A Confederation Murder Mystery

A play by Grade 8 students

Cast of Characters (In order by appearance)

Thomas D’Arcy McGee -- Irish supporter of Confederation

John Phelan – Irish of west Montréal

Edward Brown – Rebellion advocate against England

George Ivan, Benjamin Jones, Jeremiah Connor – Fenians

Simon Caleb – Fenian sympathiser

Sir Hector-Louis Langevin – Member of Parliament Hill

Jerry Pat, Liam Tomlinson – Passersby

Tyler Oakley – Doctor

Joey Graceffa – Local habitant

John A Macdonald – Father of Confederation

Patrick James Whelan – Local tailor

Niall Horan – Judge

Synopsis of Scenes

SCENE ONE – Election of Thomas McGee

SCENE TWO – Thomas McGee AGAINST Fenian Brotherhood

SCENE THREE – Death of Thomas McGee

SCENE FOUR – Execution of James Whelan

EXTRA– Questions about Death

Scene 1

The astonishing room of John Phelan furnished with plush carpets, silk curtains and beautifully antique furniture. John is sitting on a velvet sofa smoking a pipe and reading a paper. Thomas McGee is sitting at a grand piano reciting some poetic lines and rhyming it with the melody.

John: My fellow Irish gentleman, why don’t you consider being a member of the parliament?

Thomas: Oh see, being a politician for years, I have thought of it as an opportunity for confederation.

John: (sighs and passes a cup of coffee to Thomas) you have been very instrumental in convincing the Irish population to support confederation.

Thomas: (grins and sips out of the hot drink) it is similar viewed to the despised English rule of Ireland, I think I got a chance in this

John: How about we make it happen? (Stretches his hands out for a hand shake)

Thomas: Splendid! (Accepts John’s hand shake confidently)

Scene 2

The ground is wet with morning dew, the sun is seen behind trees, and birds fly past an old house. At the corridor of the old building, Edward brown kicks some leaves while in deep conversation with Thomas McGee.

Edward: Heard of the Irish separatist movement called the Fenian brotherhood?

Thomas: Of course! I condemn the violence these ‘secret societies’ preach!

Edward: These Fenians are just another unsettling influence in our British North American Colonies. The need of confederation you support is needed!

A group of Fenians gather at a usual spot beside a river. George Ivan, a 29 year old Fenian is seen with a newspaper, others are talking and making plans about next raids.

George: "Secret Societies are like what the farmers in Ireland used to say of scotch grass," he wrote in the Montreal Gazette. "The only way to destroy it is to cut it out by the roots and burn it into powder." (He reads out loud from the newspaper)

Benjamin: Who exactly does he think he is insulting what we stand for? (He says with anger in his tone)

Jeremiah: McGee is such a turncoat! He needs to be thought how to think straight!

Scene 3

On April 6, 1868, shortly after 1 am, Thomas McGee is seen leaving the Parliament hill, walking gently on the fertile soil with sweet smelling spring green leaves. The night sky air has an awakening fragrant full of energy and life.

Thomas: Such a late sitting today! Hope I make it early enough to the boarding house in Ottawa. (He says to himself while walking)

After 30 breezy minutes of walking....

Thomas: Alas! I made it here, Just got to find my key now... (He exclaims and searches his pockets) Found it! (He struggles to get the key in the lock)

Anonymous: (Fires gun and Thomas D’Arcy McGee drops dead immediately)

Jerry Pat: Eh! Isn’t that Thomas McGee?! What happened? He’s dead! Whoa...

Doctor Tyler: (Walks to the slumped body of Thomas and examines it) He’s really dead! It seems he’s been shot in the head. (Walks away)

Joey: True! Let’s inform the other politicians about this immediately! (Runs to the Prime Minister Macdonald’s house and knocks)

John A: (opens the door) Yes? Young lad, how can I help you?

Joey: T-Thomas M-McGee (he stammers) has been found dead!

John A: Oh for goodness sake! (Hurries to the scene) Who could have done this atrocity?! (He questions and carries his friend Thomas into his house)

Scene 4

Within 24 hours, the sound of police horses fills the atmosphere with a buzzing feeling of awareness. Within moments, Crowd begin to form and the police are interrogating people for the arrest of the assassin.

Sir Hector-Louis: The Government is offering $2000 for information leading to the arrest of the assassin. If you have any information, Report it to the police for the reward!

Liam: I suspect Patrick James Whelan! He is part of a Fenian conspiracy to murder McGee.

Simon: (Goes to Whelan’s house and knocks) I have order from the legislative rule to search you and this place, so open the door!

Whelan: (Opens the door) How would I have anything to do with ‘em Fenians?!

Simon: (Searches him and finds a revolver in his pocket) without any further talk, you are hereby arrested and to be brought before the jury!

Whelan: I claim to be innocent! I am just a local tailor! (He says but is dragged by Simon away from his house to court for further proceedings)

After days of Interrogation with Whelan, He is brought before the jury for trials and judgement

Judge Niall: Mr Patrick James Whelan I have had an opportunity to review the pre-sentence report, I have listened to the sentencing arguments from both your attorney and the state's attorney, as well as the statements from the family of the victim and you have twice been given an opportunity to address this Court. Having been found guilty by a jury, it is now up to me to sentence you. 

Whelan: I am Innocent of this crime ye have arraigned upon me!

Judge Niall: Although you are claiming to be innocent, the revolver found in your pocket had been recently fired at the moment of Thomas McGee’s death. (After a brief pause) 

"I accept the recommendation of the Parliament members and community to hereby sentence you to death by public hanging!

Case Closed

Whelan: Oh why? (Breaks down in tears) I’m innocent! (He exclaims and is dragged out to the center of the city and hanged on a gallows)

Liam: (watches the execution along with a large crowd) what a pity! He deserved it anyways; the death of Thomas McGee must be avenged!

Days pass since the execution of Patrick Whelan which was the last public hanging in Canada, Thousands gather at Montreal to witness the funeral of Thomas McGee.

John A Macdonald: He was such a great politician and poet with great talent for getting along with all members of the fractious House of Commons! (He sighs and drops a flower on McGee’s coffin)

John Phelan: Exactly! I looked forward to see him become one of the pioneers of this great new upcoming nation! I would never forget his famous condemnation against violence!

Edward: And to think that today was supposed to be his forty-third birthday!

John Macdonald: As from now on today, I am in no mood to tolerate those who sought to change society by the barrel of a gun.

The End

EXTRA:

The lights are off; there are 3 anonymous people that identify as detectives with torches and masks on. They are at the crime scene where Thomas McGee’s murder took place. They speak in hushed tones.

Person 1: Though Whelan was executed for the crime that happened at this specific location, my calculations show he actually might not have committed it!

Person 2: Instead of giving baseless hypothesis, let’s find out the truth, which is the main reason we’re here.

Person 3: The evidence against him is unreliable! In fact, my modern tests carried out on the bullet that killed McGee showed that it could not have come from Whelan’s gun. We will probably never know for certain whether someone else got away with murder!

Person 1: Never say never! How about we travel back in time and solve this mystery? I say this is a job for History Crime Busters! And our adventures begin!

Darkness brightens into light, the anonymous people are no longer found in the scene. Curtain closes.