page_title: Elizabethtown-Kitley
section_title: Luckey murders
hierarchical_section_title: Elizabethtown-Kitley / Communities / Newbliss / Luckey murders
caption_attribution_description: English: Forthton (Elizabethtown-Kitley township), Ontario, Canada
context_page_description: Elizabethtown-Kitley is a township in eastern Ontario, Canada, in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville. Its southern border lies along the St. Lawrence River and it extends north into many rural hamlets and villages. The township was created on January 1, 2001 by the amalgamation of the former Township of Elizabethtown and Township of Kitley.
context_section_description: On October 8, 1892 the community of Newbliss was the scene of a gruesome triple homicide. Charles Sanford Luckey, was released from the Central Prison in Toronto and made his way to Newbliss, Ontario where his father, John Luckey and his second-wife Martha Luckey lived in a farmhouse with their daughter Mary Ann "Minnie" Luckey. Charles had just served a year for larceny and was known to be on bad terms with his father.
  Shortly after two o’clock in the afternoon, neighbours noticed smoke emanating from the Luckey farmhouse.  When they arrived on scene, the neighbours realized the entire interior of the house was completely engulfed in flames. While the fire was being attended to, some neighbours attempted to enter the farmhouse in order to rescue the family; when they got to the building every window and door was secured shut. When entrance was finally gained, the bodies of John, Martha and Mary Ann Luckey were discovered, having been severely burned to the point they were unrecognizable, and were removed from the farmhouse. The house then burned completely to the ground. The neighbours immediately suspected murder followed by arson due to the locked windows, the nature of the fire and the fact two axes were found at the scene.
  According to residents’ accounts in a Smiths Falls newspaper from October 13, 1892, a strange man was seen by many lurking around the farmhouse. Since Martha was home alone, it was believed amongst the neighbours that she must have been murdered first, followed by John who was seen running errands shortly before the fire. It was assumed that Mary Ann was killed last as her teeth were found in the driveway, indicative of a struggle, as though she may have foreseen danger and attempted escape.
  Charles Luckey was a suspect due to the known tension between himself and his father, coupled with his criminal past. To add to the suspicion, he was later found in Smiths Falls, a short distance from Newbliss, staying in a hotel under an alias. When questioned, blood was found on his clothing and he admitted to being in Newbliss earlier in the day. The police chief also noted he seemed to be apathetic to the murders of his family.
  Charles Luckey was found guilty of the murders, and sentenced to be executed. On December 14, 1893, Charles Luckey was hanged in Brockville, Ontario. Luckey's last meal was a bun and tea before he read from the bible, recited hymns, then was marched to the scaffold for his execution.
caption: Forthton
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