J. S. Fraser, Letter to Dr. James MacCallum, Dec. 29, 1917

MOWAT LODGE

Dear Dr McCallum

I am just in receipt of a letter from Geo Thomson accusing me & Mrs Fraser of telling the corner that poor Tom committed suicide. My wife wasn't at the inquest and never spoke to the Dr as the inquest was held at one of the neighbors and at midnight. No one ever mentioned such a thing as suicide at the inquest. The verdict was death due to drowning. I am feeling very badly about this terrible thing as I thought so much of Tom & would be the very last to even mention such a thing. How ever several people have said to me it was no accident & I always assured them it was an accident. [...] Geo Thomson ought to be the last one to say anything as he came up here & did not do anything to find Tom's body did not even get men to grapple went back home & left everything for me to do and the people were talking about him wondering if he had no money [...] You can ask Mr McDonald or Mr Beatty if we didn't do all we could to say Tom's death was an accident Poor Tom how we miss him he was the nicest man I ever met & I was glad to do all I could for him [...]

Yours truly
J. S. Fraser