Reginald "Reggie White

1904 - 1940  (36 years)

• Name	Reginald "Reggie White
  Born	1904	, England
  Gender	Male
  Interesting	crime, murder, story
  Misfortune	murdered two people
  Residence	Bef 1940	Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-45980
  Died	25 Apr 1940	Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	Cause: Hanged
  Person ID	I45980	Generations
  Last Modified	7 Nov 2024

  
  

• Notes

  KITCHENER - Justice James Makins gazed at the man in the prisoner's box. But Reginald White kept his eyes fixed upon the courtroom floor. Seven months earlier, he'd killed an elderly farmer and his blind sister with an axe in one of the bloodiest double-murders in local history. Now, with his own life hanging in the balance, he had nothing left to say. "You have been found guilty of a most cowardly crime," the judge began. "I now sentence you … to be hanged by the neck until you are dead."... Waterloo Region Record 7 Feb 2015 ______________________ White Guilty of Murder, to Hang April 25 Jury Slightly Over three Hours in Reaching Verdict; Prisoner Calm; Defence Will Appeal Conviction Justice Makins in Accepting Finding Said "I Don't See How on the Evidence You Could Have Brought in Any Other Verdict" - "A Most Cowardly Murder," He Tells Prisoner Condemned Man Remains Silent Harry Wilson, 15 year old Hespeler youth, discoverer of the stolen Milroy car used by the murderer or murderers in their flight. It was found in the Bechtel bush on the outskirts of Hespeler on the back road to Galt. He is shown as he tried to dodge a battery of press cameras leaving the Galt police station Sunday. …not the man whose name he had given and when asked his business in that section said he was down the road collecting a debt. Mr. Milroy had ordered him from the farm and later it was said wen Miss Milroy had asked him why he hadn't invited the man for dinner that he had replied "I didn't like the looks of him." that visitor was reported to have left the farm by way of a trail that led across the Milroy farm to the Cheese Factory Road. There were other stories of strange men being seen on the short cut," one of them on Wednesday last and again Saturday morning. It is these rumors that the police are concentrating on and running down. The Discovery It was around 2 o'clock that Mrs. Oliver left her home and proceeded a short distance to the dead end of the road which led to the Milroy homestead which stands about a quarter-mile back from the rod. Upon discovery of the two bodies, Mrs. Oliver hurried back to her own home, called Dr. L.H. Douglas of this city and then Stewart McBean, Branchton Road, a second cousin of the deceased and at whose farm the Milroy farmhands were assisting with the threshing. The men immediately quit their work and Harold Jenkins, owner of the threshing outfit and a county constable came with the party, which included women, to the Milroy home. Mr. McBean opened the door, saw the two bodies and came out and told the others of the gruesome sight and not to go in. When Dr. Douglas arrived both man and woman were dead. He immediately notified the provincial police at Kitchener. Within a short time Sergt. Oliver and Constable Sid Cook of the provincial police and County Constable Albert Bevan were t the scene. They took charge and immediately set in motion a province-wide search for the slayer. Police in nearly all Western Ontario counties were advised by telephone of the number of missing Milroy car. It was a 1929 Essex dark blue sedan, bearing license 75315?. The police then started questioning the Milroy farm hands, Alexander Grand and Richard Rivers and also members of the Oliver family and others as to whether they had seen any suspicious characters. In the meantime Inspector C. Jordan of the provincial police, Kitchener and High County Constable Whitesides arrived and the inspector took charge. Shortly after the news of the double murder became public, the police learned that three men, one carrying a rifle had been seen on the Stewart MacBean Farm. These boys proved to be groundhog hunters from Galt. News Flashed The news of the murder had been flashed all over the country with a description of the missing Milroy car and the police force on the scene grew in size. Owing to the absence of Dr. Ward Woolner, Chief Coroner of ? county, Dr. Louis V. Lang of Kitchener, a coroner, was called to the scene. He remained on the scene with Inspector Jordan permitted the removal of the bodies, around 7: 300 pm. The police then called in Ted Lamb, fingerprint expert and police photographer of Guelph and also a short-hand writer from that city. The photographer, for well over an hour was busy photographing the various rooms of the house as well as the back porch while the police made a moderate? search of the house from the cellar to the attic and continued their examination of the neighbors and farm hands. Inspector Jordan was in frequent touch with provincial headquarters at Toronto, the rural telephone line to the Milroy home being kept open solely for his use. It was after 10 o'clock before Inspector Lougheed of the Criminal Investigation Department, Toronto, reached the scene and joined Inspector Jordan in the investigation. It was much later before the police left the scene to come back to the city. Inspector Jordan ordered a night and day guard placed on the property and two officers, Provincial Constable G. Hayes, and County Constable A. Bevan spend the night there with orders to keep everyone off the property. They were relieved shortly before 9 o'clock Sunday morning by Provincial Officer McGottrick ? and County Constable Morley Hattlar ?. About 3 o'clock in the morning Wm. Oliver made a pot of tea and some sandwiches and took them over to the night watch. Alex Grant, son of the hired men spent the night at the Oliver farm, while Rivers came into town to stay at his home here. In the morning the farmhands returned to do the chores and will remain to look after the stock. Guard Tightened With hundreds of curious people visiting the neighborhood and a score or more of reporters and photographers milling around the police tightened their guard of the Milroy property and would let no one but officials get by the padlocked entrance. However late in the morning with the arrival of Inspector Lougheed and Jordan a few of the press men and photographers were permitted to go up the lane but were denied admittance to the house. The officers announced that a day and night guard would be maintained at the farm until they had completed their investigation. Brought Mild Into Town According to Alex Grant and Dick Rivers, the two farmhands, only four spent Friday night in the house, Mr. and Miss Milroy and themselves. They said Mr. Milroy, as was his custom got up at 5 o'clock Saturday morning to do the milking while they were doing other chores. They estimated it was about 7 o'clock that Mr. Milroy with his milk cans packed in the car, called them to join him as he drove them over to the Stewart MacBean farm to help with the threshing. That was the last time they saw their employer alive. Mr. Milroy proceeded into the city to deliver the milk to the dairy. He was seen on the Main Street early in the morning and according to police had purchased some gasoline while in Galt. He must have returned immediately to the farm and it is believed changed his clothes, ? when found he was wearing overalls. When the abandoned car was found Sunday the gasoline tank was about a quarter-full, but police were unable to estimate just how much gasoline had been consumed from the time the machine was taken from the farm until it was found. They are checking up on this angle in an effort to ascertain how far the car had been driven. One theory is that the car may have been driven to Hespeler by way of highway 24 and thence to the back road. It was said that roadmen working on the latter road Saturday did not recall seeing any car which answered the description of the Milroy machine. However the course of the stolen car from the Milroy farm has not been established. It is said that the blue sedan passed the Oliver farm at a speed that was not customary for Mr. Milroy and that at the turn onto the Branchton Road, toward Galt, there was a noticeable skid mark in the gravel, indicating that the corner was taken at high speed. It is presumed that the car proceeded to the Hamilton highway but its progress has not been traced from there. Table Prepared for Dinner The scene in the parlor with the two bodies lying stretched out with the hands haltered and almost unrecognizable was a gruesome sight. Mr. Milroy was lying on his back with one hand up raised beside his head. He was facing towards the back of the room with his feet just over the entrance from the hall. Miss Milroy was lying face down on the parlor rug, a few feet nearer the front window of the house. She was partly on her side with her head resting on her right arm. Her legs were crossed and one shoe was lying a couple of feet away from the body. Behind her was a kitchen chair, on its side in front of the window, with one rung missing. This rung was found beneath the woman's shoulder and when the body was removed remained attached to the dress by a sliver. The parlor rug was saturated with blood for several feet around their heads. In the dining room on the opposite side of the house there was a table set with clean dishes, indicating preparations had been made for the mid-day meal. On the table also rested a copy of The Galt Reporter. On the electric kitchen range there was a potato pot which had boiled dry. A Helpful Brother Neighbors reported that because of Miss Milroy's illness and impaired sight, her brother had been in the habit of assisting in housework and the preparing of meals and some believe that he had placed the potatoes on the stove while his sister was resting on the couch in the parlor. On this couch was come bed clothing with which it was believed Miss Milroy had covered herself with having a nap. Nearby were a couple of cups and a bottle which it was said contained liniment. Girl Visits Milroy Home It had been the habit during the vacation period for Jessie Oliver, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Oliver to pay frequent visits to the Milroy home and, because of Mill Milroy's indisposition to help in the housework and especially with the baking. In fact all of the Oliver children, of whom there are three boys, were almost daily visitors to the Milroy farm being favorites with the aged brother and sister. This fact assisted police in narrowing down the time of the murders as Jessie Oliver left her house at 9: 43 Saturday morning to go to the Milroy home to borrow some flour. "When I went in," said Miss Oliver, "the parlor door was tightly closed. I went through into the kitchen and took the flour. There was no one around the house. I neither heard nor saw anything." "Miss Milroy," said Miss Oliver "was in the habit of resting in the morning on the lounge in the parlor and it was not unusual for the door from the hall to be closed. When I saw it closed Saturday I assumed she was sleeping and not wishing to bother her, I did not open it." Neighbors Wanted Slain Brother and Sister to Get Help in House Mrs. Walter Oliver, an old neighbor of the Milroy's, said yesterday that if Mr. and Miss Milroy had done what the neighbors suggested this terrible crime might not have happened. "If they had done what we wanted this would never have happened," she said. "We wanted them to get help but they didn't want to. They looked after things by themselves." Works on Farm (photo of Alexander Grant) - Alexander Grant, second farm hand employed by the Milroy's ? April1st last. Grant is well known in the Branchton district in which he has worked for years. "I Killed Those People But Didn't Intend to, there Was a Fight", Reginald White is Said to Have Told the Police" Defence Fights to Keep Alleged Statements from going to the Jury; Galt Constable Tells of Conversation With Accused Man in Cells Confession to Double-Slaying Made in Provincial Police Headquarters at Kitchener - Sims in Questions Places Emphasis on Emotional Stress - Call Witnesses to Testify as to Circumstances Under Which Three Statements Secured - Accused Talked Freely to Constable Walter Scott About Milroy Crime. (By Staff Reporter) Kitchener, Feb. 2? - Whether or not any type of a so-called third degree was used by police in the securing of any of the three alleged statements from Reginald White, who is facing a murder charge, occupied the entire afternoon session of Supreme Court here today. White who resides in Hespeler, is charged with the murder of John Milroy, whose body was found beside that of his sister Annie, lying in pools of blood in the parlor of their home near Branchton on August 19. The defence, being conducted by J.K. Sims of Kitchener assisted by R.M. Myers of Galt, raised objection to the statements being submitted to the jury, Mr. Justice Makins dismissed the jury until 10 am, Thursday and Special Prosecutor Martin presented witnesses who testified as t the circumstances surrounding the securing of the three statements. As to Emotional Stress Defence Counsel Sims who was most emphatic in his cross examination of the witness. On occasion he was forcible in inquiring into the emotional stress, if any, of the secured when he gave the statements. In the case of the third statement, he asked the Kitchener court reporter, C.N. Phelps, who had taken the statement in shorthand, if the accused was crying, or if he was perspiring, and if so to what extent. Phelps said that just before White had started his statement he had covered his face with his hands but there was no sign that he had been crying. He was perspiring, however. The three statements in question were taken by police in three different locations. One was recorded in Hespeler, the second in Galt and the third, the contents of which were not divulged by the prosecution, in the provincial police office in Kitchener. "I Killed Them" According to Inspector W.M. Lougheed, White made this admission to him! "I want to tell you all about it and get it off my chest. I killed those people. I didn't intend to, but there was a fight." Inspector Lougheed testified that the accused's condition of the double slaying was made in Provincial Police Headquarters at Kitchener the third day after the tragedy Aug. 19. White was arrested Aug. 21. "Shortly after White was taken from the city jail at Galt to Kitchener, Sergeant Albert Whitesides called me into the office of the Provincial Police Inspector, where he was sitting, "related Inspector "From information I had received before-hand I said: "Well Reg, do you want to see me?" White replied: "Yes, I want to tell you all about it, and get it off my chest. I killed those people. I didn't intend to, but there was a fight." Constable in Cells The second statement, which was taken in Galt by Constable Walter Scell of the Galt police, was received in the cells. After White had been arrested and placed in the cells for the night, Constable Scott, dressed in "old clothes" was also placed in the cell block and talked with the accused on various occasions during the hours between midnight and 7 am. Mr. Justice Makins had ruled that he would hear the applications for admittance of the three statements one at a time and when court adjourned for the day the ruling had been brought down by His Lordship. White is Calm During the day's proceedings, Reginald White, the accused, showed no indication of being affected by the testimony of the numerous witnesses. As on the previous two days he continued to periodically look around the court room. If any sign at all was visible about White, it was merely that of possible fatigue. At both the morning and afternoon sessions the courtroom was crowded to capacity and some intended onlookers were turned back as the doors were closed. White Murder Case Is Given To Grand Jury at Kitchener, 2.15 Today A.L. Bennett, Galt, Foreman of Grand Jury Passing on Milroy Murder and Other Cases at Winter Assizes Justice Makins Addresses Jury At 2: 15 this afternoon the opening session of the Supreme Court was adjourned until 10 am Tuesday when the grand jury will report on the cases referred to it if decisions have been reached by that time. (City Staff Reporter) Kitchener, Feb. 5 - The winter assizes of the Supreme Court of Ontario opened here this afternoon at one o'clock with Mr. Justice Makins presiding. Following his address, the grand jury retired to its recess to consider the crown's cases in two murder and two manslaughter charges. The grand jury is composed of A.L. Bennet, Galt, foreman, Nelson Amy, Waterloo Township, H.J. Bassett, Galt, Simon Dittner, Wilmot Township, W.J. Deroit, Kitchener, P.G. Dietrich, Galt, John McLaughlin, Hespeler, David Schmidt, Waterloo Township, Robt. Scroggins, Galt, Henry Schleuter, Wellesley Township, F.H. Schummer, Wellesley Township, and Frank Whittaker, Waterloo Township. W.A. Martin of Toronto is the special prosecutor and will be assisted by Crown Attorney W.P. Clement of Kitchener. In the murder charges involving Reginald White of Hespeler, accused of slaying john and Annie Milroy, of North Dumfries Township, on Aug. 19 last, the accused will be defended by J.K. Strub of Kitchener and R.M. Myers of Galt. Justice's Address Upon the completion of the selection of the grand jury, his lordship, Mr. Justice Makins, is addressing the court, explained there were four indictments, two for murder and two for manslaughter. He didn't know that the county was to be complimented on its record this time because he found more or less serious crime to be dealt with at this session. This county was never used to that, he said. Its citizenship had been law-abiding. His lordship went on the say there were two serious charges of murder and two of manslaughter. He warned the jury to go to their room with an open mind and make their decisions on the evidence as they heard it from crown witnesses. Continuing he said if the Crown made out a prima facts case the jury should bring in three bills. But if the evidence in the minds of the jurors fall short of that, it was their duty to bring in no bills. He then went on to explain that there was a middle course. The murder charges could be returned to manslaughter and in the manslaughter cases the charges could be reduced to dangerous driving. In regard to the manslaughter charges he explained to the jurors that there were three different degrees of negligence and made it clear "you do not try these cases. That is up to the petit jury." The Murder Charges Justice Makins then went on to say there were the two murder charges against Reginald White, that he did unlawfully murder John Milroy and similarly murder Annie Milroy, sister of John, both residents of North Dumfries. He outlined how White had previously been employed at the Milroy farm and it was said he had wielded an axe on both and stolen a motor car. It was also said human blood had been found on White's clothing and that he had made a confession. As to Confession "I am not going to say anything about the details of the alleged confession," said Justice Makins. "It may and it may not be allowed in the public court and for that reason I am not divulging any of the details. In fact, I do not know them." Continuing he said that in the White case the jury must consider whether it was murder or manslaughter. The jury retired at 2: 15 to its rooms and the petit jurors were dismissed until 10 am Tuesday. _________________________ Local legend, here in Hespeler is that Reggie's family later claimed the body, had it disinterred, cremated and his ashes buried on the small island behind their home in the Hespeler Mill Pond. For years his father tended the small island like a shrine. Email Lary Turner 2019

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 1904 - , England Residence - Bef 1940 - Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Hanged - 25 Apr 1940 - Kitchener, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth