True and Fascinating Canadian History
Vet of the Month: July, 2022
PEI's NWMP Martin Malcolm McIntosh. Reg.#41
RCMP Vets. Ottawa, ON
Down through the years, several hundred recruits from Prince Edward Island have been engaged into the ranks of the RCMP. In March, 1920, about four dozen men alone were hired by the Royal North West Mounted Police (RNWMP) during a special recruitment drive which was held in Charlottetown, PEI and the majority of these members went on to lead very honourable careers in policing. Many sacrificed their life in WWI. Some of them, however, met misfortune such as drownings while others lead somewhat mischievous lives. A couple recruits from PEI deserted their post. A few of the most colouful recruits from PEI are highlighted here. The life of our Vet of the Month, Sub Constable Martin McIntosh is saved until the end as his career requires very special mention.
Reg.#3749, Donald James McCarthy was born in Souris, PEI in 1877. He engaged in the RCMP in 1900 in Montreal, QC, and his leadership skills soon became apparent. In 1901, he was chosen for Escort Duty for Lord Minto's visits to Prince Albert and to Qu'Appelle, SK. In 1902, McCarthy was a member of the Coronation Contingent for Edward VII. By 1907, he had risen to the rank of Staff Sergeant, but he turned down another promotion to Sergeant Major. This refusal caused him to fall out of favour with senior Officers. He was blacklisted and it became evident there was no hope of him achieving a Commission to Inspector. He resigned in 1907, and went on to become the Sheriff in Melfort, SK. D. J. McCarthy died in 1956 and was buried in Saskatoon, SK.
Reg.#3631, Harry Cairns was born in Summerside, PEI in 1878. Shortly after he joined the RCMP in 1920, Cairns fired off his revolver in the barracks at Fort Saskatchewan, AB. He was fined $10 by Supt A. R. Griesbach. It was his first offense. However, only two years later, Cairns was found unlawfully in possession of a toque rightly owned by Reg.#3787, Bugler J. J. Hogan. Cairns was handed 30 days hard labour for theft by Insp Belcher also at Fort Saskatchewan. Cairns was dismissed from the RCMP at the expiration of his sentence.
Reg.#3523, Constable John McLennan was born in PEI in 1877. Shortly after his engagement in the NWMP in 1900, his character was called into question, and he was abruptly released as his services were, "no longer desirable." Reg.#3640, Thomas Matheson was born in Charlottetown, PEI. After two years of service, he was convicted in Service Court for liquor offenses, and he too was discharged. Reg.#3699, Constable Hollace Henry Pickering also found himself in Service Court, and as a result he too was dismissed for intoxication while on duty.
Reg.#3499, John Charles Cornfoot and Reg.#3500, Constable Leslie Edmund Baker were both native Prince Edward Islanders. They joined the RCMP in 1900, but they both left one year later to join the South African Constabulary (SAC). At the outbreak of WWI, J. C. Cornforth joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was killed during WWI and buried in France. L. E. Baker also joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He died in the USA of natural causes in 1935. He was buried in Florida.
Two recruits from PEI drowned while on duty. On June 3rd, 1903, Reg.#3503, Thomas William White drowned near Tantalus on the Yukon River. Reg.#3617, Michael James Fitzgerald drowned on August 27th, 1913 while en route to a new posting near the Shushana Gold Fields, near the head of the White River, YT. He was 37 years of age. M. J. Fitzgerald was buried in the Police Cemetery in Dawson City, YT. He is listed on the RCMP's Honour Roll.
Reg.#3497, Charles Moore was born in Charlottetown, and he joined the NWMP on March 20th, 1900. He met a woman along the trail and he soon became infatuated. In 1903, he deserted the ranks of the NWMP and followed his lover south into the United States. Eventually, Moore returned to PEI where he died in 1929. He was buried in the Shaw Cemetery in St. Catherine's, PEI.
Reg.#3519, Constable Sidney Scott Munroe also joined the NWMP in Charlottetown in 1900. He was promoted to Sergeant very early in his career and he went on to serve honourable. He took his discharge in 1908 so that he could marry, but then his application to rejoin was refused. Instead, Munroe was offered a Special Constable's position which he held for many, many years. He retired in 1952. S. S. Munroe died in 1964, and he was buried in Penticton, BC
By all accounts, Reg.#3516 Constable John Learmont was a favourable and well qualified recruit when he was engaged into the NWMP in 1900. He was born in New York in 1870, but his mother lived in Souris, PEI and he would often visit her on the Island. Learmont declared that he was single and he went on to serve in the Yukon. But, he held a deep secret which did not come to the attention of senior Officers for five years. By this time, Learmont had attained senior constable status. About the time that he was about to be re-engaged, it was learned that Learmont was secretly married and he was the father of three children. Technically, he should have never been hired as the NWMP only engaged single men. John Learmont died in Dawson in 1939. He was buried in the Hillside Cemetery in Dawson. But, Constable Learmont was not the only constable from PEI to have been secretly married when he joined the Force.
By far, the most famous case of a secretly married NWMP was Reg.#41, Martin Malcolm McIntosh who served in the NWMP under an alias. Born in Springton, PEI in 1844, McIntosh was originally employed as a tailor with the Militia in Kingston, ON. When recruitment for the NWMP first began, he moved to Toronto and, on October 8th, 1873, he joined the NWMP under Major Macleod. At the time, he did not reveal to Recruiting Officers that he was married or that he had two children. McIntosh played a prominent role as one of the Originals on the March West in 1874, and in 1885 he fought in the North West Rebellion in Saskatchewan. During his career, he also served at various posts throughout Western Canada including Fort Macleod, Regina and Battleford.
After a long and honourable career spanning twenty-five years, McIntosh retired in 1898. Interestingly, he was the first NWMP other than an Officer to receive a pension -- .90c per day. More interestingly, his true identity was never revealed until his death in 1933. Inspector James Oliver Fripps was the Commanding Officer of PEI when he was alerted to a discrepancy in McIntosh's name. Martin Malcolm McIntosh also held an alias and he served in the NWMP as Staff Sergeant John Alfred Martin. M. M. McIntosh was buried in the People's Cemetery in Charlottetown, PEI.
Since the inception of the NWMP about 150 years ago, by far the vast number of recruits who joined the RCMP have served honourably throughout their careers. Only a handful of recruits ever brought discredit to the Force and misdeeds by any police officer were never tolerated. The case of Staff Sergeant McIntosh is of particular interest in that he served a long career in the NWMP which spanned twenty five years, but that his true identity was never uncovered.
The Evening Patriot. Obituary. (Charlottetown, PEI). October 17, 1933
Reporting from Fort Healy,
J. J. Healy
July, 23, 2022
