Mary Eleanor "Eleanor" Springer

1929 - 2005  (76 years)

• Name	Mary Eleanor "Eleanor" Springer
  Born	1929	Hardy, Saskatchewan
  Gender	Female
  Interesting	murder, crime, story
  Name	Eleanor Springer
  Name	Mary Eleanor "Eleanor" Arnold
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-24373
  Died	8 Nov 2005	Brantford, Brant Co., Ontario, Canada
  Buried	Markdale Cemetery, Markdale, Grey Co., Ontario
  Person ID	I24373	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

  Father	Jay Clifford Springer,   b. 18 Jul 1883, Des Moines, Boone, Iowa, USA ,   d. 22 Apr 1960, Glenelg Twp., Grey Co., Ontario  (Age 76 years)
  Mother	Grace McCartney,   b. CA 1885,   d. 31 Oct 1936, Gravenhurst, Parry Sound District, Ontario  (Age ~ 51 years)
  Family ID	F52932	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Arthur Arnold,   b. CA 1930,   d. Bef 2005  (Age ~ 74 years)
  Last Modified	12 Nov 2024
  Family ID	F52935	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  Eleanor Springer Put Under Arrest Eyewitness of Killings Charged As Incorrigible; Joint Funeral Eleanor Springer, 19-year-old West Montrose district girl who was the sole survivor and an eyewitness of the weekend shooting fatalities there, was last night taken into custody and placed in the county jail. She is being held on a charge under the Female Refugees Act, list of the charge being that she is an incorrigible, Crown Attorney Clement said today. She has been remanded until tomorrow morning and will appear in court before Magistrate Polson. May Amend Charge Crown Attorney Clement said this afternoon that there was a possibility the charge against Miss Springer would be amended when she appears tomorrow. He emphasized that any action taken by the crown in the case was intended to be helpful for the young woman. Mr. Clement said that no definite decision has yet been made about an inquest into the death of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Letson, Wilson, Percy and Walter (Pat) Letson, but that it was unlikely any further investigation would be made. The five bodies were released to the Dreisinger funeral parlor in Elmira where the service for all five will be held Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock. Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Letson, Wilson and Percy, slain by their cousin, Pat Letson, will be buried in a single grave at Winterbourne Presbyterian Cemetery. Pat Letson will be buried in the United Church Cemetery at West Montrose. Provincial Police said today that Eleanor Springer was recovering from nervous shock and is able to give a better story of what happened during the fateful night. Grim Suggestion Her own escape from death is almost certainly the result of the unwitting intervention of Elisha (Losh) Pollock, 87, Provincial Constable Scherer said today. Pat Letson, on the Sunday morning, had asked the girl in menacing tones if she wanted to "join Mary." Mary was Mrs. Hugh Letson who was shot down in the living room of the home about Saturday midnight with her husband and her brother-in-law Percy. Before anything could happen Mr. Pollock came in from doing some chores in the barnyard and the girl seized the opportunity to run away from the home and reached her home, three miles away, more than an hour later. Kitchener Daily Record, Tuesday, December 30, 1947, Pg 3 _____________________ Eleanor Springer Committed to the Good Shepherds Eleanor Springer, 18, was last Friday morning committed to the Home of the Good Shepherd for a period of up to two years, when she appeared before Magistrate Polson in Kitchener police court. She had been charged with being an incorrigible under the Female Refugees Act, through the office of the Crown Attorney, W. P. Clement.... Provincial Constable Vincent Scherer, and an investigator of the Children's Aid Society gave evidence of the girl's background. It was established that the Springer girl had left school after the 5th grade, and had for some time been in the habit of frequenting beverage rooms, despite police warning. Crown Attorney Clement said the sentence would give the girl an opportunity to have her education advanced beyond the point where she had stopped school.... Miss Springer was the only witness to the multiple shooting which wiped out the Letson family of West Montrose during the Christmas holidays. Four murders and a suicide occurred during the night the girl spent in the Letson house, and was not reported by her until the evening following the shootings. Elmira Signet, Thursday, February 5, 1948 [part of article] ____________________ Five Die In West Montrose Quarrel; Letson Family Is Wiped Out In Waterloo County's Worst Shooting A family was wiped out; a suicide committed and five are dead due to jealousy over an eighteen year old girl, Miss Eleanor Springer, in a family quarrel which started shortly after midnight Sunday morning last. The dead are: Hugh Letson, 45; his wife, Mary, 44; two brothers, Percy, 38 and Wilson, 43, and a cousin Walter (Pat) Letson. The entire Letson family was wiped out by gunfire by Pat Letson. On Saturday evening Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Letson, Wilson Letson and Eleanor Springer went to Kitchener and on the way home stopped at Bridgeport Hotel for beverages. Arriving home shortly after midnight the car was driven to the driving shed. As Wilson stepped out of the car he was blasted in the chest with a 12-gauge shotgun in the hands of Pat Letson, according to the statement given to the coroner, Dr. LeRoy Wagner, Elmira, and the Provincial police. He died instantly and fell beside the car. Then followed a very heated argument which took them into the house. Shortly after two or three shots were reported as being fired, according to the only witness of the affair still alive, Eleanor Springer. It is believed both Mr. and Mrs. Letson were killed at this time and also Percy Letson. Sunday wore on before any hint of the shooting became known. No gunshots were heard by neighbors, there being a community wedding party which most attended, the night before. It was Elisha Pollock, 87, aged cousin, slightly blind and hard of hearing found Pat Letson, on the kitchen couch, and when he failed to awaken with repeated shaking, went to the neighbours to inform them Pat was dead. He failed to see the gunshot wound in the chest. He was accompanied back by Wilfred Heinbein [Heibein] and Robert Winfield who found Pat had been shot. Dr. LeRoy Wagner was then notified and went down to West Montrose to investigate.... Provincial police were notified by Dr. Wagner and the investigation got under way.... Sometime between three o'clock and seven, Pat Letson shot himself in the kitchen when he sent the aged Mr. Pollock to the barn to do some chores. Elmira Signet, Thursday, January 1, 1948, pg 1 __________________ Quadruple Murder and Suicide of the Letson Family, West Montrose, Township Of Woolwich, Waterloo County On December 28th, 1947, at 7.10 p.m. our Kitchener Detachment office received a telephone call from Dr. L. Wagner, Coroner, Elmira, requesting we investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of one Walter P. Letson, at the Letson home in the Township of Woolwich. A patrol was immediately made to the Letson home where the dead body of Walter P. Letson was found on a couch in the kitchen of the home with a 12 gauge double barrel shot gun, containing a discharged shell, between his legs. Further search of the house and premises disclosed the dead bodies of the following, all of whom died from shot gun wounds - Percy Letson, 28 years ; Hugh Letson 45 years ; Mrs. Mary Letson, 45 years (wife of Hugh) ; all found in the dining room, Wilson Letson. 42 years, found in the garage. Investigation and reconstruction of the tragedy revealed that Walter P. Letson had been keeping company with one Eleanor Springer, age 18 years, of R.R. 1 West Montrose, who had recently transferred her affections to Wilson Letson. Miss Springer had spent the past few days at the Letson home and on the evening of December 27th, she had accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Letson and Wilson Letson to Kitchener, leaving Weaker Letson, and Elisha Pollock, age 87 years, at the Letson home. The party returned from Kitchener at about midnight and were met at the garage by Walter Letson who was carrying a shot gun. He ordered the occupants out of the car and shot Wilson Letson as he stepped from it. He then, or shortly after- wards, it is alleged, shot the other three members of the family and committed suicide. Further investigation determined that there had been some drinking at the Letson home, and this, coupled with jealousy, it is surmised was the cause of the tragedy. No inquest was held. ____________________________ ARNOLD, Mary Eleanor Entered into rest peacefully, Tuesday November 8th, 2005 at Brantford General Hospital. Mary Eleanor ARNOLD of Brantford, formerly of Dundalk, Meaford and Durham, in her 76th year. Beloved wife of the late Arthur ARNOLD. Loving mother of Hilda (John) McCULLOUGH of Atwood, Charles of Penetanguishene, John (Debi) of Maxwell and Christine VANDERMEULEN (Darryl) of Brantford. Lovingly remembered by grandchildren Angela, Michelle, Donna, Crystal, Thomas, Emily, Katie, Wesley, Nikita and great-grandchildren Matthew, Brandon, Logan and Alicia. Sadly missed by siblings Gladys (Jack), Bert (Elsie), Cliff (Georgina), Elsie (Mike), William (Lorraine), Ben, Pat (Ben), Rose (Jim), Gord (Sherry), Rob (Jen) and sister-in-law Diane, nieces, nephews, extended family and Friends. Predeceased by her parents Jay SPRINGER and Grace McCARTNEY, stepmother Beatrice BRODIE, brothers Lloyd and Roy, sister Alice and great-grand_son Justin. A funeral service will be held at the May Funeral Home, Markdale, Saturday November 12th at 11: 30 a.m. Visitation two hours prior to service, Interment in Markdale Cemetery. Owen Sound Times 10 Nov 2005 ____________________ Ontario Sessional Papers, 1948, No.27-52 by ONTARIO. LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 1948

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1929 - Hardy, Saskatchewan Died - 8 Nov 2005 - Brantford, Brant Co., Ontario, Canada Buried - - Markdale Cemetery, Markdale, Grey Co., Ontario  = Link to Google Earth