The Hanging of Peter Kakua - Douglas & Newcastle Islands

[dpill]

I just finished reading a book called Newcastle A place of discovery. It confirms the leper colony is on D'arcy island. I learned so much about newcastle island, the most relevant: Being used as a small pox quarantine. At least One body was buried there due to a small pox outbreak. Not to be confused with the body of peter "kakua?" the Kanaka native who brutally murdered his wife, child, and inlaws. The crime was commited in nanaimo however neither aboriginal or european white man wanted the kanaka buried on their respective burial grounds. This leads me to believe Newcastle almost became the unofficial Kanaka burial ground! Newcastle island is not as pristine as i once thought great book!

[riverrat]

I thought the Kanaka guy was hanged at Gallows Pt on Protection Island and then buried in an unmarked grave at what is now Kanaka Bay - or did they exhume him at some point? Anyway, we digress...

[dpill]

I thought the Kanaka guy was hanged at Gallows Pt on Protection Island and then buried in an unmarked grave at what is now Kanaka Bay - or did they exhume him at some point? Anyway, we digress...

Yes he was buried in an unmarked grave as neither majority groups in the area wanted this man buried in their own cemetarys. I dont recall exactly how they found him but in the 30's a company did unearth his casket noting "well preserved leather shoes"

Thus another unmarked grave in a seperate location. Heard any of the ghost stories?

[Nostradama]

His name was Peter Kakua. Long, long story there. A lot of politics. Even at the time there were recommendations that his sentence be commuted.

[riverrat]

(I moved this conversation about Peter Kakua to its own thread, folks - thanks)

Wasn't he hanged on Douglas (now Protection) Island? The south end is called Gallows Point and it's named for him, right?

[kickidee]

I heard that story too from the days when the stern wheelers would take you to see the sea Lions at the log booms near Harmac. the Captain was full of rich stories about the history of the area. Wish the stern wheelers would come back.
I hear there was a great police chase through Gallows Point where Peter was hanged.
I do not know that he was buried there but I am going to take a look at these books.

[Nostradama]

(I moved this conversation about Peter Kakua to its own thread, folks - thanks)

Wasn't he hanged on Douglas (now Protection) Island? The south end is called Gallows Point and it's named for him, right?

It's my understanding that he was hanged at Gallows Point, which is strange. At that point in BC history, people were usually hanged in New Westminster. Not putting too fine a point on it, executing a person by hanging is not an easy job. (I tend to believe the rumours that the hanging of Saddam Hussein was a botched job.) So I wonder if they brought the hangman over from New Westminster to do it?

The "Wild McLean Boys", for example, were brought about 300 miles from the interior of BC and were hanged in New Westminster. Long story there, too.

People were still being hanged in my lifetime, and as I recall it, it was an official government job, albeit part-time. The hangman was always called "Mr. Brown" (I think) to protect the person's identity.

[Nostradama]

that when the Wild McLean Boys were hanged, New Westminster was the capital of BC, and it was two separate colonies. Will have to check dates, but doing the chick thing--getting ready to meet new hairstylist. Quit the last one when I left looking like Laura Bush. Sorry, but I was never an elementary school librarian, don't want to look like one in old age.