Manitoba
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Lead suspect

As word of the murder spread, the residents of Brandon and the surrounding areas began to arrest and attack drifters and tramps suspected of being the murderer described by Hilda Blake. The lead investigating officer, James Kircaldy, was often called on to interrogate these suspects, but soon realized that Blake’s account of the murder did not match the facts.

Kircaldy’s investigations into Blake’s account led him to charge her with the murder of Mary Lane on July 8, 1899. Confronted with the evidence Kircaldy had collected, Blake agreed to confess if she was permitted to see the Lane children one last time. In her confession, Blake claimed she had purchased the gun to commit suicide, but was driven to use it to kill Mary in a fit of jealousy.

General Form of Information or Complaint on Oath
General Form of Information or Complaint on Oath. A of M, A 0088, GR 0363, Q. vs. Emily Hilda Blake, No. 11.
Deposition of Witnesses
Deposition of Witnesses in the Emily Hilda Blake murder case, page 1-3. A of M, A 0088, GR 0363, Q. vs. Emily Hilda Blake, No. 11.
Photograph of the interior of Hingston-Smith Arms Co., c. 1897
Image of the interior of Hingston-Smith Arms Co. in Winnipeg, the store where Hilda Blake bought the murder weapon. A of M, Winnipeg – Buildings – Business – Hingston-Smith Arms Co. 1, c. 1987. Negative # N965.
Photograph of the Seymour House hotel, c. 1903
Image of the Seymour House Hotel. Hilda Blake stopped at this hotel for lunch when she went to Winnipeg to purchase the murder weapon. A of M, Winnipeg – Hotels – Seymour House 1, c. 1903. Negative in folder with photo.

Find out more... search Hilda Blake in the Keystone Archives Descriptive Database.