It was January 31, 1940. One newspaper reported “it was between three and four o’clock Wednesday afternoon, according to police reconstruction, Arnold Wellman, 77, was killed with his own shot gun as he was milking a cow on his farm near Harold. A few minutes later the murderer entered the house and shot Mrs. Wellman, 74, as she sat in bed writing a letter to her daughter. “

Edwin Faulkner, the postman, was the man to discover the heinous crime. A coroner’s jury was immediately set up to look into matters, which included the neighbour, Frederick Thain. The following day, Thain was arrested for the double murder.

At the trial on Oct. 28, 1940, the jury took only three hours to find Thain guilty, and on January 14, 1941, he was led to the gallows behind the Belleville courthouse. It is believed that Thain was the last to be hanged there.

Arnold ( 1861-1940) and Nancy (woodward) Wellman (1866-19400 with their three children, all doctors, Arnold, Iona and Marvin

The Wellmans were farmers living at Pt Lot 20, Concession 10 (a.k.a. Wellman’s Corners) , Rawdon Township, and were proud of their three children who had all become doctors. They were about to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary days before their death.

Their children, Iona and Marvin both had medical practices in Marmora while Arnold went on to practise in Waterloo.

(See DOCTORS)

Arnold and Nancy Wellman did enjoy the company of eight grandchildren, but did suffer the loss of two of their own children. In another family tragedy which they did not live to see, their son Marvin was murdered by a patient in Florida on May 22, 1970 at the age of 65.