BX June 19, 1914

Serious Stabbing Affray at Massey-Harris Works – Charles Clement Dangerously Wounded by Instrument Thrown by Charles Wiley – Latter is Under Arrest – Was the Result of Too Much Fooling

Stabbed by a mower guard thrown by Charles Wiley, Charles Clement, a married man with wife and one young child, residing at 66 Arthur St., now lies in his home in dangerous condition, while Charles Wiley, 174 Dalhousie Street is in the police cells, charged with wounding. The affray arose out of some practical joking, which was being indulged in by the two men, who are both employed in the malleable department of the Massey-Harris works here.

Shortly after 11 o’clock Detective Chapman, who was at the police station, was summoned to the Massey-Harris works hurriedly, it being reported to him over the telephone that a man had been stabbed there. On his arrival at the factory, he found that Charles Clement had been stabbed in the side with a mower guard, it being alleged that Wiley was the assailant. While Chapman was making enquiries relating to the case, Wiley slipped out, and when his foreman went to look for him he could not be found.

Arrested at Boarding House

Chief Slemin was immediately notified and detailed Sergt. Donnelly and Constable Blanchard to find Wiley. They went to his boarding house at 174 Dalhousie St., and there found him in the act of changing his clothes. He was immediately taken to the police cells, and a charge of wounding was laid against him. In the meantime Clement had been taken to his home, Dr. Fissette being called.

Wiley’s Story

Wiley is a young single man, with a hitherto good character, being known as a quiet man, and a steady worker, with an unblemished reputation in the British navy, where he formerly served. His story, as told to the officers was that Clement tossed a sharply pointed mower guard on him, hitting him in the shoulder with it, inflicting a wound. Without anger he picked up the guard, which keeps the mower knives in their place and working when a mower is in operation, and tossed it back at Clement, not meaning to injure him. Through bad luck, however, the guard struck Clement in the side, inflicting a very dangerous wound.

Eye Witness Story

The story of the fellow workmen employed in the malleable department is slightly different. Three or four workmen saw the deed and they told their story to the management of the works. It seems according to them that Clement and Wiley were “skylarking,” in other words, playing practical jokes on each other. Wiley picked up a piece of machinery, not of a very large dimension, and tossed it at Clement, it striking the latter on the ankle, and inflicting a nasty bruise, which pained a good deal. Clement, not in anger, but in a “get back” spirit, jokingly tossed back a mower guard, which struck Wiley in the shoulder. Then Wiley, heated to passion by the blow, it is alleged, picked up the mower guard and with a great deal of force, hurled it back at Clement, it striking him at a point on the side, where the elbow joint would touch with the arm held alongside the body. The guard entered the body, near the ribs, injuring them. They in turn lacerated the lungs causing it is feared, internal injuries, though it will not be possible, according to Dr. Fissette, to tell until a day or so what the actual injuries are.

In Serious Condition

Clement is now in a serious condition at his home. “His condition is not very good,” said Dr. Fissette, when interviewed by The Expositor during the noon hour. “The guard entered behind the sixth rib, inflicting a nasty wound. It injured the ribs, and apparently induced a laceration of the lung, though fortunately the lung was not penetrated by the weapon. It looks as if there is internal hemorrhage and Clement is suffering very severely at the present time from shock. In a day or two, however, it will be possible to tell what the actual internal injuries are.”

A Coincidence

The man charged with the wounding, is a brother-in-law of Constable Blanchard, who with Sergt. Donnelly made the arrest. Wiley is an unmarried man, his mother, residing at 115 Market Street, the son having been in the habit of laying aside weekly an allowance for her support. He has two sisters, also both of this city, these being Mrs. John Blanchard and Mrs. Huffman. Wiley’s brother, Ernest also works at Massey-Harris. Wiley is a sober young man, not addicted to drink, and known to the management of the factory and to his fellow employees as a very steady, quiet young man. He was a former member of the British navy, where he was given a clean discharge, having an excellent record. Clement is a married man, with an infant child.

Too Much Skylarking

The consensus of opinion of those in connection with the case is that it was not a case of stabbing with malice aforethought, but merely the result of “skylarking” or practical joking carried a little too far, with the result that what started as a joke ended in a near tragedy, and may yet have fatal consequences.

BX August 4, 1914

Answers to Duty’s Call

Charles Wiley, who has been residing with his brother-in-law, Constable Blanchard, Market Street, left at 1.40 this morning for the Old Land, he being the first of the reservists who has responded to the call of Great Britain to all men of the naval reserve to report for duty at the earliest possible moment.

Two other naval reservists from the city whose names could not be ascertained also left this morning for Montreal, from which port they hope to get a vessel to take them back to their duty.