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E266: The Redpath Murders
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On a quiet June evening in 1901, gunshots shattered the calm inside Montreal’s lavish Redpath Mansion. By night’s end, two members of one of Canada’s wealthiest families—Ada Maria Redpath, 59, and her 24-year-old son, Jocelyn Clifford Redpath—were dead. But what really happened inside the secluded estate at 1065 Sherbrooke Street? Was it a tragic accident, a desperate act, or something far more sinister? Step inside the gilded world of the Golden Square Mile to uncover a century-old mystery that still haunts Canadian history.
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Transcript
The Golden Square Mile: Wealth and Influence
00:00:00
Speaker
In the early 1900s, nestled along the slopes of Mount Royal and Montreal, sat a distinguished neighborhood known as the Golden Square Mile. Here, Canada's wealthiest families lived insulated from the bustling industrial reality of Montreal below.
00:00:17
Speaker
This was not just an affluent community. It was the epicenter of power, privilege, and influence. According to Luke Rinaldi and Courtney Shea in their Reader's Digest article, Canada's Most Riveting Unsolved Mysteries, 70% of Canada's wealth at the time rested in the hands of these select families.
00:00:40
Speaker
This was a place of wealth and of grand parties. The residents of the Square Mile shaped Montreal not only through their immense wealth, but also through their cultural patronage.
00:00:53
Speaker
Mansions of limestone and brick stood as testaments to the city's growing prosperity. Yet these homes were not mere residences. They were carefully designed symbols of social standing.
The Redpath Mansion: A Symbol of Prestige
00:01:05
Speaker
The Redpath Mansion 1065 Sherbrooke Street. was a prime example, a sturdy, opulent home constructed from local gray limestone, indicative of the Redpath family's enduring stability and legacy.
00:01:20
Speaker
Originally built in 1870 for the Redpath family by architect John James Brown, the mansion featured the classical grandeur of the era, an elegant stone facade, dormer windows, and a drive leading visitors ceremoniously to its grand entrance.
00:01:38
Speaker
Inside, every detail reinforced social order and propriety. The home's interior was crafted to reflect strict Victorian sensibilities. Guests entered through a formal vestibule into reception rooms.
00:01:52
Speaker
designed specifically to entertain visitors. According to Anne-Marie Adams and colleagues, in their paper, she must not stir out of a darkened room. The family's private quarters remained deliberately separate from these public spaces, a clear delineation between the seen and unseen, reflecting the delicate balance between public visibility and private secrecy prevalent among Montreal's elite.
00:02:20
Speaker
The mansion was more than just a residence. It was a part of a carefully constructed narrative that projected power and cultivated privacy simultaneously.
00:02:31
Speaker
Not far from their homes stood significant public buildings bearing the Redpath name, McGill University's Redpath Library, and the Redpath Museum.
The Redpath Murders: A Tale of Mystery and Privilege
00:02:42
Speaker
Funded generously by Redpath family members, these buildings further cemented their status in Montreal's history, showcasing their philanthropic contributions and lasting influence.
00:02:54
Speaker
Yet despite their prominence and visible contributions, the families of the square mile were meticulously private. Reputation was currency here, and the scandals were buried quickly beneath layers of wealth and discretion.
00:03:08
Speaker
Montreal historian Marion Scott notes in the book Grandad's Montreal 1901 that the social elite were known to swiftly handle matters internally, often bypassing public institutions entirely.
00:03:22
Speaker
Such insularity helped to maintain a sense of untouchable respectability, a facade that would be crucial when tragedy struck the Red Paths. Our case this week is the story of privilege and despair.
00:03:35
Speaker
of a family whose name meant influence, and how that influence may have been used to obscure a dark truth. This is a story of two gunshots, maybe three, of a city shocked and a family
Podcast Introduction: Coffee and Cases
00:03:50
Speaker
silenced.
00:03:50
Speaker
This is a tale that begins in a gilded parlor and ends in unanswered questions. This is the case of the Redpath Murders.
Marriage and Family Dynamics of the Redpaths
00:04:34
Speaker
Welcome to Coffee and Cases, where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Allison Williams. And my name is Maggie Dameron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement so justice and closure can be brought to these families.
00:04:54
Speaker
With each case, we encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee in Cases Podcast, because, as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping keep their memories alive.
00:05:07
Speaker
So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week. Sleuth Hounds, for our case, we are going back to the turn of the century, to 1901.
00:05:18
Speaker
And it is actually one that, while not as well known here in the United States, is apparently one of the most intriguing Canadian unsolved cases. And even though Maggie isn't with me this week, I know how much she loves Canada. So I decided to cover this case.
00:05:35
Speaker
Now that you have an idea of the wealth of the Redpath family at the time, the expectations of those who lived in the Golden Square Mile, and the sense of decorum, let me tell you about the individuals in the Redpath family and kind of guide us into the events of June 13, 1901.
00:05:50
Speaker
nineteen or one One of the families residing in this prestigious neighborhood of the Square Mile was the Mills family. Ada Maria Mills was born in April 1842, and she was the youngest daughter of John Easton Mills and Hannah Lyman.
00:06:09
Speaker
Her father was a prominent Montreal merchant who achieved further distinction when he was elected mayor of Montreal in 1846. However, tragedy struck the family when Mayor Mills died of typhus the following year while caring for infected immigrants in his city.
00:06:27
Speaker
His youngest daughter, Ada, had been only five. Despite the early loss of her father, Ada belonged to a well-off family, ensuring a privileged upbringing alongside her three older sisters.
00:06:41
Speaker
On the other side of the story was the Redpath family, whose name would become synonymous with Canadian industry. John James Redpath was born on January 13, 1834, the youngest of seven children, from the first marriage of family patriarch John Redpath Sr. to Janet McPhee.
00:07:01
Speaker
John Redpath Sr. had immigrated to Montreal from Scotland in 1816, and through his skills as a stonemason and his astute business sense, built a significant fortune in construction.
00:07:14
Speaker
He further expanded his holdings by investing in real estate, acquiring a vast tract of land on the slopes of Mount Royal, a portion of which he would later develop into the Square Mile, where his family, as well as the Mills family, would later reside.
00:07:29
Speaker
In 1854, John Redpath Sr. established Canada's first sugar refinery. Remember that I said this golden square mile was very insular.
00:07:41
Speaker
It was so even in the sense that sons usually followed in their father's footsteps. Families remained in the family homes that were built there and children of one prominent family married children of other prominent families there.
00:07:55
Speaker
So it seemed only natural that in 1867, Maria Mills, the youngest daughter of the one-time mayor, married John James Redpath, youngest son of the Construction and Sugar Empire, in Putney, near London, England.
00:08:10
Speaker
This union brought together two prominent Montreal families, further solidifying their position within the city's elite. Notably, and i'm bringing this up because I'm so impressed, Ada entered the marriage with a significant degree of financial independence.
00:08:26
Speaker
Her marriage contract actually stipulated that she would retain total control of her own prior wealth and assets as if she had never married.
00:08:38
Speaker
This arrangement ensured her financial autonomy. The couple went on to have five children, Amy, the oldest and only girl, Peter, the eldest boy, John Reginald, Harold, and the baby boy, Jocelyn Clifford, called Cliff.
00:08:56
Speaker
All five children were born between 1868 and 1876. While Father John James initially worked in the family sugar refinery, becoming a partner in 1860, he later pursued a different path, leaving the business eight years later to become an officer in the Victoria Rifles, a volunteer military regiment in Montreal.
00:09:17
Speaker
He passed away on June 4, 1884, and was buried in the Redpath family plot at the Mount Royal Cemetery. Ada was left a widow at the age of 42, with five children to raise in their square mile mansion.
Ada Redpath's Health Struggles
00:09:32
Speaker
The family home at 1065 Sherbrooke Street, which was actually paid for by Ada in 1870, would become the backdrop for their lives and ultimately for the tragedy we will soon be discussing.
00:09:45
Speaker
The Redpath family, despite their immense wealth, was significantly impacted by various health issues that permeated their lives. And I'm bringing these up because they can potentially have an impact on our view of theories in this case.
00:09:58
Speaker
Matriarch Ada Redpath. suffered from a range of chronic ailments, including ulceration of the eyes, neuralgia of the jaw, and painful joints, which necessitated the use of a brace.
00:10:10
Speaker
She also experienced melancholia, a term used at the time that aligns with what is now understood as depression. These conditions significantly affected her daily life, leading to extended periods spent away from her family in pursuit of medical treatment.
00:10:28
Speaker
For example, Ada sought relief in a sanatorium in upper New York State and also traveled to places like Saratoga Springs and Dr. Strong's sanatorium in the Adirondacks, indicating the family's willingness and ability to utilize their financial resources to address her health problems.
00:10:47
Speaker
And she would often be away for extensive periods of time. There are actually several letters from Ada to her children apologizing for her absence, but always telling them why she was away.
00:10:59
Speaker
For example, the brace she had built, no doctor in Montreal had the ability to adjust nor work on it, so it had to be perfect before she left to come home. As her health deteriorated further in the years leading up to the tragedy, she increasingly remained confined to her bedroom and not even coming downstairs in the home for family birthday parties or other social events, becoming physically and emotionally dependent on both her daughter, Amy, and her son, Clifford, the two children who are still living at home.
00:11:34
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Ada herself described her life as, quote, a burden, end quote, questioning whether her life was now worth living, which highlights, of course, the profound impact of her illnesses.
00:11:46
Speaker
Peter Whiteford Redpath, Ada's eldest son, also faced significant health challenges. He suffered from sciatica and also, later, tuberculosis.
00:11:57
Speaker
Similar to his mother, Peter spent considerable time away from home during his life seeking medical care. His pursuit of a cure actually took him to Europe and various locations across North America, making it hard, according to one of my sources, for him to work.
00:12:12
Speaker
Within the Redpath household, Amy Redpath, as the eldest and only daughter, took on a significant matriarchal role, especially with her mother's declining health.
00:12:23
Speaker
With her father, John James Redpath, having passed away, and her mother, Ada, suffering from chronic and worsening health issues, the responsibility of managing the household and attending to the needs of her ailing mother and other siblings fell largely upon Amy's shoulders.
00:12:39
Speaker
This was a common expectation for unmarried daughters in the era. who are often expected to postpone marriage for themselves to care for family members. Amy embraced these duties earnestly, remaining unmarried until the age of 38, five years after the events of this case.
00:12:58
Speaker
Amy's responsibilities were extensive, all the practical and logistical aspects of running a large and wealthy household. She was in charge of hiring and managing the domestic staff, which included live-in servants, a handyman, a gardener, a sewing girl, etc.
00:13:13
Speaker
Amy was also responsible for paying bills, organizing repairs and renovations, overseeing spring cleaning, and undertaking almost all of the family's shopping. Her days were often structured around these tasks, alongside her social obligations befitting a woman of her social standing in Montreal's Square Mile.
00:13:31
Speaker
Beyond the general household management, Amy played a crucial role in her mother's care. She accompanied Ada to medical and dental appointments and kept a vigil at her bedside, particularly during difficult periods of illness.
00:13:45
Speaker
I mean, that's a lot for anyone. Jocelyn Clifford Redpath, the youngest son, also played a significant role in the household, particularly in relation to his mother.
00:13:57
Speaker
As the only son residing at home in the period leading up to the 1901 tragedy, Clifford was responsible for managing the family fortune, although he did so with the advice of his older brother Peter and his uncles.
00:14:10
Speaker
He was described as devoted and attentive to his mother Ada. Clifford frequently traveled with his mother, as did Amy, to upper New York State during the summers, kept her company, and read to her when her health issues flared.
00:14:24
Speaker
He also oversaw her care whenever his sister Amy was absent from the house. This was a considerable responsibility for Clifford, especially as he was also studying for his bar exam after graduating from McGill University's law program in 1900.
The Night of the Murders
00:14:39
Speaker
In fact, in the days leading up to the tragedy, Cliff submitted an application for the bar exam, accompanied by his $30 check. There were even discussions at the law firm where he had apprenticed about the possibility of him becoming a partner once he passed the bar.
00:14:55
Speaker
I should also mention here that so many of my sources noted that Amy would write out Cliff's law notes for him, for him to use to study. And I got a little chuckle out of this because I thought this must have been the first Cliff's notes.
00:15:10
Speaker
Peter Whiteford Redpath, the eldest son and now married, was, as I mentioned before, largely absent from the daily life of the household in the years leading up to the tragic events. While he was present at the family home on the evening of the tragedy, his prolonged absences due to illness meant that the primary domestic responsibilities and care of Ada fell to Amy and Cliff.
00:15:33
Speaker
And that brings us to the evening in question. The evening of June 13, 1901 began quietly within the refined walls of the Redpath Mansion. As dusk settled gently over Montreal's affluent Golden Square Mile, there was nothing to indicate trouble.
00:15:51
Speaker
Ada Redpath had retired early to her bedroom, reportedly feeling unwell, a common occurrence given her history of frail health. Servants moved softly through the mansion's rooms, turning down lamps and setting the house in order, unaware that the tranquility was about to be shattered.
00:16:08
Speaker
Around six o'clock, youngest son Cliff returned home. According to Alicia Enos in the article, history buffs still fascinated with the Redpath Mansion murders 115 years later, older brother Peter recalled that Cliff appeared, quote, ill and tired, end quote, as he entered the mansion.
00:16:28
Speaker
He is studying for the bar exam after all. Down the hall, 24-year-old Clifford stepped softly toward his mother's room to check on her. It was a routine born of love and concern.
00:16:40
Speaker
Ada hadn't been feeling well, and Clifford, ever the devoted son, had been keeping watch. He pushed to open the door to his mother's chamber. For a moment, all was tranquil. Outside, the city's bustle had faded, leaving only the calm rustle of summer leaves and the distant clip-clop of a carriage on cobblestones.
00:16:59
Speaker
Suddenly, that peace was shattered. A gunshot exploded within the mansion's walls, reverberating down the corridors, In an instant, another bang, followed by a third.
00:17:12
Speaker
Panicked footsteps thundered as the household sprung to life. Ada's eldest son, Peter, raced towards the sound, his heart in his throat. Servants gasped, frozen in place, teacups rattling on their trays.
00:17:25
Speaker
In the span of mere seconds, the silence erupted into chaos. Peter burst into Ada's bedroom and staggered at the sight before him. Ada lay on the floor, blood pooling beneath her.
00:17:37
Speaker
Cliff was sprawled not far from her, a crimson stream trickling from his temple. A pistol lay near Clifford's limp right hand. Within the mansion's opulent walls, a nightmare had just unfolded.
00:17:52
Speaker
Within minutes, Ada's only daughter Amy and the household staff crowd the doorway, faces pale and hearts pounding. They need help, quickly, but the family's doctor is not here. He's away traveling, so a servant was dispatched into the night to fetch any physician available.
00:18:09
Speaker
It is now that Amy's instincts as the new head of household were finally kicking in. They must contain this tragedy. shielded from prying eyes. Amy Redpath, the steadfast daughter, quickly stepped forward, assuming control amid the growing turmoil, and you'll see why I assume it was her role after the tragedy when we talk here in detail in just a moment.
00:18:31
Speaker
Notably, however, she did not send for the police, a decision that would later ignite suspicion and speculation. Instead, Amy's priority seemed clear, and it's what I just mentioned.
00:18:43
Speaker
contain the scene, and maintain the family's privacy at all costs. The Redpath family closed ranks, silently managing this unprecedented family tragedy behind firmly shut doors.
The Inquest and Emerging Theories
00:18:57
Speaker
A local physician confirmed the grim reality. Ada was beyond saving. Clifford, too, showed no or at least very faint signs of life. Now is when their own questions likely began.
00:19:10
Speaker
What on earth happened? How could this happen? Where had the gun or guns come from and also present in their minds? How to present this horror to the world without damaging their carefully maintained image?
00:19:24
Speaker
Peter, the eldest son present, would later recall his initial observations. Quote, I saw my brother, the deceased, arriving home at around six o'clock. He seemed ill and was tired.
00:19:35
Speaker
working hard to prepare for his bar exams. He went up to the room of my mother, Ada Maria Mills, age 62, and a few seconds later I heard a shot from a firearm, followed by two others.
00:19:47
Speaker
I ran up and broke down the door. I saw my mother lying on the floor, and several feet from her, my brother, also lying in a pool of blood, a revolver a foot away from him, near his hand, end quote.
00:20:00
Speaker
His words would form the backbone of the family's official account. painting a tragic picture of Clifford as both perpetrator and victim. But as Montreal woke the following day, rumors had already begun to circulate among servants, neighbors, and curious bystanders.
00:20:17
Speaker
Whisperings of unanswered questions, suspicious details, and inexplicable contradictions. While the mansion doors remained firmly closed, the mystery had already escaped, drifting into the city streets, growing more tangled by the hour.
00:20:32
Speaker
The Calgary Herald wrote of Ada that she was, quote, afflicted with nervous trouble, and it is surmised her mind had been affected, and she attempted to take her life, the son probably losing his life in an attempt to save her, end quote.
00:20:47
Speaker
The New York Times called her, quote, temporarily deranged, end quote, due to her insomnia. Still other newspapers stated, quote, son shot his mother, end quote.
00:21:12
Speaker
With the dawn of June 14, 1901, came the necessity of addressing the tragedy officially. But again, the Red Paths managed the situation carefully. Rather than turning matters over to the police, a private coroner's inquest was hastily convened within the mansion's very walls.
00:21:31
Speaker
13 respected Montreal citizens gathered, all of them familiar names within the Redpath's exclusive social circle. Holding the inquest at home, ah highly unusual step, allowed the family significant control over both the setting and the narrative.
00:21:47
Speaker
Peter Redpath's testimony was pivotal in framing that official narrative. He described hearing gunshots shortly after Clifford entered their mother's room and rushing upstairs to find the devastating scene.
00:21:59
Speaker
Peter's version of events underscored a singular narrative. Clifford, exhausted and unwell, must have succumbed to tragic psychological or medical breakdown, shooting Ada before turning the gun on himself.
00:22:14
Speaker
Significantly, Dr. Thomas Roddick, the family's trusted physician, though not physically present during the crisis, remember I told you that he was away, still provided critical medical testimony during the inquest.
00:22:25
Speaker
According to Jason Roberts in the Redpath Murders, Roddick suggested that Clifford, suffering from an epileptic seizure, might have experienced temporary insanity, rendering him, quote, unconscious of what he was doing, end quote, at the time of the shootings.
00:22:42
Speaker
Remarkably, there were no previous medical records or known episodes of epilepsy that were documented for Cliff prior to the event. Lots of other family members had notable medical issues, but no mention of anything for Clifford prior to this point.
00:22:57
Speaker
And as you can imagine, this quote-unquote new diagnosis raised immediate suspicion among outsiders regarding the validity of this explanation, especially as now there seemed to be a recollection of foam around Cliff's mouth when he was found, apparently a reference to an epileptic seizure.
00:23:15
Speaker
Despite contradictions presented during the inquest, including made Rosa Shallow's statement that she saw two revolvers at the crime scene, and by the way, she wasn't the only one to make this claim.
00:23:28
Speaker
While Peter only mentioned the one gun near Cliff's hand, Rosa mentioned two guns. Additionally, the doctor who came to the home and another servant, Charles Fleet, also acknowledged that one gun had two empty chambers and a second gun had one empty chamber, meaning that there were two guns.
00:23:49
Speaker
If there were indeed two guns and not just one, this suggests a scenario more complex than Peter described. But despite those contradictions, the coroner's jury swiftly accepted Roddick's medical rationale.
00:24:03
Speaker
Per Sidney Ingram in Was There a Murder at Redpath Manor, they concluded officially that Clifford Redpath, during an epileptic fit, shot his mother Ada and then himself.
00:24:15
Speaker
A tragic but understandable family catastrophe, free of criminal implications or scandalous motives. The official verdict, neatly summarized, spared the Red Pass the embarrassment and scrutiny of a public police investigation, of court proceedings, or of broader media exposure.
00:24:34
Speaker
Ada and Clifford's bodies were quietly buried within 48 hours, a strikingly rapid conclusion further reinforcing the family's desire for discretion and control over their personal tragedy.
00:24:48
Speaker
According to Marion Scott in Grandad's Montreal 1901, the speed and silence surrounding the burial epitomized the influence wielded by such wealthy, prominent families in Montreal who lived by a different set of rules than the average citizen.
00:25:04
Speaker
But the more the family ignored rumors and weren't willing to address anything concerning what happened that evening, those lingering questions slowly grew into persistent suspicions, seeding doubt that would endure for decades.
00:25:17
Speaker
Though the inquest had officially closed the case, the story of Ada and Clifford Redpath was far from settled in Montreal's collective imagination. Instead, it would become a persistent puzzle, mostly due to all of the contradictions.
00:25:32
Speaker
So let's talk about some more of those now. One glaring contradiction that I've already mentioned is how many revolvers were present at the scene. This discrepancy that was obviously largely ignored by the coroner's jury raises the troubling possibility that another individual may have been involved, or at the very least, that the event did not occur exactly as portrayed by Peter.
00:25:55
Speaker
After all, If there's only one perpetrator, and that is either Ada attempting to commit suicide and Cliff stopping her, or Cliff bringing the gun in why bring two?
00:26:10
Speaker
Even the number of shots and where the injuries were located contradicted one another depending on which account one read. For example, in the testimonies of people there, like Peter and Rosa, Ada was shot in the back of the head and Peter in the left temple with no mention of the third shot.
00:26:28
Speaker
The Quebec Daily Mercury reported that Cliff had shot his mother and then had shot himself twice. In still another account, the result of the coroner's jury, reported that Ada Redpath had been shot two times, once in the back of the head and once in the right shoulder, and Cliff had been shot in the left temple.
00:26:48
Speaker
Further undermining the official story was the questionable medical explanation given by Dr. Thomas Roddick. While he insisted Clifford suffered from an epileptic seizure causing temporary insanity, according to him, no medical records nor prior family correspondence supported this claim.
00:27:06
Speaker
Clifford had never publicly nor privately displayed symptoms associated with epilepsy prior to this tragic night. More troubling still, Dr. Roddick was not even in Montreal at the time of the tragedy. He was traveling elsewhere, casting significant doubt on his ability to assess the scene accurately.
00:27:25
Speaker
This critical piece of testimony, which heavily influenced the inquest's conclusion, appeared suspiciously convenient, particularly given Dr. Roddick's later close association with Amy Redpath.
00:27:38
Speaker
They would later marry. Add to that the fact that a double shooting in a prominent household would naturally warrant official investigation, yet the police were never involved.
00:27:49
Speaker
Could this swift containment have been designed to hide something deeper, an embarrassing family secret or scandalous circumstance? Several theories have emerged over the decades as to what may have happened.
00:28:03
Speaker
So let's explore several of those, and I want to know which one you, sleuth hounds, think is most plausible. Let's start with the official scenario. It is that Cliff suffered from an epileptic seizure and accidentally shot his mother.
00:28:16
Speaker
before turning the gun on himself. The doctor who went to the scene mentioned foaming at Cliff's mouth, and Dr. Roddick said at the inquest, quote, the son is epileptic and not responsible for his acts before, during, and after his attacks, end quote.
00:28:33
Speaker
As a result, the jury determined, quote, while unconscious of what he was doing and temporarily insane, owing to an epileptic attack from which he was suffering at the time, end quote.
00:28:45
Speaker
While an incredibly offensive view of epilepsy at the time, this was the belief that it was a mental illness akin to insanity. I just wonder, though, how someone in an epileptic seizure could aim the gun and then turn the gun on oneself.
00:29:02
Speaker
And if an accident, where did the gun come from in the first place? Why would it even be in the room since none of the household servants recalled ever seeing a gun before in the house?
00:29:17
Speaker
And if there were two guns, I have even more questions. Theory number two, another early suggestion reported by Toronto's Globe newspaper at the time, proposed an entirely different scenario.
00:29:30
Speaker
Ada herself was initially armed and suicidal based on her depression, her long illnesses, and her viewing life as a burden. For example, the previous summer, Ada wrote to her son Cliff, quote, I've not been able to attempt any correspondence this summer, eyes and hand, body and mind.
00:29:49
Speaker
all seem utterly to have failed end quote. This theory suggested Clifford was accidentally shot in an attempt to wrestle the gun from his distressed mother.
00:30:01
Speaker
Realizing her tragic mistake, Ada had then turned the gun upon herself. Though compelling emotionally, this explanation is difficult to reconcile with the forensic reality of Ada's wound placement, shot from behind, and even of Cliff's injury at his temple, casting doubt upon its plausibility.
00:30:22
Speaker
Additionally, Redpath had a dinner party scheduled for that evening. In an article for The Globe, the author noted that Ada had sent out invitations to a dinner party for that evening and, quote, the guests knew nothing until their arrival when they were told by servants an accident had taken place, end quote.
00:30:40
Speaker
The fact that she had future plans throws this theory into question.
Family Dynamics and Financial Independence
00:30:46
Speaker
Theory number three, another enduring rumor involved Clifford's personal life. Donovan King, founder of Montreal's ghost tour company Haunted Montreal, noted lingering local speculation suggesting Clifford may have secretly identified as homosexual, a highly stigmatized revelation in the conservative upper-class circles of early 20th century Montreal.
00:31:09
Speaker
These theorists speculate that a confrontation or revelation about Clifford's sexuality may have led to conflict, emotional distress, or impulsive violence.
00:31:20
Speaker
This scenario, just like previous ones, remains highly speculative and completely unsupported by concrete evidence. There is no indication, number one, of Cliff's sexual preferences and number two, of any sort of violent behavior from either of the pair in the past.
00:31:42
Speaker
Theory number four, this one involves Cliff as well, and it is that he resorted to violence as a result of his high stress related to his upcoming bar exam and of his increased drinking at the time.
00:31:55
Speaker
The Quebec Daily Mercury stated that Cliff and his mother had been arguing frequently of late and that Cliff was, quote, under the influence of liquor at the time of the tragedy, end quote.
00:32:06
Speaker
If this were true, it's highly likely that Peter would not have mentioned drinking, that he would have kept that fact hidden to protect the family reputation because it would have made the shootings clearly Cliff's fault and not an accident.
00:32:22
Speaker
Could it have been vomit on Cliff's mouth and not foam, as reported by the doctor? To play devil's advocate, many argue such an act of violence was not in Cliff's nature.
00:32:36
Speaker
ah sympathy letter Amy received said of the tragedy, quote, it haunted me and dwelt with me, and I grieve for your dear brother, for whom I chose Lily's, as being emblematic of the purity of his life and character.
00:32:49
Speaker
a sweeter smile than his I never saw. Very, very few young men have had so high an ideal in life, and I think If I had been asked for a perfect type of life, I should have thought of him as a model, end quote.
00:33:04
Speaker
Theory number five, financial motives, too, have been explored. Though Ada's wealth was substantial, she had that prenuptial agreement ensuring her finances remained distinct from the Redpath fortune.
00:33:17
Speaker
And while some speculated Amy or other siblings might have stood to gain significantly from the deaths, this theory falters under scrutiny. Ada's eldest surviving son, Peter, still held primary claim over family affairs,
00:33:33
Speaker
Rendering financial motives tenuous at best, Amy, too, was in charge of her own fortune. Nevertheless, the presence of wealth, inheritance, and family dynamics kept the whispers of this theory alive.
00:33:48
Speaker
Theory six involves Peter and some inconsistencies in accounts of his memory of the evening. Peter said that when he heard one shot followed by two others, he, quote, ran up and broke down the door, end quote.
00:34:02
Speaker
In contrast, the article, a Blood-Soaked Tragedy from La Petrie, published on June 14, 1901, stated the following, quote, Yesterday afternoon at around 4.30, young Clifford, upon returning home from the university, entered the room of his brother, who happened by chance to be at home.
00:34:21
Speaker
After exchanging a few words with him, Clifford left and entered his mother's room, which was on the same floor. Mr. Redpath, the brother, who was dressing, barely paid any attention to the young man.
00:34:32
Speaker
An instant later, a shot, immediately followed by another, was heard in Mrs. Redpath's bedroom, freezing with fear the unfortunate son who had stayed in his room. Recovering immediately, Mr. Redpath rushed forward, but as he was about to open the door to his mother's room, a third shot rang out from within.
00:34:51
Speaker
Throwing his shoulder against the door, Mr. Redpath broke it down and entered the room. A horrible scene awaited him. His mother, with a hideous wound to her head, lay in a pool of blood.
00:35:01
Speaker
Young Clifford lay next to her, also covered in blood. Panic-stricken, Mr. Redpath tried to revive his mother. Unable to do so, he rang the bell desperately to summon the two servants who were alone with him in the house.
00:35:14
Speaker
He enjoined them to run to the nearest doctor." and quote Is this just another case of mistaken details in this newspaper account?
Amy Redpath’s Influence and Legacy
00:35:24
Speaker
After all, Peter said he ran up the stairs.
00:35:28
Speaker
The article says he was just across the hall, even closer. Was Peter alone, as this news article said, or was Amy in the home too? And how did the door get closed and locked?
00:35:42
Speaker
But again, to play devil's advocate, Peter was in control of the family finances, ultimately, anyway. What motive could he have had to have been responsible for these killings.
00:35:54
Speaker
Since Peter was the oldest son, even though he was ill, Cliff didn't make financial decisions without also consulting him. And soon after the deaths, Peter's health drastically declined, leading to his own death.
00:36:09
Speaker
Theory number seven, perhaps the most provocative suspicion, circled Amy Redpath herself. As the oldest daughter and immediate controller of the family's narrative following the shootings, Amy naturally fell under scrutiny.
00:36:23
Speaker
Some speculate, could Amy have orchestrated or at least influenced events to conceal something deeply compromising? Her subsequent marriage to Dr. Thomas Roddick, the physician who conveniently provided Clifford's questionable epilepsy diagnosis, further fueled suspicion.
00:36:41
Speaker
Since, as I mentioned before, daughters at the time often stayed unmarried to care for ill parents and only married after, Those who believe this theory question, did Amy secretly want not just her mother's suffering to end, but to have the opportunity to marry?
00:36:59
Speaker
Additionally, while Amy documented almost everything about her daily life in her diary, including that she initially felt her niece wasn't the prettiest baby, super sad, though to her credit, she did soon change her mind, she didn't talk about what happened on that night, nor any emotions associated with it.
00:37:17
Speaker
However, evidence directly implicating Amy also remains elusive, making this theory tantalizing but completely inconclusive. After all, she waited five more years after the fateful night before marrying, hinting that this wasn't a likely motive.
00:37:37
Speaker
Plus, by all accounts, she was a wonderful caretaker of her mother. Or, sleuth-hounds, was it something else entirely? Even more unsettling was the apparent sanitation of historical records.
00:37:51
Speaker
Montreal City Archives contained no suicide records for June 1901, despite Clifford's officially recorded suicide at the inquest. This omission hints strongly at deliberate suppression or influence, perhaps evidence of the Red Pass's significant societal clout and their ability to shape historical records in their favor, and this is why we may never know what truly happened.
00:38:16
Speaker
What remains clear among these contradictions and theories, probably the only clear thing, is that none of the theories offer a fully satisfactory explanation. Each scenario poses questions of its own.
00:38:28
Speaker
Ultimately, the Red Path murders became less about solving a straightforward crime and more about unraveling the deeper psychological, familial, and social tensions hidden beneath Montreal's polished veneer.
00:38:42
Speaker
So, which theory do you think is the most plausible? In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, Amy Redpath emerged as the dominant figure within the family.
00:38:54
Speaker
Her decisive actions shaped both the family's public image and the private reality in the ensuing years. Within days of the incident, she began quietly destroying personal letters, correspondences, and diaries that might hint at underlying family tensions and or embarrassing revelations.
00:39:12
Speaker
In an August 1901 letter to a relative, according to Anne-Marie Adams and her colleagues in She Must Not Stir Out of a Darkened Room, Amy openly acknowledged, quote, I spent yesterday sorting and tearing up old letters, rather a mournful business, end quote.
00:39:29
Speaker
What was in these letters that she felt she needed to not just throw them away, but destroy them? Throughout it all, Amy maintained a composed exterior, quietly grieving while resolutely refraining from public discussion about the incident.
00:39:44
Speaker
Her manner implicitly communicated the Red Pass stance. A tragic medical anomaly had occurred, best left private, out of respect for family dignity. Her control extended into the family's social circles.
00:39:57
Speaker
It is for this reason that many believe the condolence letters received by the family notably praised Clifford's virtues, and carefully avoided referencing his alleged culpability in his mother's death.
00:40:08
Speaker
Friends and relatives seemingly followed Amy's unspoken directive, sidestepping awkward or painful details in favor of polite, comforting language. Thus, Amy not only shaped the family's memory, but also influenced how society perceived and discussed the tragedy.
00:40:25
Speaker
Five years after the tragedy, she quietly married Dr. Thomas Roddick, the man whose testimony had defined the verdict. Their union strengthened the alliance responsible for establishing and maintaining the Red Path narrative.
00:40:39
Speaker
Together, they continued to influence Montreal's social and cultural landscape through continued philanthropy and civic contributions. Notably, Amy commissioned McGill University's iconic Roddick Gates in memory of her husband upon his passing, and she made a sizable donation to the Red Path Library in memory of brothers Peter and Clifford.
00:41:03
Speaker
acts that symbolically reinforced the family's prestigious legacy and diverted attention from the shadowy events of 1901.
Invitation to Listeners for Engagement
00:41:13
Speaker
Although the home itself was raised in 2014, the mystery and the questions still remain. Again, please like and join our Facebook page, Coffee in Cases Podcast, to continue the conversation and see images related to this episode.
00:41:30
Speaker
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00:41:42
Speaker
Please tell your friends about our podcast so more people can be reached to possibly help bring some closure to these families. Don't forget to rate our show and leave us a comment as well. We hope to hear from you soon. Stay together.
00:41:53
Speaker
Stay safe. We'll see you next week.