The Melady Murders: Canada’s Last Public Hanging

Dark Poutine - True Crime and Dark History

Curiouscast

Documentary, True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.7 • 2.3K Ratings

🗓️ 26 January 2026

⏱️ 66 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Episode 403: Nicholas Melady Jr. was 24 years old when he stepped onto a wooden scaffold above the stone walls of Goderich Gaol in December of 1869, about to become the central figure in Canada’s last public hanging after the brutal murders of his father, Nicholas Melady Sr. and stepmother, Ellen, in a quiet Huron County farmhouse. In this episode, we return to a world of bush farms, rough taverns, and bitter family feuds over land and inheritance, tracing a path from a whispered meeting on a bridge and talk of “just a robbery” to a blood‑soaked kitchen floor, sloppy police work, and a coroner making two young men stand barefoot in dried pools of blood. Sources: Double Trap by John MeladySeaforth Doors Open | shopseaforth.caAudio-Tour-of-North-Street | goderich.caHuron Historic Gaol‘Morbid curiosity’: When executions were public spectacles in Ontario | TVO TodayMar 27, 1869, page 1 - The Globe and Mail at Newspapers.com™Apr 02, 1869, page 3 - Ottawa Daily Citizen at Newspapers.com™Dec 08, 1869, page 4 - The Critic and Record at Newspapers.com™Dec 09, 1869, page 4 - Buffalo Courier Express at Newspapers.com™Dec 17, 1869, page 1 - Brampton Times at Newspapers.com™Dec 07, 1869, page 3 - Boston Evening Transcript at Newspapers.com™Carling R. Marshall ~ Public History Blog: Semi-public? - The Hoag Hanging, Walkerton - 1868Carling R. Marshall - Capital punishment: Huron County opinion in 1869Nicholas Melady | Wikipedia1869: Nicholas Melady, the last public hanging in Canada | Executed TodayResearching Canada’s ‘Last Public Hanging | Huron County MuseumThe Final Days of Nicholas Melady Jr. as Witnessed by William Dickson - Champlain Society Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Hey, Mike here. I just wanted to let you know that you can listen to Dark Poutine early and ad-free on Amazon Music, included with Prime.
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0:53.8	Welcome back to Dark Poutine. I am a befuddled Mike Brown with a confused Matthew Stock.
0:58.6	Oh, file names for script titles.
0:59.3	Yeah.
1:03.6	It made me all messed up and I was blaming Mike.
1:12.3	And I don't know why I blame other people for technical issues because 99.999% of the time, it's me.
1:18.4	Well, you know, I would love it to be somebody else making a mistake when it's definitely mine.
1:19.0	When it comes to tech, it's always me.
1:21.3	I've learned that lesson over and over again.
1:23.9	Well, you know what?
1:24.8	You're a creative, Matthew.
1:26.2	So you just get the other people to do the
1:28.3	tech. I mean, that's why you married the guy you did. He's a very technical. I just do the
1:32.4	words and pretty pictures. There you go. That's awesome. Well, let's get on with this from your
1:39.8	home neck of the woods, Matthew. It is indeed. All righty.
1:50.4	The views, information, and opinions expressed during the Dark Petitin podcast are solely those of the producer and do not necessarily represent those of Curious Cast, its affiliate
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