John Sackville Labatt

John Sackville Labatt

John Sackville Labatt (1880 - July 8, 1952) was president of the Labatt brewing company and a prominent kidnapping victim.

He was one of nine children of John Labatt, and was educated at Trinity College School and McGill University. It was him and his brother, Hugh Francis Labatt, who took up management of the firm upon their father's death in 1915. John Sackville became president of the company, and would hold that position for several decades. In 1926 he married Elizabeth Anne Lynch. With her he had three children, John Pridham, Arthur, and Ruston.

On August 14, 1934 Labatt was returning to his office in London, Ontario from his cottage on Lake Huron near Sarnia. Soon after leaving his cottage, his car was forced to stop by another vehicle, and Labatt was abducted at gunpoint. He was forced to write a letter to his brother Hugh, telling him to go to the Royal York Hotel to wait further instructions. Labatt was then taken to a cottage on Lake Muskoka near Bracebridge, Ontario, where he was blindfolded and chained to a bed.

The three kidnappers were Michael Francis McCardell, known as Three Fingered Abe, Albert Pegram, and Russell Knowles. Knowles drove Labatt's car to London, and after placing the note inside it sent word to Hugh Labatt about its location. Hugh did proceed to the Royal York and began gathering money to pay the ransom, but word got out and generated a media furor. Reporters massed at the Royal York and in London.

This caused the kidnappers to panic, and they decided to release Labatt, and he was unchained form the bed after three days of captivity. They drove him to Toronto and released him on St. Clair Avenue in the Forest Hill neighbourhood. They gave him cab fare and then fled. Labatt travelled to the Royal York, to meet his brother. It took some moments for the gathered crowd of reporters to realize who had just walked in the door, but when it was revealed pandemonium erupted.

Two of the kidnappers were later arrested and sentenced to fifteen years in jail, the third was killed in the United States soon after. While unharmed, the experience deeply affected Labatt and he became a near recluse for the rest of his life.

Further reading

*Susan Goldenberg "Snatched! : The Peculiar Kidnapping of Beer Tycoon John Labatt" Dundurn Press, September 2004

References

*Adam Mayers. "A heady week in 1934" "The Toronto Star." Jun 22, 2007
*"John S. Labatt" "The Globe and Mail" July 9, 1952
* [http://www.londonhistory.org/kidnap.htm The London and Middlesex Historical Society - Three Fingered Abe and the Labatt Kidnapping]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Sackville — may refer to:* John Sackville, Esq., English MP (1484 1557) * Lord John Sackville (1713–1765), cricket patron and second son of the 1st Duke of Dorset, father of * John Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset (1745–1799), cricket patron and ambassador to… …   Wikipedia

  • John Labatt — (né le 11 décembre 1838, décédé le 27 avril 1915) était un homme d affaires et brasseur canadien. Labatt naquit dans le canton de Westminster, près de London dans le Haut Canada et était le troisième fils de John Kinder Labatt …   Wikipédia en Français

  • John Labatt — (11 December 1838 ndash; 27 April 1915) was an Irish Canadian businessman and brewer.Labatt was born in Westminster Township, near London, Ontario, Upper Canada, and was the third son of John Kinder Labatt who came from Ireland and was the… …   Wikipedia

  • Arthur Labatt — Arthur Sackville Labatt, OC (born May 11, 1934) is a great grandson of John Labatt, founder of the Labatt brewery. He is currently the chancellor of the University of Western Ontario (UWO) in London, Ontario, Canada. Born in London, Labatt… …   Wikipedia

  • 1934 au Canada — Éphémérides Chronologie du Canada : 1931 1932 1933  1934  1935 1936 1937 Décennies au Canada : 1900 1910 1920  1930  1940 1950 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • 1934 in Canada — See also: 1933 in Canada, other events of 1934, 1935 in Canada and the Timeline of Canadian history. Events* March 9 New Brunswick women win the right to hold office * June 19 Ontario election: Mitchell Hepburn s Liberals win a majority,… …   Wikipedia

  • Liste Des Membres Ontariens De L'Ordre Du Canada — Article principal : Ordre du Canada. Sommaire : Haut A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste des membres ontariens de l'Ordre du Canada — Article principal : Ordre du Canada. Sommaire : Haut A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste des membres ontariens de l'ordre du Canada — Article principal : Ordre du Canada. Sommaire : Haut A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste des membres ontariens de l'ordre du canada — Article principal : Ordre du Canada. Sommaire : Haut A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z A …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”