheeler's four-year-old boy Charlie, and then committed suicide last night at Mr. Wheeler's farm about two miles east of Austin.

Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler drove into Austin in the evening, leaving the two boys at home alone. Mrs. Wheeler returned first, and missing the boys, went to a neighbor's to enquire after them, but before she got back Mrs. Wheeler had arrived home, accompanied by Mr. Walker, a neighbor. Mr. Wheeler went to the house fora lantern, and in the meantime, Mr. Walker lit a match in the stable and saw the two boys lying there dead. The younger boy was shot in the left temple and the Barnardo boy through the heart. The revolver was lying at his feet.

When Mr. Wheelr [sic] left home he left Powell milking the cows. As soon as he was gone Powell must have gone into the house and thrown the milk pail on the floor, then upset nearly everything in teh house and broke the windows. He then went upstairs and go Mr. Wheeler's revolver and also some cartridges from a bureau drawer and loaded the revolver. After shooting the little boy he took out the empty cartridge, then opened the breast of his shirt and deliberately shot himself through the heart.

The only motive known for the crime is that Mr. Wheeler refused to allow him to go to a picnic, which is being held at Moose lake, near Sidney to-day."

Morning Telegram
June 23, 1898

"Further Particulars of the Murder and Suicide

THE CORONER'S INVESTIGATION

Shaw, of Carberry, Visits the Scene
The Youthful Murderer Upset
Everything in the House
Before the Crime.

Austin, Man., June 22.--The coroner (Dr. Shaw, of Carberry), visited the scene of the murder this morning, but deemed an inquest unnecessary, as all the circumstances point very conclusively that the boy Powell shot Charlie Wheeler, and then committed suicide. The cow that Powell was milking when Mr. Wheeler went away was not finished, so he must have commenced his depredations shortly after Mr. Wheeler left the farm. the milk house was in a badly mixed up state, all of the pans being upset on the floor which was an inch thick with milk and cream. He also upset things in the house, emptied the coal oil can, broke dishes and smashed a window. He then must have proceeded to do his deadly work, first procuring the revolver and cartridges, then led Charlie to the barn and shot him into the left temple. He then took out the empty cartridges and turned the cylinder back, then opened his own shirt, put the revolver to his breast and fired. The cartridge with which Charlies was shot has not yet been found, there being in the revolver only one space and one empty cartridge and two loaded cartridges. The stable in which the murder was committed is a log building about 30 by 40, with a row of stalls along the south side and a door on the east side, right behind the stalls. Charlies Wheeler's body was lying cross-wise of the door about four feet back. Powell's body was partly in the first stall. when Mrs. Wheeler came home she put her horse in this first stall and must have passed within two feet of both bodies.

Dr. Shaw states that both shots could not have been better placed by an expert for their deadly effect, death being instantaneous in both cases, the younger child dying with a smile on his lips, the parents of the murdered child are nearly heartbroken. Powell was always very much thought of by both Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler. He seemed gentle with the children and was very obedient and well behaved, never showing the least sign of violent temper. He always professed great love for the children but has been known to say to another Barnardo boy living near, that he hated Charlie. No other motive for the crime has been discovered excepting Mr. Wheeler's refusel [sic] to allow him to attend the picnic.

Mr. White, of the Barnardo home in Winnipeg is expected on tonight's express. the double funeral is tomorrow at 1 o'clock."

ContributorsCreated : 2011-11-13 19:41:14 / From original database

Last Updated : 2011-11-13 20:25:54 /

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Surnames starting with: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 30 Entries

ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links
19520	POWELL, Alfred Arthur Edward	1910	ENG,	Jul 1926 : Celtic	CAN	Canadian Government Scheme
4923	POWELL, Alfred George	1913	ENG, LDN, London	Mar 1925 : Aurania	CAN	Liverpool Sheltering Home
26681	POWELL, Annie	1899		Oct 1910 : Sicilian	CAN	Barnardos
6137	POWELL, Beatrice	1883	ENG,	Jun 1894 : Mongolian	CAN	Maria Rye
26983	POWELL, Bertie	1919	ENG, LND	Jan 1928 : Barrabool	AUS	Fairbridge Homes
24648	POWELL, Charles	1895		Jun 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
15190	POWELL, David	1872	ENG,	Oct 1884 : Sardinian	CAN	Colonization Fund, London
18066	POWELL, Earnest	1894	ENG,	Jun 1904 : Carthaginian	CAN	Middlemore
11275	POWELL, Edward	1889	ENG,	Apr 1900 : Cambroman	CAN	Barnardos
14645	POWELL, Edward J	1895	ENG,	May 1907 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
7745	POWELL, Eliza	1861	ENG,	Jul 1870 : Prussian	CAN	Maria Rye
23454	POWELL, Fanny	1897	ENG,	Jul 1907 : Kensington	CAN	Barnardos
7024	POWELL, Georgiana	1860	ENG,	Aug 1871 : Prussian	CAN	Maria Rye
24990	POWELL, Henry Francis	1900		Mar 1910 : Tunisian	CAN	Barnardos
21944	POWELL, James	1889	ENG,	Oct 1903 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
15318	POWELL, John	1885	ENG,	Aug 1893 : Labrador	CAN	Barnardos
15564	POWELL, John	1878	ENG,	Aug 1886 : Parisian	CAN	Catholic Protection Society
18874	POWELL, John	1888	ENG,	Sep 1899 : Arawa	CAN	Barnardos
23455	POWELL, John Henry	1894	ENG, LDN, London	Jul 1902 : New England	CAN	Barnardos
23453	POWELL, Joseph	1887	ENG, YKS, Sheffield	Oct 1903 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
6317	POWELL, Louisa	1896	ENG,	May 1910 : Corsican	CAN	Louisa Birt
16352	POWELL, Louisa	1874	ENG, MDX, Shoreditch	Jun 1890 : Parisian	CAN	MacPherson Homes
15633	POWELL, Roland	1916	ENG,	Jul 1928 : Duchess of Atholl	CAN	Barnardos
23452	POWELL, Thomas Edwin	1892	ENG, LDN, London	Apr 1904 : Southwark	CAN	Barnardos
23700	POWELL, Violet M	1896	ENG,	Jun 1906 : Dominion	CAN	Barnardos
9489	POWELL, William	1913	ENG,	Sep 1924 : Melita	CAN	Barnardos
15189	POWELL, William	1870	ENG,	Oct 1884 : Sardinian	CAN	Colonization Fund, London
22331	POWELL, William	1877	ENG,	Apr 1890 : Sarnia	CAN	Unknown
8687	POWELL, William George	1917	ENG, WAR, Birmingham	May 1923 : Scythia	CAN	Middlemore
21466	POWELL, William L	1895		Apr 1905 : Kensington	CAN	Barnardos
ID	Name	DOB	Place of birth	Arrivals & Ships	Dest.	Agency	Family links

Surnames starting with: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 30 Entries

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