Fred McMahon - The Moncton Tragedy

The Moncton Tragedy Recorded by Stan Cassidy - Phone 1528 - for Radio and Electrical Service - 415 King Street, Fredericton, N.B.

 This song is sung a cappella. This song is about a murder which took place in Moncton in the late 19th century. John E. Sullivan murdered a woman and her son and burned the house down. He was caught and hanged. At one point in the recording it sounds as if the tape has been edited (or else there are two singers who trade off) because it sounds as if while one voice is holding one note another begins another word at the same time. This song appears elsewhere in the Manny collection at (024-02). 1948.10.00  This song appears in Louise Manny and James Reginald Wilson eds. Songs of Miramichi  Brunswick Press Fredericton, N.B. pg. 152, it also appears in Randall and Dorothy Dibblee eds. Folksongs from Prince Edward Island Williams &amp; Crue Ltd. Summerside, P.E.I. as  John Sullivan  on pg. 57. 004-02

Waltz and Engle's Traditional Ballad Index gives the following citation and information:

John Sullivan (The Moncton Tragedy)

DESCRIPTION: Sullivan kills a widow and her son, takes her cash, and sets the house afire. A daughter survives and blames Sullivan. He flees to Calais, is caught, brought back, tried, convicted and condemned to hang on Friday, March 12.

AUTHOR: unknown

EARLIEST DATE: 1948 (Manny/Wilson)

KEYWORDS: execution homicide robbery trial gallows-confession

FOUND IN: Canada(Mar)

REFERENCES (2 citations): Dibblee/Dibblee, pp. 57-58, "John Sullivan" (1 text, 1 tune) Manny/Wilson 35, "The Moncton Tragedy" (1 text, 1 tune) ST Dib057 (Partial) Roud #9267

ALTERNATE TITLES: The Sullivan Murder The Meadow Brook Tragedy The Dutcher Murder

NOTES: Manny/Wilson: "This sordid crime took place in mid-September, 1896, at Meadow Brook, eight miles from Moncton, New Brunswick." Manny/Wilson note to "The Moncton Tragedy" has more details about the murder and trial, including further references. - BS [[Category:M]]