Skip to content

Historical whodunit: Tale of foul play part of Salmon Arm cemetery tour

Tour planned for old section of Mt. Ida Cemetery
30459243_web1_220923-SAA-cemetery-tour-who-dunnit_1
Thought to be Sam Kee, circa 1909 - 1914. Image courtesy the Denis Marshall Collection in the archives at R.J. Haney Heritage Village & Museum.

By Deborah Chapman

Special to the Observer

Harry McDiarmid and Gus Tweeddale: two kids out for a summer stroll through the cottonwoods, west of Salmon Arm on the Adams Lake Reserve.

The year was 1924. A howling dog drew their attention to a partially covered body. There were indications of foul play and vegetables haphazardly scattered near the tracks. The lads rushed to town for help.

Evidence was gathered and an intensive manhunt followed. A watch belonging to someone else was found at the scene, the victim’s hat was found down the tracks, and a trail of blood showed the body had been dragged some distance.

Sam Kee’s dog followed its master’s body as it was moved to M.M. Carroll’s funeral parlour. He scratched at the door all night. After the coroner, Dr. Connolly, attended, Matty Carroll dressed the body. He found $640 in the dead man’s tobacco pouch fastened around his waist.

The case remained unsolved for two years.

To find out the whodunit of this tale, join archivist/curator Deborah Chapman’s tour of the old section of Mt. Ida Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 16th.

Call R.J. Haney Heritage Village & Museum for details at 250-832-5243.

Read more: Curator digging up stories of love, heartbreak, joy and tragedy for cemetery tour

Read more: Whose grave is marked by the oldest tombstone in Salmon Arm’s Mount Ida Cemetery?

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

Sign up for our newsletter to get Salmon Arm stories in your inbox every morning.