Charlotte Gray (1)

On February 8, 1915 the maid Carrie Davies shot Charles "Bert" Massey as he returned from work in view of at least one witness. By February 27, 1915 her trial was complete. This book gives the known details of events, the statements of Carrie and other witnesses, but is at least as much about Canada and Toronto and the changes society was experiencing. And early Canadian involvement in The Great War. For a U.S. citizen it is interesting to be forced to filter a different sort of continental nationalism, and view the lives of individuals who mattered to their community in 1915 and beyond.

There seemed to be a lot of questions that could have been asked of which there is no record. That's not strange when the case was over 100 years ago and there seemed to be no doubt about what happened, just why. Most of Toronto seemed satisfied with the why presented at the trial and almost no one saw any real advantage in making a bigger scandal out of what happened.… (more)