Man in the Shadows (34 page)

I played with time quite a bit and compressed much of the trial. For example, Joseph Faulkner did testify at the trial, but in the novel he is actually a combination of three people who testified. Whelan’s confession to Doyle in jail was reported by Andrew Cullen. I slightly changed the circumstances. The testimony about the footprints was raised in the police magistrate’s inquiry, not the trial itself. Much of the dialogue from the trial is taken from actual testimony. But the trial is much condensed and simplified.

I tried to make D’Arcy McGee, Sir John A. and Lady Macdonald as true to life as possible. From their speeches and diaries, one can get a sense of their personalities. I embellished things, certainly, but in an attempt to breathe life into their characters. Whenever possible, I used actual words and reported anecdotes. I pulled sentences and fragments from speeches and letters, and inserted them into dialogue. I admit to modernizing their speech at times to make conversation more readable.

The Macdonalds did live in a rented house called Quadrilateral on Daly Street in this era, and it did have terrible drainage problems. Later, they would move to Stadacona Hall, and later still to the much grander Earnscliffe, overlooking the Ottawa River.

Many of the anecdotes regarding Sir John A. Macdonald are based on reported stories. Some would have happened after the novel’s time period. For example, Lady Macdonald did discover toys that had belonged to her husband’s dead son, but she found them much later in their marriage. Macdonald reportedly did quip about not knowing ancient Greek but knowing politics; however, it was at McGill University, not Queen’s, and it was a later governor general speaking, not a professor. It simply made sense to place him in
his beloved Kingston. There was a secret means of escape from the prime minister’s parliamentary office, but it was put in by Alexander Mackenzie, so while it makes sense to imagine Macdonald sitting at his desk, looking longingly for escape routes, he could not have done so until his second tenure as prime minister. Lady Macdonald did have a child in February 1869. It was a very difficult birth, and she could not have participated in the meeting as described. The Macdonalds would soon discover that their daughter, Mary Theodora, had been born with hydroencephalitis, better known as water on the brain. She would never fully be able to take care of herself.

The Toronto House burned down in January 1869. My timing is a bit off. Many felt the fire was set by Fenians. I should also note that the wooden toboggan slide was not built until the 1870s. It was a keen part of Ottawa’s winter life. But not yet.

Tex is loosely based on Morley Roberts, a British adventurer who worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1883. He was nicknamed Tex because he wore a Stetson hat. Roberts, by the way, was a transcendentalist.

Patrick Buckley was Macdonald’s favourite driver. He was charged with conspiracy and acquitted. Many people in Ottawa wouldn’t hire Buckley because of his alleged association with McGee’s murder, but Sir John employed him until the prime minister’s death, and Buckley remained steadfastly loyal to his employer.

D’Arcy McGee’s brother reported that Patrick James Whelan visited McGee at his home during the election campaign. It was used against him at the trial. I have the assassin visiting McGee instead, as it gave me an opportunity to have McGee tell the story of his rebellious past.

Gilbert McMicken did head a clandestine spying operation. Henri Le Caron, in his book:
Twenty-Five Years in the Secret Service: A British Spy Among the Fenians
, praises McMicken. Sir John
A. Macdonald called him “a shrewd, cool and determined man who won’t easily lose his head.” He was not in Ottawa on July 1, 1867, but it was convenient to have him report to Macdonald on the day of Confederation.

Colonel Patrick O’Hagan is fictitious. There were many rogue officers in the Fenian movement, but he is an invention. Fenian general John O’Neill did invade Canada at Ridgeway and planned two more invasions—one in Quebec and one in Manitoba—but he was appalled by the murder of D’Arcy McGee. The meeting between the American president, Andrew Johnson, and O’Neill is from Le Caron’s book. I added O’Hagan to the mix.

The Fenian threat was real, or certainly perceived to be very real. The Fenian letters, chants and proclamations are shortened, but they are presented as they were written. The Fenians certainly saw McGee as a turncoat and an enemy, and he denounced their activities with passion, as depicted in this story. The threats to McGee’s and John A. Macdonald’s lives are accurate.

It was indeed a troubled time.

NOW
, the fundamental question: Was there an assassin? Perhaps. Whelan was identified by his clothing and a matching boot print. He went to the gallows not only claiming his innocence but stating, “I know the man who shot Mr. McGee.” Many in the Irish community in Ottawa and Montreal felt that there definitely was a conspiracy, and that Whelan was not the murderer. After Whelan’s arrest, an informer reported to Gilbert McMicken that he was “almost sure that Whelan is not the man that assassinated McGee.” The rumour in Montreal, which has been passed down through the generations and was reported in T. P. Slattery’s
They Got to Find Mee Guilty Yet
, was that “Whelan didn’t shoot McGee. Whelan held the horse for
the man who shot McGee.” David A. Wilson, McGee’s biographer, told me that “by the criminal law criterion of reasonable doubt, Whelan should be found not guilty. But by the criterion of the balance of probabilities, Whelan either shot McGee or was part of a hit squad that did.”

But who knows? An innocent man may well have hanged for the murder of Thomas D’Arcy McGee.

M
y friend, the late broadcaster, journalist and novelist Bill Cameron, urged me not to give up on this novel. But I did. For a decade, the manuscript lay parked in a lonely folder on my computer, out of sight and out of mind. With the 150th anniversary of Confederation approaching, I decided to look at it again and set about rewriting the story. It goes to show two things: never give up, and always listen to Bill Cameron. If only I could. I deeply miss Bill’s witty conversation and wise advice.

Along with Bill, a few people read early versions of this book. Liam O’Rinn read a very early draft, and Andrew Gregg and Geoff Matheson read a recent draft. All offered useful comments and advice. Michael Levine sent it to Patrick Watson. Kind words from such a prominent Canadian really meant a lot to me. My wife, Pam, was a sharp-eyed copy editor and grammarian. Pam is actually related to Sir John A. Macdonald. Her mother was a Macpherson from Kingston and Ottawa. The Macphersons and the Macdonalds were cousins. Pam wanted me to cut back on his drinking, but I thought that was really more up to him. I like to think that some of Sir John A.’s common sense and endearing charm runs in her blood, and that of our children, Stuart, Kate and Elizabeth.

The historian David A. Wilson’s comments were particularly
valuable. I admit that I worried about asking D’Arcy’s McGee’s biographer to read the manuscript. After all, the book wanders—or stomps—through his academic territory, creating characters, changing circumstances and describing events he has studied and analyzed. I was sure he would take me to task for playing with time and messing with history. Instead, David was full of encouragement. He said he imagined McGee just as I had. That was Celtic music to my ears! He corrected small points—who knew they would have played a fife and not a tin flute at an Orange Parade?—and pointed me in better directions on larger issues. Most important, he understood that this is a story, not a history textbook, so it was all right to let my imagination run wild. I happily remember us sitting in pubs, pencils in hand, discussing Canada and Canadians 150 years ago. What fun!

A huge thanks is owed to my lawyer and agent, Michael Levine. What can I say about Michael that hasn’t been said by so many other people he has helped? He is a whirlwind—tireless, tenacious, enthusiastic and also very pleasant company. Thank you, my friend. Iris Tupholme at HarperCollins championed the book, and for that I am forever grateful. Jane Warren was a diligent editor. She caught inconsistencies and trimmed what needed to be trimmed. Lloyd Davis was an excellent copy editor. He was eagle-eyed, spotting errors and pointing out some embarrassing mistakes. Many thanks to you both.

I mentioned my proofreader, Pam Henderson, but she deserves a much more heartfelt mention than that. I am blessed to have her as my wife. To Pam goes my deepest thanks, and to her the book is dedicated.

GORDON HENDERSON
is a television documentary producer, writer and director. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Pam.
Man in the Shadows
is his first novel.

GORDONHENDERSON.CA

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“Gordon Henderson’s tension-filled tale is woven around the stunning assassination of Thomas D’Arcy McGee, a Father of Confederation, whose forceful idealism laid the foundations for our celebrated diversity of today. Brimming with political intrigue and insights and sprinkled with colourful characters, romance and humour, the Canada of an earlier time jumps off the pages. Riveting and entertaining.”

—LLOYD ROBERTSON

“Historical fiction at its best. Gordon Henderson spins a fine story from the threads of the past, and perfectly captures the personalities of D’Arcy McGee and John A. Macdonald.”

—DAVID A. WILSON, AUTHOR OF
THOMAS D’ARCY MCGEE
, VOLUMES 1 AND 2

“With his riveting, moving prose, Gordon Henderson brings to life one of the most dramatic moments in Canadian history.”

—SEAMUS O’REGAN

“Henderson does a masterful job of weaving in the fragile history of our nascent nation with a Canadian murder mystery for the ages.”

—ROBERT ROTENBERG, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
STRANGLEHOLD

“Gordon Henderson has written a cracking yarn that grabs you by the lapels and never lets go. I have friction burns on my page-turning fingers. History, mystery, thriller and the birth of a nation:
Man in the Shadows
has it all and then some.”

—TERRY FALLIS, BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF
THE BEST LAID PLANS

Cover design: Michel Vrana

Cover photo: Getty Images

Man in the Shadows
Copyright © 2014 by Gordon Henderson.

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EPUB Edition June 2014 ISBN 9781443431828

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FIRST EDITION

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