| Notes |
- John "Jack" Cameron was a police officer with the Hamilton Police Force. His family came from Nichol Township in Wellington County, Ontario, not far from his wife's family in Puslinch Township, Wellington County, Ontario. His wife's first cousin, Jean Stewart, was married to Tom Brown, who later became Chief of the Hamilton Police.
Hamilton Times. February 08 1898
“ ‘I am guilty of being drunk, but not of being disorderly,’ said Lena Turner, standing up in the dock at the Police Court this morning, she having been arrested last night by Constable Cameron on a charge of drunk and disorderliness. Lena’s conduct consisted in quarreling with her ‘gentleman friend’ in the vicinity of Vine and Cannon streets. After admonishing the girl, the Magistrate allowed her to go, but this advice did not deter Lena from casting a saucy look of defiance at P.C. Cameron as she left the court.
“The police should keep a weather eye on Lena, who is only 19 or 20 years of age. She has done time.” (c/o Hamilton Police Service Archives)
In 1901 he is recorded as being a constable.
Black Hand Operation Thwarted by Hamilton Police - September 1909
Early in the month of September, 1909, Salvatore Sanzona, a fruit dealer on James Street North, received the following letter :
“We pray bring $1,000 when go to Dundas or you will be in peril of your life. No money on your person we wreck your house. Think, bring money when go to Dundas. We find you no money we take your life.”
The letter, badly written, was unsigned but drawn all over it were several crosses and black hands, which were supposed to indicate death.
Sanzone, a large good-natured Italian, immediately went to the police with the letter. At first, thinking Sanzone was the victim of some kind of joke, the police refused to act.
Sanzone’s persistence and obvious fear soon changed their minds and a plan was devised to capture the extortioners.
Sanzone was told to make his normal trip to Dundas with the money. The police would meet Sanzone’s wagon at a dark spot on the way and hide in the back under a tarpaulin. Another Italian was to accompany Sanzone to write down any words spoken.
The next morning the plan was put into effect.
The three detectives, Inspectors Sayers, Coulter and Bleakley, managed to hide themselves beside the bananas and under the tarp but were most uncomfortable as the wagon rattled along King street towards Dundas.
When the wagon reached the point where the Hamilton and Dundas Electric Railway crossed the Dundas road, just beyond the Halfway House, a masked man rushed out from behind the bushes and stopped Sanzone’s horse.
Two other masked men then approached, revolvers in hand, and demanded in Italian that Sanzone turn over the $1,000.
As the roll of bills was handed over, the men dropped their guard for a moment while they were examining the money.
At this point, Sanzone pulled back the tarpaulin and the three detectives jumped out of the rig, revolvers drawn. He three extortionists ran away as several shots were fired.
Two of the criminals were almost immediately captured, but the third man almost managed to get away.
Detective Bleakley saw that he was heading towards the railway track. As luck would have it, a radial electric railway car happened along heading in the same direction.
Beakley sprinted alongside the car and then jumped on the front platform. When the train neared the fugitive, Bleakley ordered the engineer to stop, jumped off and with his revolver drawn captured his man.
Photo: 1908 Detectives on the steps of the Courthouse:
Coulter, D. Campbell, Bleakley, Cameron, Sayers
Bainbridge, Hawkins, S. Campbell, Cruikshanks, Lowrey
Chief Constable Smith, Deputy Chief Whatley
c/o Brian Henley, Hamilton Police Service Archives
In 1911, he is recorded as being a detective.
He is mentioned in James Dubro's book, The King of the Mob: Rocco Perri and the Women Who Ran His Rackets:
"It was the late winter of 1917 when Rocco and Bessie (Perri) first came to the attention of the police. A man came to detective Ernest Goodman to complain that after visiting a prostitute at 157 Caroline Street North and paying her a two dollar fee, he had been robbed of the rest of his cash.
"Goodman, along with Detective Jack Cameron and the complainant, visited the house and interviewed Bessie and Rocco in the kitchen. (Bessie told the cops her name was 'Rose Cyceno.' The surname was probably an anglicization of 'Sussino,' the name Rocco would use later, and which was most likely his mother's name.) In the end, Goodman had to report that the prostitute involved was not in the house. She may actually have left of the complainant may have lost his courage. The man promised to meet the police later, but didn't show up at the appointed time. Goodman merely reported that 157 Caroline Street was a disorderly house and recommended that it be watched." (p.36-37)
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1862 - 1921 (59 years)
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